Category: Psychedelic Folk

Saturday Brings the Final Airing of Emmylou’s AOW, A Trip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ and Bob Dylan as Our New Singer-Songwriter, May 20. 2023

Good morning, Weekenders worldwide! We have arrived (well, most of us) and the first official day of the weekend. And we’re loaded with great stuff today.

Here’s Saturday’s musical musings:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Pieces Of The Sky by Emmylou Harris FINAL AIRING!

This morning is the swan song for this great album by Emmylou Harris, which includes the beautiful Boulder To Birmingham, Emmylou’s ode to her musical mentor, Gram Parsons.

12:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

One of our favorite EP’s here in The Lounge is this great multi-artist tribute to the psychedelic music of the sixties and beyond. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, Electric Prunes, The Animals, 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!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Bob Dylan NEW!

I know. You’re saying it’s about time we got to Bob. But then again, we’ve got a bit of a way to go here. We’ve still got a lot of high-profile artists coming. Arguably, the greatest songwriter of all time is featured this coming week. (Many consider Townes Van Zandt his closest competitor; he’s also on he list). Bob Dylan won a Pulitzer Prize in Literature for his songwriting skills, and he’s up at 8:00 p.m. tonight.

Yes, it’s kick back time (and no, I’m not asking for money). I mean, it’s time to kick back and enjoy the music. We’re on 24/7, we’re free of charge, and the music is free of commercial advertising of any kind. Give us a try today. You won’t regret it.

The Psychedelic Express!

We’re at Midweek With Our Great ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, Karla Bonoff and a New Playlist Tonight, Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve hit midweek once again and we’ve got a full slate lined up for you today, including a new playlist to wrap up the day about the rain.

Here’s today’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk brought us the music of both social justice and social unrest. In this EP you’ll hear from John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, 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, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Townes Van Zandt, Phil Ochs and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Karla Bonoff

The second airing of Karla Bonoff as our featured singer-songwriter for this week.

8:00 p.m. Looks Like Rain: Various Artists NEW!

Not quite an EP, but with a great selection of artists. You’ll hear The Temptations, James Taylor, America, Willie Nelson, The Rascals, Linda Ronstadt, The Lovin’ Spoonful, the James Gang, Joni Mitchell, J.D. Souther, Gordon Lightfoot, Poco, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Melanie, Maria Muldaur, The Beatles, The Eurythmics, Tom Waits, Fats Domino, Valerie Carter, Electric Light Orchestra, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more!

We’re halfway to the weekend again. They call this “hump day” for a reason. Great day to tune us in. No cost. No advertising. Just music.

Midweek Madness!

We Keep It Simple on Sunday With Our New AOW From Mavis Staples and Leon Helm, and After That We’re ‘Under The Influence’ on April 16, 2023

Good morning, weekenders. It’s another keep-it-simple Sunday today with just our latest Album of The Week and our ‘Under The Influence’ multi-artist EP, followed by our wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid.

Here’s Sunday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Carry Me Home by Mavis Staples & Levon Helm NEW!

This masterpiece of an album was born out of the friendship developed during their work together while making The Big Waltz, the final hurrah for The Band. (For those who may not know, Levon Helm was The Band’s drummer.) The album was made from sessions recorded at Helms’ studio in Woodstock, New York, in 2011, shortly before his death. The album explores both political and religious themes as the two cover songs written by Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, and The Band’s own Robbie Robertson. I have seen Mavis Staples live and she is a force of nature. As for Levon Helm, he was one of the creative driving forces (along with Robertson) of The Band, one of my all-time favorite musical acts.

3:00 p.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

I keep on saying this,but it’s true. Whether your substance of choice is legal or illegal, we’ve all been here. And it is certainly a popular subject in the music world. During this EP you will hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads,The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

Kick off your shoes. Then tune in, turn on, and drop out. Some sage advice from Timothy Leary. It’s Sunday. If there’s a big guy up there, he even took the day off.

Keep It Simple Sunday!

We’re at Midweek With Volume Two of ‘The Sixties Rotation’ EP, James Taylor, and Some ‘Live’ Ry Cooder, Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’re at midweek. We’ve made it this far and we’ve got some great stuff on tap for you today. I’ll be heading out to Truck Day, but The Music Mermaid is in the house and in control.

Here’s today’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

This one covers mostly mid-to-late sixties with The Beatles, The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, The Velvet Underground, Donovan, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of James Taylor

JT returns for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter for this week.

7:00 p.m. Ry Cooder Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, July 7, 1974

Ry Cooder is a musical legend, whether you know it or not. To this day, Linda Ronstadt calls him the greatest guitarist she’s ever heard. (Hint: Eric Claption is not god.) What’s great about Cooder? He refuses to be defined by musical styles. Tonight we have him live from The Record Plant, and we’re about to bolster his presence in our standard rotation!

Repeat after me: We’re totally free 24/7. I know. You can’t build play lists on our station. If you could, we’d have to charge you because we accept no commercial advertising. We’ll leave that to other venues. We are a non-profit enterprise without non-profit status. We’re all about the music.

Tune us in!

It’s Sunday in The Lounge With Hot Tuna’s Album of The Week and Our Station-Launching #BecomeUngovernable House EP, March 26, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We keep it simple here on Sundays, but that doesn’t mean the music isn’t great. We’ve got a great AOW and our station-launching very first EP mixed in with all that wide Open Stream.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

12:00 p.m. #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

The music that inspired us to start the station. This was our very first playlist that grew into an extended multi-artist, hours-long event. It features Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Steady As She Goes by Hot Tuna NEW!

Released in 2011, this great blues-rock album was Hot Tuna’s first studio album after a string of live albums, and came after Jorma Kaukonen released his own solo album on Red House Records. When the label showed an interest in a new Hot Tuna album, Kaukonen sprang into action. It was recorded at Levon Helm’s studio (The Band), and he used the same approach that the Jefferson Airplane used in producing their albums. Kaukonen contributed six songs to this album. All the details are here.

Before, in between and after, we’ve got that great wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid. We’re on 24/7, we’re free, and there’s no commercial interruption.

Sunday Funday!

Midweek Brings a Ride On ‘The Psychedelic Express,’ Christine McVie, and ‘Live’ Steely Dan Later, Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek and we start off with our ‘Psychedelic Express’ EP, move on to our singer-songrwriter series, and give you some ‘live’ Steely Dan to cap off today’s programming.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

Nothing like a little psychedelia to start out today’s musical journey. It’s a genre that transcends time, even though its origins began during the sixties. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, 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, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Christine McVie

We bring the late, great Christine McVie back for a second spin as our featured singer-songwriter this afternoon.

7:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The National City Pavillion, Cincinnati, OH, July 13, 2008

Tonight we feature some live music from one of the greatest bands of the seventies. Back when they were big, I used to hear the rap on them was that they couldn’t reproduce their sound live and onstage. Don’t know where that came from. I never had that experience when I saw them live. Hogwash.

Get a midweek boost here with some great music, including just about five hours of mind-blowing music to get you into the afternoon. We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and there’s no commercial advertising. No kidding.

All Aboard! No Ticked Required!

The Work Week is Back, and We’ve Got Peter Tosh, Volume One of Summer of Love, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris, Monday. March 13, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! The work week is back for a return engagement and we’ve got a great eclectic collection of programs for you today.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Peter Tosh

Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh was one of the core founding members of The Wailers before he embarked on a successful solo career. Today we put him in the spotlight.

3:00 p.m. The Summer of Love: Various Artists

We look back at the Summer of Love starting today with volume one of this series. You will hear Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Grace Slick & The Great Society, Cream, The Doors, The Grass Roots, Donovan, The Association, The Spencer Davis Group, Marvin Gaye, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Electric Prunes, The Yardbirds, The Box Tops and more.

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

Tonight we end our programming with Emmylou Harris in a very early concert from My Father’s Place on Long Island. This is Emmylou before her meteoric rise to the top of the country rockpile.

We’re on 24/7 and we’re free. We accept no commercial advertising, and I am the only DJ. The only thing you’ll hear from me is occasional station I.D.’s. Give us a listen. It won’t cost you anything.

Monday, Monday

Saturday The Mermaid Lounge Celebrates George Harrison’s 80th Birthday as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Among Other Things, February 25, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are here and today we intro George Harrison as this week’s featured singer-songwriter on what would be his 80th birthday. But there’s more!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Canciones di Mi Padre by Linda Ronstadt FINAL AIRING!

Sadly, the final airing of this outstanding effort by Linda Ronstadt is here. We start off early to day for those global listeners who have not yet had a chance to hear it. Ronstadt took a stand with her record company to make the album, and she faced down the naysayers predicting the destruction of her career as it became an instant global hit, won her a Grammy, and is the biggest selling non-English album of all time.

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

Volume two of this mix covers the mid-to-late part of the sixties, and you’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, 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 Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Beatles, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, Donovan, Velvet Underground, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin and more!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of George Harrison NEW!

Today we celebrate what would have been George Harrison’s 80th birthday. Hard to believe. We feature over two hours of music from his years with The Beatles, his solo career, and his time with The Traveling Wilburys. George spent many years in the shadow of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting juggernaut, but when he burst out he did it in grand style, distinguishing himself songwriter of immense talent.

It is an excellent day to tune us in, folks, but we admit we say that several times a week. The only way you’ll understand why we say it is if you give us a try. The best thing of all is that it won’t cost you a cent. Ever. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. What could be better?

Happy Birthday, George!

Today We Take a Special Trip to Old Mexico With Linda Ronstadt and Then Jump On The Psychedelic Express, Sunday, February 19, 2023

Good morning, music lovers. This is a special day here in The Mermaid Lounge as we feature the first non-rock n’ roll album by Linda Ronstadt with Canciones di Mi Padre, the largest selling non-English-speaking album in music history.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Canciones di Mi Padre by Linda Ronstadt NEW!

From the start, Linda Ronstadt was fully in control of her career, an unusual situation in the male-dominated rock world. By the the time she got around to making Canciones di Mi Padre, she had made her record label millions of dollars and was unafraid to take a stand about recording the songs that filled her childhood. People warned her that her career would tank if she made this album, but she paid no mind. From it’s release in late 1987, it was a worldwide smash. It sold 2.5 million copies in the U.S alone, making it the biggest selling non-English language album in American recording history. By 2012, it had sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Ronstadt also won the Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album at the 31st Grammy Awards. Las Canciones de mi Padre also is the only recording production that used the 3 best Mariachi bands in the world: Mariachi Vargas, Mariachi Los Camperos and Mariachi Los Galleros de Pedro Rey. In 2021, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame; in 2022 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

3:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

From mariachi to mind-bending. At mid-afternoon, we jump on The Psychedelic Express for a journey to the center of the mind with Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, the Electric Prunes, The Animals, the 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!

It’s Sunday. If there’s a big guy up there, even he took the day off. It’s a day of rest. Tune in, turn on and drop out with us. It’s a no-strain affair here in The Mermaid Lounge. No cost to you. Ever. We’re on 24/7. When we aren’t running programming, we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream going courtesy of The Music Mermaid.

A Day of Rest!

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!