Category: Power Pop

The Weekend Begins in a Dream State, Then It’s Queen and Some Badass Guitarists, Saturday, March 2, 2024

Welcome, weekenders! We begin the weekend with songs about dreams, then it’s the final airing of Sheer Heart Attack by Queen and volume one of ‘Badass Guitarists.’

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

Who knew there’d be so many songs about dreams? You’ll spend nearly five uninterrupted hours with The Everly Brothers, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Widespread Panic, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Harry Chapin, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, Electric Prunes, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Etheridge, John Prine, Tom Rush, Electric Light Orchestra and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sheer Heart Attack by Queen FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Queen as our 50th Anniversary Album Bash continues. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new old album for you.

8:00 p.m. Badass Guitarists, Volume One: Various Artists

We close out the evening with volume one of ‘Badass Guitarists.’ Some of these artists aren’t the singers of the songs, but they sure make their presence known. You’ll hear the handiwork of George Harrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keith Richards, Dickie Betts, Mike Campbell, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Lowell George, Jimmy Page, Stephen Stills, Bonnie Raitt, Walter Becker and more!

Before, after and in between we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream 24/7. There’s no hoop jumping here in The Mermaid Lounge. Just hit the button below and you’re in.

In Your Dreams

It’s Friday! We’ve Got the ‘Friends of Mine’ EP, Tom Petty’s Final Turn, and Bob Marley Live at The Roxy, March 1, 2024

Beware the Ides of March…unless you’re hanging out here in The Mermaid Lounge where the living is easy and the music is magnificent. We’re kicking off the month in style.

Here’s your end-of-the-work-week lineup:

9:00 a.m. Friends of Mine: Various Artists

We’re taking this one off the back burner today. You’ll hear both the good and bad sides of friendship from The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding Maria Muldaur, Argent and more.

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Tom Petty FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of our favorite Tom Petty songs as a solo artist, and with The Heartbreakers, The Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. The best of his generation.

8:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA, March 26, 1976

The Legend drops by this evening to close out the programming with a fine performance from The Roxy.

Well, here we are on the final workday of the week (for some of us, but not all). Either way, we are on the weekend’s doorstep. We’ll help you get over the final hurdle today.

Just Push Play. Ok?

We’ve Got ‘The Female Species’ EP, Queen’s AOW, and Bobbie Gentry In The Spotlight Later, Thursday, February 29, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the downslide to the weekend! We’ve got quite an eclectic lineup today, including songs about women, girls, dames, sistahs, ladies and all that stuff.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We start out the programming with songs about women in all their forms. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, Talking Heads, The Boogaloo Swamis, Hot Tuna, John Mayall, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, the Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sheer Heart Attack by Queen

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime Saturday.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bobbie Gentry

Did you know that Bobbie Gentry charted 11 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 during her career, and that she was one of the first female performers to write and produce her own material? Well, it’s true. Although she was a reluctant star who simply took herself out of the stardom loop, her talent and contributions should never be forgotten.

I can hear the wind outside; it’s been going all night. Yesterday here it was 55 degrees; today it’ll be 33. So, if you’re where I am and you don’t have to be anywhere, why not simply tune us in? We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. No strings. No kidding.

The Female Species!

It’s Our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, The Association, and Tom Petty as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Monday, February 26, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are starting off the week with a rare EP on a Monday, but it’s a short month and we have to get this one in. We are also winding down on our Singer-Songwriter Series, saving the best for last. This week we introduce Tom Petty as our featured artist. Next week? It’s Lennon & McCartney.

Here’s your musical Monday:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

One of two major sixties playlists airs today. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Little Eva, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Box Tops, Blues Image, Booker T & The MG’s, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. The Association Live at The Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 3, 1970

I love airing the old bands. It’s often tough to find ‘live’ performances but, if you persevere, you can find some. This is a great performance from The Salt Palace.

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Tom Petty NEW!

We’re winding down on this great series which has taken us through nearly a year. We’ve saved the best for the end. This week we feature Dr. Tom Petty, certainly the most prolific and consequential songwriter of his generation via The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys and his solo career. Every single song on this playlist is a Petty composition, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Great way to start your work week, people. Good music helps smooth over the transition back into indentured servitude. All you need to do is hit the button below.

Monday, Monday.

It’s ‘Ladies Day Out’, The Rolling Stones, and ‘Great Beginnings’ Closing It Out, Saturday, February 24, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the weekend! We start off with the women of music in charge, move on to the final airing of our AOW, and give you a brand new multi-artist playlist this evening.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

The ladies are back in the Lounge today and they own the first five hours of our programming. Spend some time with Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: It’s Only Rock N’ Roll by The Rolling Stones FINAL AIRING!

The Stones are back with the final airing of our Album of The Week. Tomorrow, we’ll have a new 50th anniversary album for you.

8:00 p.m. Great Beginnings: Various Artists NEW!

A friend suggested this one, and I thought it was a great idea. Songs with great ‘openings’, some of them definitely guitar riffs, but some not. You’ll hear The Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, Johnny Rivers, Elton John, Yes, Linda Ronstadt, Chicago, Roy Orbison, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix Experience, CSNY, The Temptations, The Hollies, The Edgar Winter Group, Cream, Neil Young and more!

There’s plenty of room for everyone here, and there is absolutely no charge. We are anti-capitalist music lovers. There is also absolutely no commercial interruption. Just hit the button below.

Great Beginnings!

We Start Out With ‘Live’ Kinks, Then It’s Willie Nelson and America, on (Finally) Friday, February 23, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are doing something a bit different and kicking off the programming with some ‘live’ music. Then we move on to Willie Nelson and close out the programming with America.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Kinks Live at The Palladium, New York, NY, December 31, 1980

We kick off the day with The Kinks’ New Year’s Eve performance from 1980.

2:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Willie Nelson FINAL AIRING!

Today is Willie’s final day as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. But don’t worry, his music is part of our daily standard rotation.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of America

I always refer to America as a ‘great little band’ for some reason. I think that’s because I believe their music somehow got lost in the shuffle of the seventies. Their string of hits wasn’t lost, but their absolute best music remained in the background, and their creativity really took off when a guy named Sir George Martin (the fifth Beatle) began working with them. We believe they belong In the Spotlight.

Yes, we’ve made it to the end of another work week as I contemplate more changes to the programming (mostly related to airing programs in the late-night hours for our worldwide audiences). In the meantime, we remain free 24/7 with no commercial interruption. Give us a shot. The button’s below.

Just Push Play.

Thursday Brings ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’, ELO’s AOW, and The Beatles’ Love Songs, February 15, 2024

Good morning, citizens! Today we’ve got the pioneers from Laurel Canyon, Eldorado by Electric Light Orchestra, and the love songs of The Beatles.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

Laurel Canyon was the proving ground for bands for two decades of music. They lived and worked in harmony cross-fertilizing each other and establishing the country-rock genre. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and more! This one is due for an update soon!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Eldorado by Electric Light Orchestra

We are winding down on this album’s 50th birthday celebration. The final airing will be sometime Saturday.

8:00 p.m.  The Beatles: The Love Songs

We could not completely walk away from Valentines Day without this playlist. The Beatles were masters of the love song, and we’ve got them for you this evening.

Well, gang, we’re over the hump and on the downslide to another weekend. We’ll help you get there in musical style with some old music and some new additions! Tune us in. Just use the button below.

The Sounds of Laurel Canyon!

It’s Valentines Day and Love Is In the Air, Along With Elvis Costello as Our Singer-Songwriter, Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! Yes, it’s Valentines Day once again. Time for love (and, of course, loss), and we’re giving you both sides of the coin today!

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. True Love Always: Various Artists

Yes, we start out with the romantic side of the coin first with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Mamas & The Papas, The Band, Delaney & Bonnie, Swing Out Sister, Boz Scaggs, Guy Clark, Tom Rush, The Hollies, Neil Young, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Elvis Costello

Another Elvis drops by The Lounge today on his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

8:00 p.m.  Nothing But Heartbreak: Various Artists

Then, there’s the other side of the “love” coin. You’ll hear Carole King, Elvis Presley, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Warren Zevon, Rod Stewart, Cat Stevens, The Pretenders, Them, Jackson Browne, John Prine and more!

We’re on point and in tune today, and love is in the air. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial interruption and at no cost to the general public. No lie. No bait and switch. We’re all about the music. See for yourself. Use the button below.

Happy Valentines Day!

It’s a Busy Monday With ‘Working Songs’, Rickie Lee Jones, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello, February 12, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! I was a bit overexuberant last night and went off the ledge on scheduling today. (We’re actually exploring a bit of late-night programming for our overseas listeners!)

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Working Songs: Various Artists

Quite appropriate on a Monday morning as the work week begins. You’ll hear from The Staple Singers, Van Morrison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Lennon, Slim Harpo, Neil Young, Jim Croce, Little Feat, Bob Dylan, Jesse Winchester, Maria Muldaur and more!

4:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Rickie Lee Jones

Over five decades this great singer-songwriter has recorded songs in a variety genres, including jazz, rock, pop, soul and R&B.

7:00 p.m.  Van Morrison Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, November 1, 1978

Van the Man is a staple around these parts. We haven’t heard him for a while, so we thought it was about time we break him out of mothballs.

10:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Elvis Costello NEW!

Here we have another great Elvis, but it’s Costello. You can love him or hate him, but the man broke barriers and is a hell of a singer-songwriter. He’s one of the very few of his generation that I actually listen to.

Another Monday in paradise…at least for me since my “weekends” fall on Sunday-Monday. We’ve got some great music today and we’re toying with late-night programming. We’ll see how it goes. Our overnight listeners are generally outside the U.S. Give us a listen.

Just Push Play. Please. And Thank You.

Saturday It’s Back To The Roots With ‘The Founders’ EP, Dylan, and The Supremes In The Spotlight, February 10, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We jump into the Wayback Machine this morning and take a trip back to those who made all of this possible; the artists who inspired the music that inspired us. Got that?

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Founders: Various Artists

This is our newest EP, introduced for the first time on New Year’s Eve 2023. You will hear Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Planet Waves by Bob Dylan FINAL AIRING!

Another of our 50th birthday albums takes its final spin today. Tomorrow we’ll have a new birthday disc.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: Diana Ross & The Supremes

The Supremes were originally founded as The Primettes back in the early 60’s. They would eventually become one of the artists that would help put Motown on the map. Tonight we put them In the Spotlight.

Just think…while I’m laboring away in retail hell, you could be listening to some great music! Today in the Boston area, we’re on track to break temperature records at 59 degrees…in February. Unheard of. Then, according to the weather wonks, it’s a snowstorm on Monday night. I am now leery of such predictions. Nope. But I digress. Join us.

Saturday In the Lounge!