Category: Laurel Canyon

We’re at Midweek With Our ‘Are You Ready for The Country?’ EP, and Traffic ‘live’ at the Paris Theatre Later, Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! It’s hot enough to boil a monkey’s bum in these parts, but we’re keeping cool with some great music in The Mermaid Lounge.

We’ve got just one question for you today.

Here’s your midweek musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country? Various Artists

Well, are you? We explore some (real) country music and then we have the birth of country-rock from Laurel Canyon mixed in. You’ll hear Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep at The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, The Marshall Tucker Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bonnie Raitt, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of The Purple Sage, and more!

7:00 p.m. Traffic Live From The Paris Theatre, London, UK, April 30, 1970 NEW!

From country to a bit of psychodelia right here in The Mermaid Lounge as we give you Traffic live from the UK. Our many UK listeners are tuned in right now, in fact.

Here we go again, folks. Another day in Hades as we reach the ugly days of summer here in the Boston area. Not my favorite time of year from mid-July to about mid-August. But as we say here, you can’t pick the weather, so you might as well pick good music. And so we are. Then, we’re sharing with you free of charge 24/7 ’round the clock. No commercial interruption, and no need for a credit card.

Are You Ready?

Today’s Journey is To Laurel Canyon For A Musical Trip Back In Time, and ‘Live’ Allman Brothers Later, Friday, July 1, 2022

Good Morning, Folks! We are kicking off a brand new month in fine fashion here with our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP and some ‘live’ Allman Brothers Band bringing up the rear.

Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash hanging out in Laurel Canyon

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

A trip in the Wayback Machine with The Music Mermaid (instead of Mr. Peabody) to the 60s and 70s and some of the best musical cross-fertilization on the planet as country-rock was born. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Souther-Hillman-Furay and more!

7:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Atlanta International Pop Festival, July 3 and 5, 1970

The Brothers are here for the holiday weekend, although I’m not the patriotic type to begin with and am now less so in the land of lost liberty. Nevertheless, we welcome the Allman Brothers back to the Lounge. We have’t played this one in a bit.

It’s going to be hot as Hades here today, although they did remove the cactus warning from my phone. Once you get past 85 degrees with me, it’s ugly. But it’ll be cool here in The Mermaid Lounge and you can feel free to kick back with some great music today!

A Trip to Laurel Canyon

We’re at Midweek With Our Second Volume of ‘The Sixties Rotation’ EP and New Live Little Feat Later, Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Every day after today is one day closer to the weekend! We’ve got volume two of our sixties music EP for you today along with some brand new live Little Feat later.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

11:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two

This is the second half of our sixties rotation and is, for the most part, focused on the mid-to-late sixties, although I’m sure some earlier stuff has found its way in. You’ll hear music from The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, Donovan, The Velvet Underground, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, and more!

7:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, New York, April 10, 1973 NEW!

Tonight we’ve got Little Feat “live” in a studio setting, broadcast live on WLIR-fm. We realize that Little Feat carried on after Lowell George, but we here in The Mermaid Lounge feel the same way we feel about The Dead. Lowell George was the heart and soul of this band just as Jerry Garcia was the heart and soul of The Grateful Dead. Enjoy.

We’re at midweek and every day beyond this is a day closer to the weekend. We’re here every day 24/7 to help make getting there easier. Know what I mean? Good music goes a long way, and life is too damned short to listen to bad music. It’s even worse when you pay for it and have to listen to commercial advertising. There’s none of that shit here.

The Sixties Rule!

McCartney’s Solo Debut is Our Album of The Week, and We’ve Got ‘The Psychedelic Express’ Rolling Through Later, Sunday, June 19, 2022

The Psychedelic Express rolls through this afternoon!

Here’s your Sunday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: McCartney by Paul McCartney NEW!

Released on April 17, 1970, this was the very first Beatle solo album. Of course, people were absolutely pissed that the Beatles had broken up, so it took a while for people to warm up to this one, but over the years it has become one of the most beloved albums of all time. I also look back now and remember that the album was criticized for what appeared to be “unfinished” tunes. Now, alternate takes, unfinished versions, home recordings and all of the progressions to the final product are literally an art form. I remember the angst of millions that The Beatles were gone, and I suspect a lot of the criticism came from the fact that they broke up to begin with. The blame game was being played. I, too, was upset that The Beatles were no more, but as I got older I realized that bands break up all the damned time. I also know that The Beatles gave us all they had in the tank. They changed everything in a very short period of time, and the band’s music is timeless. That’s also the way I look at them as solo artists as well.

4:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

Psychedelic music is one of my most favorite genres of all time, so I’m looking forward to this one myself! Even bands not know as “psychedelic” bands tried their hand at this genre. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Tommy James & The Shondells, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, and more!

Sunday. It’s a day of rest all across the globe. Pull up a chair and tune us in. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming), we’re totally free, and we never air commercial advertising. What are you waiting for?

The Psychedelic Express!

We are at Midweek With Our ‘Are You Ready For the Country’ EP and New ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris Later, Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Good Morning to our country and country-rock aficionados this morning! We’ve got a great lineup today interspersed within all that great wide Open Stream!

We’ve got some early ‘live’ Emmylou later from My Father’s Place!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

From authentic country to the fusion of rock and country that took place at Laurel Canyon, we’ve got a great musical trip for you take today with Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep at The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, The Desert Rose, John Prine, Tom Rush, and more!

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, New York, September 14, 1976 NEW!

Some great early Emmylou Harris here with The Hot Band, one of the greatest bands ever to stand on stage with her. It’s also at a legendary venue, My Father’s Place in New York. There are a lot of songs that came off the great Elite Hotel album that put her on the map, but she had just also released a new gem in Luxury Liner, so that’s represented here as well. She is, without a doubt, a Mermaid Lounge favorite. Live broadcast on WLIR-FM.

Excellent day to tune us in, people. We’ve got some great programming and, as always, our wide Open Stream of 27,000+ songs. It doesn’t get much better than that, although we are working on it. And, oh yeah, did I mention we’re totally, 100%, no-strings-attached free? That’s a bonus.

Are You Ready?

Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and a Brand New Spotlight With The Mamas & The Papas, Friday, May 20, 2022

We finally put The Mamas & The Papas In the Spotlight this evening!

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music is front and center today as the heart and soul of protest music. Spend the day with artists who shaped the folk music resurgence of the sixties, and those who simply pay homage to the craft. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Linda Ronstadt, and many more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Mamas & The Papas NEW!

This one is long overdue here in The Mermaid Lounge. One of the key groups in the Laurel Canyon scene finally gets its due here. This is a perfect fit today because The Mamas & The Papas were instrumental in the marriage of folk and rock, much in the same way The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds were instrumental in the birth of country-rock. The Mamas & The Papas were only on the music scene from 1965 to 1968, but their impact was significant.

Great day to tune us in, folks. We’ve got a great programming day lined up. Keep in mind that our programming is interspersed in all that great wide Open Stream where you’ll hear our ever-rotating collection of 27,000+ songs and growing. We’re totally free 24/7 and ask no questions except: What are you waiting for?

Folk Music Day!

It’s a Typical Saturday Here with ‘Live’ Linda Ronstadt, Our Laurel Canyon EP, Bonnie Raitt’s AOW, and LIVE DEAD! April 30, 2022

The place will surely be jumpin’ today and it starts a bit early as well, at 9:00 a.m. EST! We’ve got a full slate of stuff on tap. Tune us in!

Today’s EP is Music From Laurel Canyon!

Here’s today’s line-up:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Just Like That… by Bonnie Raitt FINAL AIRING!

Today we bid a fond farewell to Bonnie Raitt’s first new album in six years. Now, it heads to our standard rotation. Tomorrow, we’ve got a brand new selection coming your way!

11:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

Those echoes reverberated around the globe. It was a time of cross-fertilization in music (I am dead sure the Republicans are concerned with such stuff) with country marrying rock and the British invasion here coming to our shores and the echoes from the canyon reaching there. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Linda Ronstadt, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, and more!

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA, March 17, 1976

Speaking of those echoes, this was Linda Ronstadt as she began her meteoric rise, just after the release of Heart Like A Wheel, and in one of the greatest music venues in popular music history. This was a starting point for many artists.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin, July 19, 1989 NEW!

It’s time for our Saturday night staple. Another new outing tonight, this one live from East Troy, Wisconsin. Enjoy, Deadheads.

Whew. I’m done now. And let me say it again: This is a great day to tune us in and see what we’re all about. If there’s any one day when you can catch our total picture drift, Saturday is it. The day is here, people. Get on it.

Saturday in The Lounge!

It’s the End of Another Work Week and We’ve Got Volume Two of Our ‘Sixties Rotation’ and the First NOT The Album of The Week of the Year, Friday, April 22, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We have come to another Friday, and that means the end of the work week for most. But not all. Like me. Nevertheless, we’ve got the music that inspired the station today!

Today, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of ‘Let Me Up I’ve Had Enough’ by The Heartbreakers.

Here’s your Friday line-up:

11:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

This volume focuses more on the mid-to-late sixties, and you’ll hear many Laurel Canyon veterans here: The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, Donovan, The Velvet Underground, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin and more!

7:00 p.m. NOT The Album of The Week: Let Me Up I’ve Had Enough by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

We did several of these last year, but this is the first one we’ve done this year. The album itself was released on April 27, 1987. The single Jammin’ Me, written by Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, was released on April 18, 1987. It would go to no. 1 on The Billboard charts, and piss Eddie Murphy off. Neither Petty nor Dylan would back down. You simply don’t mess with Dylan’s lyrics.

Great day to tune us in, as usual. We’ve not only got the music that inspired this modest, little music station, but we celebrate a great collection of songs from our House Band! What more could you want?

The 60’s Are Back!

Monday, Monday Brings The Lovin’ Spoonful, BeauSoleil Live in Louisiana, and Songs About The Color Blue, On April 11, 2022

Good Morning and welcome to the work week once again! We can help you start off on a positive note with some great music today.

Today’s featured artists are The Lovin’ Spoonful and BeauSoleil!

Here’s your Monday line-up:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Lovin’ Spoonful

We haven’t heard this one in a bit, and it’s more than worth pulling it out so that we can all be reminded about what a great band The Spoonful actually was. They were at the forefront of the Laurel Canyon music explosion and were a hit machine. I hear them a lot at work and every time the station plays a song, all I think is, “What a great song.” They were that kind of band.

3:00 p.m. BeauSoleil Live in Louisiana!

This is a live compilation of performances by BeauSoleil culled from their 2006 Louisiana Crossroads performances. By the way, 2006 also marked the 30th year as the band’s world ambasador of authentic Cajun music.

7:00 p.m. All About Blue: Various Artists

We close out the day’s programming with songs about the color blue in the title, lyrics, or both. You’ll hear from The Allman Brothers Band, Linda Ronstadt, Mudcrutch, Foreigner, Taj Mahal, Joni Mitchell, Jonathan Edwards, George Harrison, Electric Light Orchestra, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Badfinger, The Band, Elvis Presley and more!

Hey, you can tune us in right now and hear great music because we run 24/7 uninterrupted. Our European musical family has been on all night long, as usual! You don’t have to wait for the programming to start. We’re totally free of charge every day, not just when we’re trying to get you to “sign up” for a subscription because we don’t require them. What more could you want?

Monday Monday

It’s Sunday In The Mermaid Lounge With ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP and Emmylou Harris’ “Luxury Liner” as Our AOW, April 3, 2022

Good Morning, Sixties Veterans! Today we’ve got one of the very first playlists we ever made, and the very first one we turned into an extended playlist, ‘The Original Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s Sunday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Luxury Liner by Emmylou Harris NEW!

Emmylou Harris’ fourth studio album is truly a thing of beauty. It is absolutely one of my all-time favorite albums with not one singular inferior song from start to finish. It was her second consecutive number one country album on the Billboard charts. She sings the songs of Gram Parsons, Chuck Berry, the Louvins, Rodney Crowell, Susanna Clark, for starters. The album also includes the cover of Townes Van Zandt’s haunting Pancho & Lefty which, subsequently, would become his best-known composition. You couldn’t ask for a better bunch of artists for help, with Nicolette Larson (duet vocals), Dolly Parton, and Fayssoux Starling providing duet and backing vocals, and a laundry list of brilliant musicians including members of The Hot Band, Albert Lee and James Burton on electric guitars, Hank DiVito on pedal steel, Glen D. Hardin on keyboards, and more. Just wow.

3:00 p.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

I say this every time this EP and it’s sister (volume two) are up for playing: The music that inspired this radio station. You’ll hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Dusty Springfield, Mary Wells, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Procol Harum, The Temptations, Fats Domino and more! That’s 98 songs over five hours of uninterrupted bliss.

It’s Sunday, people. No stress. No strain. No retail. Stay home. Enjoy your friends, family, and the music. We’re here 24/7 with no commercial advertising and no requirements for you to listen. Not one. Except, of course, a computer.

The Sixties!