Category: Power Pop

Monday, Monday Brings ‘Live’ Bonnie Raitt, Badfinger In The Spotlight, and Some ‘Live’ Doors Later, March 20, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a smorgasboard of stuff for you today with two live performances and a spotlight sandwiched in between.

Here’s Monday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Bonnie Raitt Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, December 9, 1973

Some early Bonnie Raitt to get your day going. The Record Plant was a proving ground for young musical artists back in the day.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Badfinger

Badfinger was the first signing to the Beatles’ Apple Records. They were originally called The Iveys, but their name was changed by The Beatles’ road manager, Neil Aspinall. Under The Beatles, Badfinger began to take off with hits like No Matter What, Come And Get It, and Day After Day. By this time, Pete Ham was establishing himself as a major songwriter. My favorite all-time Badfinger song is Baby Blue, which was never released in the UK, because during that time, Apple Records was in turmoil and the Beatles were breaking up. It was at this point that things went south for Badfinger and they became the victim of their new manager’s greed, winding up in financial ruin. Things got worse from there for the band, but they left us some great music. If you’re interested in the full story, the book Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger by Dan Matovina is worth the read.

7:00 p.m. The Doors Live at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, May 8, 1970

The Lizard King and his mates live at Cobo Arena in Detroit closes out the day’s programming.

Hey, it’s Monday. The beginning of yet another work week. What better way to start it out than with some great music?

Just Push Play!

At Midweek We’ve Got ‘The Female Species’ EP, Nina Simone, and The Beatles In The Spotlight, Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We continue to celebrate Women’s (Musical) History Month with our ode to the superior sex. We also feature Nina Simone as our singer-songwriter, and put The Beatles In the Spotlight later.

Here’s your midweek musical programming:

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

We feature our ode to women this morning and it’ll be running into the afternoon. Call it Open Stream With a Stream. You’ll hear from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, 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, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Rolling Stones, The Rascals, Peter & Gordon and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Nina Simone

We have our second airing of Nina Simone as our featured singer-songwriter for this week coming up later in the afternoon.

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

One of our House Bands (along with TPATH) and the band that changed just about everything in a very short period of time. They set the music world on its ear in 1964 and never stopped until their final note was played. Along the way they also changed the cultural landscape. We put them In the Spotlight where they belong.

What better day to tune us in than this one? Join your friends from France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Faroe Islands, Australia, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, Germany, France, Canada and beyond. They are all on this morning!

Midweek Music!

We Start Off the Work Week With Dylan’s 1966 Concert at Royal Albert Hall, Valerie Carter In the Spotlight, and Some Live Little Feat Later, Monday, March 6, 2023

We kick off the work week in style today with three great programming interludes interspersed among all that great wide Open Stream!

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Bob Dylan Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, May 17, 1966

Dylan was just about 24 years old when he played the Royal Albert Hall in London. We have that performance here to kick off our programming today.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Valerie Carter

Valerie Carter began her singing career in coffeehouses as a teen, then became part of a trio called Howdy Moon. The band released one album, now fairly obscure. However, she wrote the song Cook With Honey, which became a hit for Judy Collins later and managed to meet Lowell George of Little Feat, who produced her next album and became her mentor until his death. He introduced her to Jackson Browne, James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt and so it began. Valerie Carter has an amazing voice and that girl can sing. Give a listen as we continue to celebrate Women’s (Musical) History Month.

7:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Rainbow Room, London, August 4, 1977

Speaking of Little Feat, we’re back in London tonight for their performance at The Rainbow Room. It’s a good one. Don’t miss it!

Let me repeat. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge and free of commercial advertising. We have absolutely nothing to sell you. Not even a subscription. Because you don’t need one. What more can you ask for?

Monday! It’s Back!

The Weekend Has Officially Arrived! Today We Start It Off With Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, Move On To Our AOW, and Introduce Stevie Wonder as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, January 28, 2023

Good Morning, Weekenders! We’ve got some great stuff lined up for the weekend, but let’s start with today. We kick off the programming with volume two of our Sixties Rotation, and move on to Motown from there!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

This is volume two of our sixties songfest, mostly covering the mid-to-late sixties, but we can never promise there won’t be some overlap between time periods. You’ll hear 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 Who, The Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, 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, TheRonettes, The Kinks, The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, The Zombies, Donovan, Velvet Underground, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin and more!

5:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Going To A Go-Go by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles FINAL AIRING!

Today is the swan song for this great album. Our final airing has arrived. Tomorrow when you roll (or fall) out of bed, we’ll have a brand new selection!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Stevie Wonder NEW!

Today we intro Stevie Wonder as our featured singer-songwriter for the week. When he first started out, he was called “Little” Stevie Wonder because he was just eleven years old when he signed his first contract with Tamla Records, and just thirteen years old when his first No. 1 hit, Fingertips, was released. Wonder is widely recognized as a pioneer and major influencer in many musical styles, including rhythm & blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has won 25 Grammy awards. You can read more about Stevie Wonder here.

As always, the majority of our 24-hour periods are devoted to our great wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs. We’re totally free of charge and do not accept commercial advertising. We’re simply all about the music. Join us.

The Sixties!

We’re Heading for the Weekend With Our ‘Are You Ready for The Country’ EP, Our AOW, and ‘Live’ Linda Ronstadt Later, Thursday, January 19, 2023

Good morning, Musicologists! We’ve climbed the hill and are on the downslide to the weekend at last! We’ve got a great lineup of music coming your way today, as we do every day! Read on for details!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

Today we pay respects to country music with both traditional country stars and the pioneers of country-rock who made it happen back in Laurel Canyon. You’ll hear 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, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of the Purple Sage, John Prine, The Desert Rose Band and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: A Night of Blistering Blues by B. B. King and Friends

This great live album is almost in the record books as B. B. King is joined on stage by Gladys Knight, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and more! Don’t miss it. Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday.

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at Stadehalle, Offenbach, Germany, November 16, 1976

Linda Ronstadt, a patron saint of The Mermaid Lounge, live in Germany on her Hasten Down The Wind tour in a performance recorded for airing on the Rockpalast show.

Get your musical shit together and tune us in, people. Join your friends from around the globe who have realized just how easy it is to get good music with no strings attached. We do not require a subscription, a credit card or any personal information at all. We’re on 24/7 and we accept no commercial advertising. Tune us in.

Just Push Play.

It’s Friday in The Mermaid Lounge and We’ve Got ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP and Volume Two of Badass Guitarists Today, December 23, 2022

Yes, musicologists, the wind is howling here and it is absolutely pouring buckets as the Boston area remains too warm for snow. It’s a great day to stay in and put on some great music. We start it off with the music that inspired the station!

Here’s your stormy Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

Ah, the sixties. There was no time like it culturally, politically and especially musically. You’ll hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Fats Domino, The Temptations, Procol Harum and more!

7:00 p.m. Badass Guitarists, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got volume two for you today. Aside from those pictured above (l-r, Albert Lee of Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band, Jimi Hendrix, John Fogerty and Bo Diddley), you’ll hear the handiwork of Lowell George and Paul Barrere (Little Feat), Brian May (Queen), Waddy Wachtel (Linda Ronstadt and a ton of session work), Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Mike Campbell and Tom Petty (The Heartbreakers), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Neil Young, Joey Molland (Badfinger) and more!

Step out with us today. Come on. You know you want to. There’s no time like the present.Before, in between, and after we’ve got that great big wide Open Stream expressly run by The Music Mermaid. This is her kind of weather and she’ll be on form. Do it.

Badass Guitarists, Volume Two!

On Thursday, We’ve Got Some Badass Guitarists, Our Album of The Week, and Volume One of The Soul Sisters On Tap, December 22, 2022

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got three great sets of programs coming up for you today starting off with those Badass Guitarists, moving on to our Album of the Week, and closing the programming out with The Soul Sisters later.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Badass Guitarists, Volume One: Various Artists

We start out with volume one of two here. They may not be doing the singing, but they’re pretty damned important to the person who is. You’ll hear the handiwork of Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dickie Betts (The Allman Brothers Band), George Harrison (The Beatles), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Pete Townsend (The Who), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds), Bonnie Raitt, John J. Geils (The J. Geils Band), and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Goodbye and Hello by Tim Buckley

We’re winding down on this week’s great folk-rock and psychedelic folk album by Tim Buckley. Our final airing will be sometime Saturday, time still TBD. But get it in while you can! By Sunday, there’s going to be a brand new selection. Call it a Christmas present.

7:00 p.m. The Soul Sisters, Volume One: Various Artists

We’ve got volume one of two here as well. The women who made you want to dance and sing are here, including Little Eva, Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, Kim Weston, Carla Thomas, the Shirelles, Ann Peebles, Mavis Staples (The Staple Singers), The Ronettes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbara Lewis, Mary Wells, Fontella Bass, Martha & The Vandellas and more!

Before, in between, and after we’ve got our great wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid at the helm. She has impeccable taste in music, as you well know. Join us.

Badass Guitarists!

We Bring a Psychedelic Perspective to the Midweek and It’s Dan Fogelberg’s Second Airing as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, On Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Good morning, lovers of psychedelia! This is one of my all-time favorite playlists here. We also give the ridiculously underrated Dan Fogelberg a second airing as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

Yes, get on board the Psychedelic Express with us today to the innovators who managed to combine chemicals and composition. Some even lived to tell the tale. 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, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, the Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg

There’s a big campaign out there on social media to get Dan Fogelberg inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Considering the fact that they’ve inducted rap artists, ignoring a guy like Dan Fogelberg seems even more ridiculous. But then again, they didn’t induct Linda Ronstadt until she could no longer sing, and it took Carole King until 2021. These are WTF moments for me. Nevertheless, hope springs eternal. We love Dan Fogelberg here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we play his music for you tonight.

Midweek is here, meaning we’ll be on the downslide to the holiday weekend come Thursday. Life is good. And so is our radio station. We’re totally free 24/7 with no strings and no surprises. We play the best damned music on the planet. When we’re not running a program, The Music Mermaid is totally in charge of streaming. She spins he wheel and we see where it lands.

The Psychedelic Express!

Saturday Brings the ‘Are You Ready For The Country’ EP, Volume Three of The Heartbreakers’ Fillmore Adventure, and Dan Fogelberg as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter as the Holidays Approach, December 17, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists across the globe! Hope you’re all doing well as we tee it up in The Mermaid Lounge this morning. We’ve got a pretty full slate peppering our great wide Open Stream (a little Tom Petty imagery there).

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

We’re talking real country here. And we’re also talking about the pioneers of country-rock who made it happen from the cross-fertilization center of the world: Laurel Canyon. You’ll hear Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, 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, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of The Purple Sage, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, The Desert Rose Band and more!

4:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA 1997, Volume Three NEW!

The third and final installment as we roll out the brand new Heartbreakers’ compendium of their legendary 20-night residency as The Fillmore House Band. They threw away the script and kicked ass, and every one of them felt it was the most creative opportunity the band had, and the highlight of their time together. For the first time ever, there are more cover songs on a Heartbreakers album than original compositions. That was by design as they chose to pay homage to those artists who inspired them. They are, in our humble opinion, the best cover band on the planet.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg NEW!

It’s time to flip the switch to a new featured singer-songwriter, and Dan Fogelberg is one of the most underappreciated. Except here in The Mermaid Lounge, where we made him one of the very first artists to have a ‘Spotlight.’ Today he starts a week in the spotlight as our featured singer-songwriter.

10:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Dixie Chicken by Little Feat FINAL AIRING!

Tonight we bit a fond farewell to one of our favorite albums and bands as we close out this week’s featured album. We’ll be back tomorrow with a brand new selection.

Saturday is always a bit of a busy day here in The Mermaid Lounge, but we never have more programming than open stream in a 24-hour cycle. We also never run commercial advertising or emply overly-talkative DJ’s. We just play music. Free of charge 24/7. No lie. No surprises. No credit card. No personal information. Ever.

Cursor Here, Please.

We are at Midweek With The Ladies Fully in Charge Today, and Warren Zevon as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter Later, on Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Here we are at midweek with an expanded ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, so the women are even more large and in charge today. Later, we give Warren Zevon the stage for the second time as our featured Singer-Songwriter.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists UPDATED!

We’ve undertaken a modest update with our all-women EP here by adding Ellen McIlwaine, Christine McVie, and some reggae artists like Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt (also known as the I-Threes). There will be another update coming. Other artists you will hear include Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon gets the stage for the second time as this week’s featured Singer-Songwriter in our series. Linda Ronstadt recognized his immense songwriting talents by recording Carmelita and Poor Poor Pitiful Me, Hasten Down The Wind and Mohammed’s Radio. (I love them all but I think Mohammed’s Radio is brilliant.) Warren Zevon also had a great solo career, starting off with his breakthrough album, Excitable Boy, one of our all-time favorites. Tune him in.

Yeah, after today, we’re on the downslide to the weekend and everything gets better from here. Before, in between, and after we have The Music Mermaid at the helm. She has impeccable taste in music, as you well know by now.

Ladies Day Out!