Category: Rock n’ Roll

It’s Snowing Outside The Mermaid Lounge, but We’ve Got Our Sixties Rotation EP and Donovan In The Spotlight To Get Us Through This Mess, Friday, February 25, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! If you live here in the Boston area, you know that we were all standing outside a couple of days ago without so much as a jacket on. Today? Today, it’s another foot of snow. Welcome to New England in February. But we’ve got some hot tunes here for you today.

Comin’ at you at 11:00 a.m. EST. The music that inspired us!

Here’s your Friday musical landscape:

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

There’s no sense denying it, we here in The Mermaid Lounge are lost in the past and find no release in most (but not all) of today’s music. People tell me I must be open-minded, but I actually don’t. Nope. Life is too short to listen to bad music. So, we don’t. This is the music that inspired the station. You’ll hear The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Four Tops, Buffalo Springfield, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Donovan, The Box Tops, Vanilla Fudge, Sly & The Family Stone, Cream, The Zombies, The Doors, The Chambers Brothers, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Who, The Temptations, and more! That’s five hours of commercial-free, uninterrupted music.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Donovan

Donovan was a very big part of the sixties sounds, so his presence in the spotlight today is particularly fitting. His unique sound came from fusing pop, jazz, folk, psychedelic rock and world music. He was a favorite when I was young, and remains so today.

In a few hours, I’ll be digging myself out and heading off to work. But if you don’t have to be anywhere today, this would be a great day to tune us in. All you have to do is give us a shot. And we’re not talking about buying a subscription that you can “cancel anytime.” Don’t you love that shit? We do not require a credit card or a subscription here. The only thing you must have is an Internet connection. End of story.

The Sixties Are Back!

We’re Heading For The Weekend With Our New ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, and Our Album of The Week Later, Thursday, February 24, 2022

Good Morning, Dreamers! We’ve got a great, new extended playlist making its debut this morning. ‘In Your Dreams’ gives you just over five hours of uninterrupted music! Read on for details!

Are you dreaming of five hours of uninterrupted music?

10:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists NEW!

We debut our newest long player today, called In Your Dreams, a playlist that includes the word dreams (and its variations, of course) in the title or lyrics…or a song that tells a story about a dream. You will hear Cream, Paul McCartney & Wings, the Marshall Tucker Band, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Laura Nyro, Patti Smith, The Wallflowers, John Prine, John Lennon, Tom Rush, Joni Mitchell, Nanci Griffith, The Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Shelters, Hot Tuna, Townes Van Zandt, Randy Newman, Three Dog Night, Mudcrutch, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The James Gang, Taj Mahal, Aerosmith, Alison Krauss, Electric Light Orchestra, Stephen Stills, Alison Krauss, Fats Domino, Widespread Panic, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, The Youngbloods, Patsy Cline and more! That’s five straight hours of uninterrupted music.

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Meet The Beatles by The Beatles

The next-to-last airing of the musical shot heard ’round the world is upon us. Get it while you can, folks. When you wake up on Sunday, disgusted with another foot of snow (at least in these here parts), there’s going to be a new selection on the turntable.

Great day to tune us in. We’ve got a great collection of extended playlists with themes, and ‘In Your Dreams’ is our newest. Be here today for its debut! It won’t cost you a cent. No joining fees. No subscriptions. No money must change hands. And no personal information is required (because we do not accept advertising to keep us afloat). We’re here in The Mermaid Lounge sharing our personal collection of more than 27,000 songs!

Dream Away!

It’s Midweek With ‘The Psychedelic Express’ EP and a Wide Open Stream Afternoon With On-The-Hour Trifectas, Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ve got a great midweek line-up with ‘The Psychedelic Express’ EP followed by a wide Open Stream afternoon with on-the-hour Trifectas! What could be better?

Join us early this morning aboard ‘The Psychedelic Express’

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

We’re getting on board ‘The Psychedelic Express’ a bit early today, but a splendid ride is guaranteed for all. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blues Image, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Cream, The Rolling Stones, Traffic, Dr. John, Procol Harum, the Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Donovan, The Byrds, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and more!

Afternoon Wide Open Stream with Trifectas

We’ve got a wide Open Stream all afternoon and into the evening with on-the-hour Trifectas:

3:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt

4:00 p.m. Three Dog Night

5:00 p.m. Marvin Gaye

6:00 p.m. Carly Simon

7:00 p.m. Paul McCartney & Wings

Tune us in. Join other listeners around the globe who know what we’re all about. We are totally free. There’s no advertising to kill the mood. And there’s no endless D.J. chatter. What are you waiting for?

All Aboard!

Tuesday Bluesday Brings Our Great Extended Blues Playlist, and Our Second Airing of ‘Meet The Beatles,’ February 22, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! Today we bring you our monthly trip to Blues Land with our great extended blues playlist, just a little over five hours of some of the greatest blues ever.

From Muddy Waters, to B.B. King, To Johnny Winter, and Paul Butterfield. We’ve got the blues today in the best of ways!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Today we’ve got one of our most popular playlists for you as we deliver the blues from B.B King, Delbert McClnton, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Janis Joplin, The Yardbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Allman Brothers Band, Elmore James, John Mayall, James Cotton, J.J. Cale, Koko Taylor, Long John Baldry, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, Marcia Ball, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Roomful of Blues, and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Meet The Beatles by The Beatles

Today is the second airing of the musical shot heard round the world as the British Invasion came to America on February 7, 1964. The rest, as they say, is musical history.

Before, in between, and after our programming there is no silence. We run 24/7 with some of the best music on the planet and a definite devotion to rock n’ roll, folk, blues and rhythm & blues. You won’t hear rap, hip-hop, disco, or headbanging music here. We don’t have Joe Rogan either, thankfully. We are definitely not all things to all people. But, we are always free of charge. Here in The Mermaid Lounge, it’s all about the music.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

Another Monday and We’re Between Heaven & Hell, We Put Steely Dan In The Spotlight, and Deliver That Sweet Soul Sound This Evening, February 21, 2022

Here we are again, people. The beginning of another work week. But we’ve got some great music for you today as we celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday and Black History Month. But hey, here in The Mermaid Lounge, every month is Black History Month.

We celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday with Steely Dan In the Spotlight

Here’s your Moan-Day line-up:

11:00 a.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists

We start the day with a real Monday playlist because on Monday we are generally between heaven and hell. Here we have references to heaven and hell in the title and lyrics, and you’ll hear from Donovan, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Presley, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Fats Domino, Foo Fighters, The Grateful Dead, and more.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Steely Dan

After the 60’s the music of the 70’s was a bit of a letdown. (It only got worse in subsequent decades, by the way.) But Steely Dan was one of those bands who was an oasis in the middle of a desert. Love this band and the rap that they can’t reproduce their sound ‘live’ on stage was bullshit, by the way. That was not my experience when I saw them. Today we (belatedly) celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday by putting Steely Dan In the Spotlight.

7:00 p.m. That Sweet Soul Sound: Various Artists

I’d say we’re celebrating Black History Month, but every month is Black History Month here in The Mermaid Lounge. If it weren’t for black music, there would be no rock n’ roll. And no. Elvis never said he invented rock n’ roll. He deferred to his black counterparts on that issue. You’ll hear from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Roberta Flack, Rare Earth, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Fontella Bass, Edwin Starr, The Friends of Distinction, The Isley Brothers, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Ben E. King, Mary Wells, Ann Peebles, The Temptations, Jackie Wilson, and more.

Your Monday doesn’t have to be a bad experience. Not when you’ve got access to all this great music totally free 24/7. No lie, people. We’re all about the music. People over profits. We live that here.

Free Music 24/7

Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and The Beatles Own Our Album of The Week, Sunday, February 20, 2022

Good Morning, Music Historians! I hope this sunny Sunday (at least it is here in the Boston area) finds you in great musical spirits. If not, we hope we can help you to get there!

The Beatles land in America, February 7, 1964

Here’s your Sunday Funday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Meet The Beatles by The Beatles NEW!

As you know, The Beatles are the other half of our ‘house band’ line-up (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers being the other half). We here in The Mermaid Lounge are very careful not to overplay either band, but this is a very special month for Beatles fans, especially myself. The Beatles first landed in America on February 7, 1964…on my tenth birthday. My present from my mother on that day was Meet The Beatles, their first U.S. release. The album changed my musical life forever. It gave me my own generation of music after having listened to my sisters’ music for several years which, by the way, I acknowledge as the beginning of rock n’ roll. The Beatles were listening to my sisters’ music as well, and drew their inspiration from those artists. We will talk about that later, however.

It is time Meet The Beatles gets its due as our Album of The Week. The Beatles changed everything, not just popular music, but popular culture as well. In England, their debut album was titled With The Beatles, and had a different line-up of songs. Today we give you the U.S. version of their debut album with the iconic cover photographed by Robert Freeman, who also photographed several other Beatle album covers. In the UK, the cover was straight black & white. In the U.S., it was released as a blue duotone.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We also have a great EP celebrating another important part of popular music history called folk music. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Odetta inspired Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and so many others you’ll hear in this playlist. Those “others” include Nanci Griffith, The Band, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Andersen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Jesse Winchester, The Stone Poneys, John Prine, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, The Wallflowers, and more!

Come on. It’s a day of rest and relaxation. And before the Blue Laws were dropped here in Massachusetts, there weren’t any stores open to continue the capitalism game. It’s time to, as The Beatles once said, “get back to where we once belonged.” This is a good day to start.

Get Back, People!

Saturday In The Mermaid Lounge Brings The ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, the Final Airing of Our AOW, and LIVE DEAD! Later, February 19, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! Another Saturday has rolled around here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’re just chock full of good musical programming for you today! Read on!

The women of music are large and in charge today here in The Mermaid Lounge!

Here’s today’s programming:

11:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

Often overlooked, but never here in The Lounge. When I used to listen to regular rock music stations, the women of music were almost an afterthought. You’d have thought that Joan Jett and Stevie Nicks were the only female singers on the damned planet. In fact, women have delivered an awful lot of great music over the years and deserve their place in the spotlight. Today you’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Carly Simon, Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Susan Tedeschi, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Valerie Carter, Eva Cassidy, Lucinda Williams, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, and many more! (There’s even some Stevie Nicks and Joan Jett.)

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Laid Back by Gregg Allman FINAL AIRING!

Today is the swan song for Gregg Allman’s Laid Back, his very first solo album. Tomorrow when you wake up, we’ll have a brand new selection for you.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Miami Arena, Miami, FL, October 26, 1989 NEW!

Another new soundboard recording from the ultimate road and jam band, this time with their infamous Wall of Sound. Get on it, people. It’s a Saturday night staple here in The Mermaid Lounge especially for Deadheads.

Before, after and in-between all this great program we have our wide Open Stream, courtesy of The Music Mermaid who, as you know, has impeccable taste. That’s why she’s here.

Saturday’s Here!

What Could Be Better Than a Friday ‘Under The Influence’ and With Lucinda Williams In the Spotlight Later? February 18, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve made it to Friday. Yes, we have. And it’s looking good as the weekend approaches. Next to love, perhaps being ‘Under The Influence’ is the most sung-about condition. We’ve got it here for you today!

Come join the fun! They’re clearly ‘Under the Influence’

Here’s your Friday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Look, let’s face it. We’ve all been here at one time or another in our lives, and sometimes with legal substances…but sometimes not. So, we can all identify with the songs of The Doors, The Byrds, Donovan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Glenn Frey, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, Emmylou Harris, The Band, Eric Burdon & War, Bob Dylan, The Fraternity of Man, Little Feat, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is a blues, country, rock and folk singer, songwriter and musician. Like so many other women of her generation, her early releases went ignored. However, as of today, Williams is recognized as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation. Her commercial breakthrough finally arrived in 1998 with her album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, which fused blues, rock, country, and Americana music into Lucinda’s own signature sound. The album won the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album. The rest, as they say, is history.

The weekend is technically here, people. Yes. Yes. I know we have one more day of work (in my case, two days), but the end is in sight now. It’s time to start to mellow out. It would be a great weekend to get on board the music train here in The Mermaid Lounge. Come on. You know you want to.

Just Push Play

It’s a Trifecta Start To The Day, With Our AOW at Mid-Afternoon, and Paul McCartney In the Spotlight Later, Thursday, February 17, 2022

We are definitely on the downslide heading toward the weekend, folks, and we’ve got a great day of music programming for you to help get you closer. We open with a set of Trifectas and move on from there.

The Traveling Wilburys, Steve Winwood, Little Feat, The Byrds, and Norah Jones are today’s Trifecta artists.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Trifecta Thursday: Various Artists

We’re going to kick off the day with five hours of Trifectas. The schedule is:

9:00 a.m. Little Feat

10:00 a.m. Steve Winwood

11:00 a.m. The Byrds

12:00 p.m. The Traveling Wilburys

1:00 p.m. Norah Jones

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Laid Back by Gregg Allman

I know I sound like, well, a broken record, don’t I? This is our next-to-last airing of Gregg Allman’s debut solo album. The final airing will be on Saturday. Get in on it while you can.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Paul McCartney

Tonight we put Macca In The Spotlight as we feature his music as a driving force behind The Beatles, as the leader of Wings, and as a solo artist. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Come on, people. This is a great day to tune us in. I’ll be slavin’ in retail hell, but that doesn’t mean your day has to suck as well. Hell, if you’re in an office working on your computer, just close the door, pull up a tab and click the button below. It won’t cost you a penny. And we’re unlike any other radio station on the planet. See for yourself.

Trifecta Thursday!

We’ve Hit Our Midweek Stride With Our ‘Are You Ready For the Country’ EP, and Tom Rush In The Spotlight, Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Yes, we’re at midweek. It’s all downhill from here, as they say. We’ve got a great line up today as we wish Tom Rush a happy belated 80th birthday, and turn on the country spigot.

Real country. And country-rock. But no bad pop bands with fiddles here.

Here’s the midweek line-up:

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

Tom Petty was a great musicologist. He once referred to the glut of bad country bands as ‘bad pop bands with fiddles.’ None of that shit here today as we give you a great EP of uninterrupted music. 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, The Outlaws, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Flying Burrito Brothers and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tom Rush

Tom Rush turned 80 years young on February 8th and we’re finally wishing him a happy belated birthday. I saw him at his birthday bash in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (the place of his birth) when he turned 79 last year, and he was fantastic. Today, we put Tom Rush, the artist often credited with heralding in the era of the singer-songwriter, In the Spotlight.

Get on it, folks. This is the toughest day of the week, and we’ll help you get through it with some great music. No charge for the service. Honest. We’re not kidding.

Are You Ready?