Category: ska

Friday Brings ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’ Playlist, Hank Williams’ Final Spin and ‘Live’ Dr. John, December 29, 2023

Good morning and welcome to the end of the work week! We’ve got a great eclectic lineup ready to go today, so tune us in!

Here’s your musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Rocksteady & Ska: Various Artists

We’re back with our reggae, ska and rocksteady playlist featuring Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

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

We bid a fond farewell to Hank Williams as this week’s featured singer-songwriter, but rest assured he is a big part of our standard rotation. We’ll have a new artist on Saturday.

8:00 p.m.  Dr. John Live at The Lonestar, New York, NY, December 22 & 23, 1986 NEW!

We have a new-to-the-station live performance from The Nitetripper, vintage 1986 in New York City.

Every day is a good day here in The Mermaid Lounge. We don’t play any bad music. We don’t charge you to listen to our station, we don’t track you, ask you for personal info or a credit card. We’re all about the music.

The Best of Reggae & Ska!

It’s Bob Marley & The Wailers, ZZ Top and Linda Ronstadt (& Some Stone Poneys) on This Rainy Monday, December 4, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! If you have Monday off like I do and it’s rainy where you are like it is here, this is the perfect day to hunker down with some great music. And we’ve got it here.

Here’s your musical Monday:

10:00 a.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, October 13, 1973

We start out the day with some Reggae vibes from the singer-songwriter who helped put Reggae on the map worldwide and his great band, The Wailers.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of ZZ Top

We haven’t heard this one in a while. We’ve dusted this great ZZ Top Spotlight off and are ready for it this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. A Linda Ronstadt Retrospective: The Stone Poneys & The Early Solo Years

We take a trip in the Wayback Machine for this one as we feature the Queen of Rock’s early years with and without the Stone Poneys. Ronstadt paved the way for women, controlling her own career from the very start and defying those who told her what she should or should not sing. I think we can all agree it was quite a career.

We’re ready for the music today. I’m in The Lounge all day. No retail hell; no pushy, nasty Christmas customers (thankfully, we don’t get many of those). The festivities start at 11:00 a.m. but the music is 24/7.

Monday, Monday.

Thursday Brings Our ‘Ode to Morning’ EP, Elvis With Our AOW and ‘Live’ Bob Marley & The Wailers, November 16, 2023

Good morning, music lovers. We’re here in the lounge preparing to pay musical homage to the morning and the sunrise, followed by Elvis Presley’s debut album and Bob Marley and his crew ‘live’ at The Beacon.

Here’s your musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Ode to Morning: Various Artists

We start off what is going to be a fine, sunny day here in the Boston area with a musical tribute to the morning hours with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan,, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Badfinger, Chris Hillman and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley

We’re winding down here with this great Elvis debut album that spent ten weeks in the number one slot. There was no turning back on rock n’ roll. Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday.

7:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, May 1, 1976

Bob Marley’s importance to the growth and acceptance of Reggae music is undeniable. Tonight we have The Wailers live from The Beacon Theatre in New York.

We’re here 24/7 come rain or shine. We’ve been running without interruption and without charging anyone for the music for six years now. And we’re getting better as we move along. See for yourself. The button’s below.

This is the Button.

The Best of Reggae & Ska, Singer-Songwriter John Fogerty, and New Heartbreakers are All on Tap for Friday, October 27, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve made it to Friday, and that is always a good thing because we are officially weekenders!

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska: Various Artists

We’ve got all the greats you know, and some you may never have heard. You’ll hear Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

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

We bid a fond farewell to John Fogerty today, the heart and soul of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Tomorrow we’ll introduce a brand new artist.

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Fillmore ’97 Covers NEW!

We’re pretty obsessed with The Heartbreakers as a cover band. No doubt about it, they’re the best. They respect the intentions of the composers and play them the way they were meant to be played. Their heralded 20-night residency at the famed Fillmore in 1997 was an amazing feat, changing the set list every night, allowing the fans to request songs and help build the show, and having special guests like Roger McGuinn and John Lee Hooker on stage with them. Tonight we give you a couple of hours of covers from the Fillmore ’97 residency. Not to be missed.

We’ve made it to the end of the week and that is, without a doubt, a good thing. Especially since I leave on vacation today. But hey, the beauty of running an Internet radio station is that you can do it from anywhere. And so we shall. Stay tuned…

Just Push Play.

We Start Out ‘In Your Dreams’ Today, Move On to Rosanne Cash, Then Bob Marley is Our Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, September 30, 2023

We close out the month in style today with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, then we bid a fond farwell to a great album and introduce Bob Marley as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your musical lineup for today:

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

Dreaming is one of the top five most popular subjects for our EP series. You’ll hear the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, the Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, the Alan Parsons Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: The River & The Thread by Rosanne Cash FINAL AIRING!

Today we say goodbye to a great album from Rosanne Cash, who will make a return run as one of our featured singer-songwriters soon-ish. Tomorrow we’ll introduce another album.

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

A true pioneer in bringing Reggae to the world, Bob Marley combined the best elements of Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady with his visionary singing and songwriting style to put Reggae music front and center on the world stage. Today he becomes our featured singer-songwriter.

Come on. Admit it. You want to tune us in but you just haven’t found the time. Well, we can’t help you there. But when you do find the time, you won’t be disappointed. Let’s just leave it at that.

In Your Dreams

Monday’s Back, But We’ve Got the Best of Reggae & Ska, America In the Spotlight, and New ‘Live’ George Harrison, September 18, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’re back to help ease you into Monday with our ‘Best of Reggae & Ska’ playlist, a Spotlight featuring America and George Harrison in Maryland on The Dark Horse Tour.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady: Various Artists

We’ve got all the greats with Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of America

America is most remembered for their string of folk hits, like Sister Golden Hair, Tin Man, Sandman (a really great tune), and Don’t Cross the River. But America made some of the most alluring and creative music that was not released as singles. Albums like Hat Trick, Hideaway and Holiday had some incredible unreleased tunes on them. Give this playlist a listen and you can hear them.

7:00 p.m. George Harrison Live at The Capitol Centre, Landover, MD, December 13, 1974 NEW!

George Harrison on the Dark Horse Tour, which was somehow billed as a disaster. There was a lot of that going around after The Beatles broke up. Nevertheless, George Harrison went on to have a great solo career, proving himself an amazing songwriter and musician, and the founding genius behind The Traveling Wilburys.

Start your week off on the right foot but getting behind some great music. We’re on 24/7 without commercial interruption and we are free of charge. Join our international community now!

The Best of Reggae & Ska

It’s ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’ Today With Gregg Allman and Our New ‘Wheels’ Playlist, Friday, August 11, 2023

Good morning, workers! We are at the final day of the work week (for most) and we’ve got a great musical lineup of reggae/ska/rocksteady music, Gregg Allman’s final spin as the featured singer-songwriter and a brand new ‘Wheels’ playlist.

Here’s your musical lineup for Friday:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Ska & Rocksteady: Various Artists

Take a trip with us to the islands where you’ll hear Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitkin, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker (& The Aces), The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

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

Today is the final airing of Gregg Allman as our featured singer-songwriter. We’ve got a brand new artist waiting in the wings for tomorrow!

8:00 p.m. Wheels: Various Artists NEW!

Cars are big topic in the music world, and we are finally putting a playlist together on the subject. You’ll hear Paul McCartney (singing about his tour bus), Lucinda Williams, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (worrying about getting pulled over), Donovan, The Kinks, Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, The Who, T-Rex, Asleep at The Wheel, Chuck Berry, John Prine, Mudcrutch, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, War, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Janis Joplin, Tracy Chapman, Steppewolf, Wilson Pickett (about girl who just wants to ride around) and more!

Step on into The Mermaid Lounge and take a load off today. We’re wherever you are. In your office? Pull up a tab. No credit card required. And no personal information requested. Just hit the button below and you’re on your way to musical nirvana.

Welcome to Friday!

It’s Monday Again and We Start Off With New Playlist About Freedom, Followed by ‘Live’ Neil Young and a Jimmy Cliff Spotlight, July 3, 2023

Good morning, workers! Today we start off with a new playlist with the words ‘free’ and ‘freedom’ in the title, lyrics or both. And believe me, I’m not insinuating that we should be celebrating ‘freedom’ giving he current state of the nation.

Here’s your musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Free As a Bird: Various Artists NEW!

We’ve had this one on the drawing board for a bit, and it has arrived today. You’ll hear Chicago, CSNY, The Byrds, Otis Redding, Steve Winwood, Cream, Jesse Winchester, Dave Mason, Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan, Allen Toussaint, Elton John, Tracy Chapman, Emmylou Harris, Chicken Shack, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Pete Seeger, The Beatles and more!

4:00 p.m. Neil Young Live at The Cellar Door, Washington, D.C., November 30 to December 2, 1970

Some early Neil Young is in order this afternoon, recorded live at a series of concerts at the Cellar Door in D.C.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Cliff

Sometimes this guy gets lost in the reggae, ska, rocksteady shuffle, but he shouldn’t be. Tonight we put him In the Spotlight where he belongs.

I’m off to work shortly, working my usual day off because we are closed tomorrow. The Music Mermaid will be in charge until I return this afternoon. You will be in very good hands until then.

Freedom is Relative.

Monday is Back and We’ve Got Some Reggae and Ska, Tedeschi Trucks In the Spotlight, and ‘Live’ Jefferson Airplane, June 5, 2023

Good morning to the working class! Monday has reared its ugly head, but we’ve got some great music up ahead to get you through the day. Read on for the details!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska: Various Artists

It’s not an EP, but it is a few hours of great world music from Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Decker, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Tedeschi Trucks Band

The biggest, baddest blues-rock band with the biggest-baddest blues guitar player led by the great Susan Tedeschi. What else could you possibly ask for? They are coming through my town in the fall and tickets are already gone.

8:00 p.m. Jefferson Airplane Live at The Matrix Club, San Francisco, CA, February 1, 1968

Another great band closes out our programming tonight as we go into the wayback machine for this live performance, vintage 1968.

Yes, it’s another week of work and, for some of us, serving the entitled masses in the wonderful land of retail. But for me, that doesn’t start until tomorrow. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial advertising and at no cost to you, folks. Get on it.

Monday, Monday.

It’s a Simple Sunday in The Lounge With Lucinda Williams’ AOW, The ‘Best of Reggae & Ska’ and Then Our Big Wide Open Stream on April 30, 2023

Good morning, reggaeologists! As you know, we keep it simple on Sundays here with our new Album of The Week as the anchor. We also have some great reggae, rocksteady and ska, before turning it over to The Music Mermaid for our big, wide Open Stream.

Here is your simple Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Car Wheels On A Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams NEW!

Lucinda is definitely a Lounge favorite, and this is one of our favorite albums as well. Tom Petty recognized her greatness long ago. She was opening for one of his early tours and he went out onto the stage and told the crowd that they must pay attention to her. He recognized her songwriting and storytelling greatness. She became a fixture on his tours right up until the end. Give a listen.

3:00 p.m. The Best of Reggae and Ska: Various Artists

We haven’t heard this one for a while and this seemed like a great day to hear Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Bunny Wailer, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, Peter Tosh, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, the Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker, The I-Threes and more!

From just after 5:00 p.m. EST and on through the night it’s our big, wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid in full control. As you know, she has impeccable taste in music. Who knows what’s in store!

Keep It Simple Sunday!