Category: ROCK

We Keep It Simple With Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” as Our AOW, and ‘The British Are Coming’ EP Later, Sunday, February 26, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! As usual, it’s a ‘keep it simple’ Sunday with plenty of wide Open Stream and modest programming. Hell, it’s a day of rest.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

12:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Innervisions by Stevie Wonder NEW!

Innervisions was singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder’s sixteenth studio album, and it is largely viewed as his transition from ‘Little’ Stevie Wonder to a more mature, socially conscious musician. It was released on August 3, 1973 on the Tamla label (a subsidiary of Motown). At the 16th Grammy Awards it won for Best Album of The Year, and Living For The City won for Best R&B Song. You can learn more about this great landmark album here.

4:00 p.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

This is a favorite EP as we give you music from across the pond from the British Invasion and beyond. You’ll hear The Who, The Beatles, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Queen, the Dave Clark Five, The (early) Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Donovan, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Queen and more!

We keep it simple on Sunday, and so should you. That means your decision to listen in should be a simple one. All you need to do is pull up a tab and click the link below!

Keep It Simple Sunday!

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!

We’re Keeping It Simple With Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP and the Final Airing of Kate & Anna McGarrigle as Our Singer-Songwriters, Friday, February 24, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re finally at the end of the week. For some reason it seemed far too long a trip. But we’ve got some great programming and a whole lot of wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid today.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

12:00 p.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Scientific fact: The earth is composed of 71% water. Musical fact: A hell of a lot of songs have been made about water. Today you’ll hear Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle Final Airing!

Today is the final airing of Kate and Anna McGarrigle as our featured singer-songwriters, two masterful musical women who set out on a great musical journey with those who found their talents early on, like Linda Ronstadt, Maria Muldaur and Emmylou Harris. We here in The Mermaid Lounge have enjoyed hearing them sing their own tunes.

It’s Friday and we’ve finally made it to the end of the work week. The weekend is just around the corner and we’re gearing up for it. Why not start it off early by putting us on today? We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and we circulate nearly 30,000 songs continually.

Friday Is Here!

Thursday Brings Our #BecomeUngovernable House EP, Linda Ronstadt With Our AOW, and Bobbie Gentry Live at the BBC With Donovan & James Taylor, February 23, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a full slate of great programming today, including the music that inspired the radio station with our #BecomeUngovernable House EP!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

Today we bring you the music that helped inspire this radio station with our House EP. You ‘ll hear Barry McGuire, Edwin Starr, The Temptations, 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 and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Canciones di Mi Padre by Linda Ronstadt

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime Saturday. This is the biggest-selling non-English album in record history. Don’t miss it.

7:00 p.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC, London with Donovan & James Taylor (1968-1969)

The reluctant star did spend some time performing live at the BBC with a little help from her friends. This is a collection from the 1968-1969 musical time period.

We’re getting closer to the weekend, folks. This is a great day to tune us in. We’re here 24/7, and when we don’t have programming we’ve got our wide Open Stream! Best of all, we’re totally free. No lie. No strings. We’re all about sharing music.

The #BecomeUngovernable House EP!

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, Kate & Anna McGarrigle as Our Featured Singer-Songwriters and The Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, In the Spotlight, Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek as we look toward the weekend, and we’ve got a spectacular programming lineup for you today that starts off with our ode to the early sixties!

Here’s your midweek music:

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

We’re back with our homage to the early sixties, the years of the British Invasion and when American popular music was transforming itself. 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, Bob Dylan, Procol Harum, The Temptations, Fats Domino, The Rolling Stones, and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle

We’ve got our second airing today of the brilliant music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle, whose compositions contributed to the success of so many artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Judy Collins.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas was a contemporary of Aretha Franklin, but she never achieved the national spotlight like Aretha did. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw, because Irma Thomas is one hell of a soul and R & B singer, and is known as the Soul Queen of New Orleans. We turn our spotlight on her this evening. Give her a listen.

It’s midweek and, as they say, it’s all downhill from here but in a good way. We’re on 24/7, as our international listeners know, and we play music non-stop, not just when we have programming. We’re also totally free and totally free of commercial advertising.

It’s Midweek Madness!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge With Our Big, Bad Blues EP, Linda Ronstadt and Our AOW, and Roomful of Blues Live at Bimbos, February 21, 2023

Good morning, Bluesologists! We are back in The Mermaid Lounge for another Tuesday Bluesday and we’ve got some dandy programming lined up for you today.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

We’ve got our premier blues playlist up today with five hours of uninterrupted open stream blues from B. B. King, Delbert McClinton, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elmore James, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Robert Cray Band, J.J. Cale, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Koko Taylor, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Marcia Ball, Duane Allman, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf, Tracy Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Canciones di Mi Padre by Linda Ronstadt

A spectacular Mexican music album utilizing the three best Mariachi bands in the world and the unbelievable voice of Linda Ronstadt. The album is the biggest selling non-English album in music history.

7:00 p.m. Roomful of Blues Live at Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA, February 3, 1996

The big band blues sound of Roomful of Blues is something to behold. This band has been on the blues scene and recording for half a century. Don’t miss this performance. This band really delivers on the roomful of blues idea.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a busy day here in radioland. We’ve got listeners from all across the globe tuning in for da blues every week. Join them today. It won’t cost you a cent because your money is no good here.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

Tomorrow is Officially Fat Tuesday and The Grand Finale of Mardi Gras Season, So The Mermaid Lounge Celebrates With Our ‘Down in New Orleans’ EP and The Neville Brothers In The Spotlight Later, Monday, February 20, 2023

Yes, folks, we’ve been in the midst of Mardi Gras and that is party time in party town! Since tomorrow is Tuesday Bluesday, we are celebrating today. Some of the greatest music on the planet comes from New Orleans and we’re giving it to you today!

Here’s your Mardi Gras lineup:

10:00 a.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

We start off the day with just over four hours of great music from New Orleans. We feature original cajun/zydeco bands as well as artists who were born in New Orleans. Some of the band in this EP were ‘locals’ I discovered on a 2014 trip to The Big Easy. You’ll hear Fats Domino, Lucinda Williams, Professor Longhair, Boozoo Chavis, Tony Joe White, Kermit Ruffins, Louis Armstrong, The Daywalkers, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Neville Brothers, Chance Bushman, The Boogaloo Swamis, La Touche, Irma Thomas (the Soul Queen of New Orleans), Kermit Venable, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Allen Fontenot and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Neville Brothers

The Neville Brothers are an R & B, soul and funk band formed in New Orleans in 1976. The members consisted of brothers Aaron, Art, Cyril and Charles, and have also intermittently included Aaron’s son, Ivan (keyboards) and Art’s son, Ian (electric guitar). They have officially disbanded, but they have left behind a legacy of great music.

Before, in between, and after we have our wide Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid. We are on 24/7 uninterrupted by commercial advertising and overly-talkative DJ’s. Tune us in, folks. Join your friends from around the world.

It’s Mardi Gras!

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!

It’s Saturday and We Start Out With Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Then It’s On To Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and the Final Airing of The AOW, February 18, 2023

Good morning, folkies! We’ve got a real treat for you today as our programming is all folk with a little touch of the blues at the end. The big ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP is smack in the middle.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle NEW!

The Canadian-born musicians from Quebec are a true gift to the music world. While Kate was studying engineering and Anna was studying art, they began performing together and writing their own songs. It wasn’t until singers like Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Judy Collins began covering their songs that they received their own recording contract in 1974. Not surprisingly, this was when Linda Ronstadt exploded onto the music scene in full force with her Heart Like A Wheel album, the title song being a McGarrigle composition. The sisters continued writing and making albums up until Kate McGarrigle’s death in 2010.

12:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music gave birth to protest songs long before the sixties, and musicians from the sixties and subsequent generations have kept the folk music tradition alive. The artists featured in this EP include 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, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Brother Johnny by Edgar Winter FINAL AIRING!

We bid a very fond farewell to this great album today, but it is in our standard rotation now and you will be hearing airings down the road. We promise. Tomorrow when you roll out of bed, there’ll be a brand new album waiting.

Yes, we’ll tell you to give us a listen again today. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We do not clog up the airwaves with commercial advertising or endless chatter. We’re all about the music.

Folk Music Day!

Friday in The Lounge Brings The ‘Foodies Only’ Playlist, Van Morrison as the Featured Singer-Songwriter, and Linda & Emmylou ‘Live’ Together in Boston, February 17, 2023

Good morning, weekenders. It’s almost here! We have a great lineup for you as we ease you into the weekend. We start out with a fun playlist this morning called ‘Foodies Only’ and it just may make you hungry because it’s songs about food and drink in the title, lyrics or both!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. For Foodies Only: Various Artists UPDATED!

Songs about food (and drink) in the title, lyrics or both open up our programming today. You’ll hear The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Little Feat, Van Morrison, The Four Tops. Tony Joe White, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Strangeloves, Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson, Cream, Booker T. & The MG’s, Fats Domino, The Guess Who, Neil Young, Supertramp, Bob Dylan, The Flying Burrito Brothers and more! And yes, we’ve added a few new songs.

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

Today is the final airing of Van Morrison as our featured singer-songwriter for the week. His talent cannot be denied. His career has spanned seven amazing decades. Tune it in today.

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris Live at The Orpheum, Boston, MA, October 1, 1999

Linda and Emmylou have been friends for a very long time. If you’ve seen the Linda Ronstadt documentary, The Sound of My Voice, you know the depth of their friendship. This tour was in support of their Western Wall album, which is an amazing piece of work. I remember the years leading up to the album and wishing that they’d do something together. It was worth the wait. Tonight we feature them live from my hometown in a historic music venue.

Hey, I sound like a broken record, so I’m not repeating my canned closing here. Suffice it to say if you’re not listening, you’re missing out on a great thing. (And it’s 100% FREE.)

Linda & Emmylou!