Category: World Music

We’ve Got Some Very Cool Music for Tuesday Bluesday Sandwiched Around Our Album of The Week, September 20, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We have some great Tuesday Bluesday material for you today; the only diversion will be a short trip to the Land of Psychedelia with Donovan this afternoon.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Taj Mahal

We here in the lounge consider Taj Mahal a national treasure. I’ll never forget my 2014 trip to New Orleans and the photo I took of a great Taj Mahal mural in the box office at the House of Blues. But I digress. Taj Mahal is not only a great bluesman, but he’s a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica and a bunch of other instruments. He has been instrumental in expanding the scope of the blues by incorporating elements of world music in his creative efforts.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sunshine Superman by Donovan

The only break in our blues programming comes mid-afternoon when we take a short trip to the land of psychedelic music with Donovan’s Sunshine Superman, our Album of The Week.

7:00 p.m. Rick Danko & Paul Butterfield Live at The Blue Note, Boulder, CO, December 13, 1979

After The Band was no more, Rick Danko teamed up with Paul Butterfield and toured as the blues-rock Danko/Butterfield Band. They went on the road together, and this performance is from The Blue Note in Boulder.

It’s always a busy day on Tuesday Bluesday, and this day is no exception! We’ve got people on from around the globe this morning as we gear up for some great blues programming. Join us. We say that metaphorically because there’s nothing to fill out (no personal information required) and no credit card asked for. If you don’t like us, you simply don’t come back. If you do like us, you continue to come back. Simple. Uncomplicated. No hidden fees. No surprises. That’s us.

Tuesday Bluesday is here!

It’s Sunday and We Have Our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, a Great Collaboration for Our AOW, and Peter Tosh In the Spotlight, August 21, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got an eclectic programming day planned for you today, starting with our great Album of The Week, then moving into our very first Sixties Rotation. We close out later with our Reggae selection.

Here’s today’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. Album of The Week: The Union by Elton John and Leon Russell NEW!

Any album with these two guys in collaboration can only be called a tour de force. Released in 2010, the album was produced by the great T. Bone Burnett (who also contributes on electric guitar). Others who helped out include Booker T. Jones (Hammond B-3), Neil Young (vocals), Robert Randolph (pedal steel guitar), and Brian Wilson (vocal harmonies). It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and was listed at No. 3 on Rolling Stone’s 30 Best Albums of 2010.

1:00 p.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

We’ve got just over five hours of uninterrupted sixties music coming your way in the early afternoon. This particular rotation focuses on the early-to-mid years of the decade, although I can’t guarantee we don’t slip some stuff in from later in the decade. I may have been stoned when I made it. You will 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, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Fats Domino and more.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Peter Tosh NEW!

Peter Tosh has a long, storied musical history. Abandoned by his parents and shuffled among his relatives, he eventually became a self-taught singer, songwriter and musician who was a critical part of The Wailers. He eventually met Robert Nesta Marley (THE Bob Marley) and Neville O’Reilly Livingston (Bunny Wailer). They started singing together in 1962 and the rest is history. He wrote several of the Wailers hit songs including Get Up, Stand Up, 400 Years, and No Sympathy. After the Wailers, Peter Tosh went on to a successful solo career starting with his album, Legalize It. Today, we put Reggae legend Peter Tosh In the Spotlight.

Here we are again. Another Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge, and a perfect day to acquaint yourselves with our special brand of radio. Yep. It’s true. You can’t create “custom” playlists here. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about real radio. I remember the days of summer laying around in my yard with my friends tuned into our transistor radios listening to WMEX. We waited in anticipation for every song.

Sunday Funday!

It’s Saturday in The Mermaid Lounge With Our ‘Psychedelic Express’ EP, Desmond Dekker In The Spotlight, LIVE DEAD! and The Final Airing of Neil Young’s AOW, August 20, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We have a very full Saturday here for you but, nevertheless, our wide Open Stream dominates on the time scale. We never give you too much programming…just enough.

It’s time for our monthly trip into the land of psychedelia!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Songs for Judy by Neil Young FINAL AIRING!

We bid Neil Young an early fond farewell today as we kick this one off early for our overseas listeners. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new album for you all when you finally wake up!

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

We’re back with our trip to psychedelic music land where 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, Tommy James & The Shondells, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Mudrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Desmond Dekker and The Aces NEW!

Another trip down Reggae Road here with Desmond Dekker, a Jamaican Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing band, The Aces, he had one of the first international reggae hits with his song Israelites. I remember hearing that song on the radio over and over and I loved it. But I didn’t really have a total appreciation for Reggae then as I do now.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Boston Garden, Boston, MA, May 12, 1980 NEW!

Another great concert from a great jam band. This one comes from my hometown back in 1980. We’ve had a few from Boston, but not from 1980 yet. Tonight, we’ve got that one too.

Well, once again, allow me to tell you that it would be a great day to spend with us here in The Mermaid Lounge if you can spare some time. It won’t take long for you to get hooked. Trust me. We’re not about charging money so you can build Internet playlists. If you want to do that, you can go pay Spotify. We’re all about being radio. And we don’t clog our airwaves with mouthy DJs and commercial advertising.

Join us in The Mermaid Lounge!

It’s Finally Friday and We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and a Visit From the I-Threes Coming Up, August 19, 2022

Good Morning, Reggaeologists! Yes. It’s still Reggae Week, right through to Sunday. Or Maybe Monday. We’ll see. But today, we’ve got the I-Threes coming’ at ya, and I’m pretty sure there’ll be plenty of folks out there who don’t really know who they are. We’re going to help you with that.

The I-Threes are Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music was the original musical genre of the protest generation with Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Lead Belly as the forefathers. Today, they’ll be joined by others, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Prine, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, The Carter Family, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The I-Threes NEW!

So, who are the I-Threes? The I-Threes are Rita Marley (yes, wife of Bob), Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths and it is the most influential female group in Reggae music. From 1974 right up until Bob Marley’s untimely death ten years later, they provided his rich vocal backgrounds. They also made music of their own. And today we are very excited about putting them In the Spotlight as we continue to focus on the women of music here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Come on, people. This is your chance to tune us in. We’re hear 24/7 around the clock every day trying to bring you the best of music. And that means we don’t play the same songs over and over and over. We play just enough of our house bands, but not too much. We are also advertising-free and do not require your personal information, a subscription or your credit card. Your money is absolutely no good here.

The I-Threes are here!

It’s Monday, Monday as We Open Up Reggae Week Here in The Mermaid Lounge! Read On for Details, August 15, 2022

Good Morning, Reggae-ologists! It’s Reggae Week (we are also Ska and Rocksteady inclusive here in The Mermaid Lounge) and that means a little bit of Reggae sunshine in your day nearly every day (the exception will be Tuesday Bluesday), as we bolster our rotation.

L to R: Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Cliff NEW!

Often called the Grandfather of Reggae, Jimmy Cliff is a Reggae, Ska, and Rocksteady multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who began his musical journey when he was still in primary school. He also starred in the movie The Harder They Come, which helped to propel Reggae to popularity around the world. He is the only living Reggae musician to receive the Order of Merit, the highest honor you can receive from the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts & sciences. He was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. We kick off Reggae Week by putting him In the Spotlight.

3:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at A & R Studios, New York, NY, August 26, 1971

This afternoon, we take some time with The Brothers live and on stage in NYC. They are always a treat. I’ve seen them ‘live’ several times myself in my lifetime, and have never been disappointed.

7:00 p.m. For Foodies Only: Various Artists

Here’s a fun multi-artist playlist with the mention of food of all kinds in the title, lyrics or both. You will hear The Rolling Stones, Little Feat, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Judy Collins, Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Strangeloves, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Supertramp, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett, The Kinks, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Fats Domino, The Four Tops, Booker T. & The MGs and more!

Start your day the Reggae way! We hope to broaden your musical horizons this week. We are totally free with absolutely no strings and no surprises. There are no financial commitments. There is no personal information requested. And nothing to fill out. And we run 24/7, not just when we have programming. That’s because we have a big, wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs to share with you.

Reggae Week is Here!

It’s Monday and We’re on Wide Open Stream With Trifectas All Day Long, March 21, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are having some software upgrades completed today and we’re on Wide Open Stream. The Music Mermaid is in charge and she has decided that we’re tossing in Trifectas today! It’s DJ’s choice!

The Music Mermaid is at the controls and life is good!

Here’s today’s line-up:

Music all day long. No commercial interruption, and Trifectas on the hour starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. We run 24/7 without commercial interruption. Tune. Us. In.

Wide Open Stream!

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!

It’s A Keep-It-Simple Sunday With A Visit From The Brits and a Brand New Album of The Week, November 28, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got a simple recipe for happy today, and it’s really rather simple. We pay homage to our British Invasion innovators with five hours of uninterrupted stream, and give you a great new Album of The Week. The rest is wide Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid.

These particular festivities begin about mid-afternoon!

Here’s Sunday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m Album of The Week: Rising Sons by Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder NEW!

This is a long story better told here, but I’ll give you the short version. Back in 1965, two 17-year-olds decided not to take the same path as Kyle Rittenhouse, and instead started a band named The Rising Sons. Their names were Ryland Cooder (better known as Ry Cooder) and Henry St. Claire Fredericks (better known as Taj Mahal). Ry Cooder, who Linda Ronstadt continually says is the best guitarist she’s ever met, played six- and twelve-string guitar, mandolin, the bottleneck and slide guitars, and dobro. Taj Mahal played harmonica, piano, and guitar. He was also the vocalist. Other members of the band included guitarist Jesse Lee Kincaid, bassist Gary Marker, and drummer Ed Cassidy (who would go on soon to form the band, Spirit). Their band was short-lived, but both Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal went on to be a couple of the most innovative musicians on the planet. Today, we give you their album, Rising Sons.

3:00 p.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

About mid-afternoon here in the states we kick off our homage to the bands of the British Invasion and beyond. You’ll hear The Beatles (of course), The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Zombies, The Hollies, Yes, The Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra, Yes, Them, The Hollies, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, The Yardbirds, The Pretenders, Lulu, Herman’s Hermits, Petula Clark, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, and many more!

Come on, people, and get your musical freak on! Join our listeners from Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, Brazil, Greece, The Netherlands, Denmark, Russian Federation, Cleveland (no shit), Mexico, Spain, and points beyond. It’s Sunday and that’s a day of rest even if it is the holiday season. Say “No” to capitalism and tune us in. (Did I mention we’re not capitalists?)

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It’s a Full-Day Tuesday Bluesday Here Today, Including a Brand New Chicago Blues Playlist, November 23, 2021

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We have a full day Tuesday Bluesday this week because our Album of The Week is blues too! Does it get any better than that?

There’s no place like Chicago and The Blues!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

11:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists NEW!

There’s nothing like Chicago and the blues, that’s for sure. I made several trips out to the Windy City during a previous lifetime and made sure to frequent the blues clubs every time. Today you’ll hear Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Howlin’ Wolf, Magic Slim, Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Buddy Guy, Sonny Boy Williamson and more!

This one is already crying out for update and extension. We’ll get there, but we kick off this playlist with nearly three hours of blues.

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Greatest Hits by Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac

This is the second airing of our AOW, and it’s a great one. As I’ve said before, greatest hits collections do not often appear on our list (there are always exceptions), but his one belongs here. Not many people realize that Peter Green is a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, and that the Mac started out as a British blues-rock band.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Taj Mahal

I remember my first trip to the House of Blues in New Orleans years ago and the painting of Taj Mahal on the box office wall. I’ve been hooked ever since. Taj Mahal, also known as Henry St. Claire Fredericks, Jr., is a blues musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays banjo, guitar, piano and harmonica, among other instruments. He often gives a little world music flavor to the blues. You’ll love him if you haven’t heard him before.

We’re waiting on y’all. Germany, Italy, France, Russian Federation, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain…come on down and enjoy the tunes. Tuesday Bluesday is definitely a good day.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Taj Mahal In the Spotlight, Our New ‘Travelin’ Fever’ Playlist Later, and Our Album of The Week In Between, Thursday, May 20, 2021

Good Morning, Music Fans! Here we are on Thursday and our return to retail hell is imminent. But fear not, we leave you with some excellent programming today including a brand new multi-artist playlist later on.

Taj Mahal 1968. He is In The Spotlight today!

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal, who was born Henry St. Clair Fredericks in Harlem, New York, is an American blues musician and multi-instrumentalist, who plays guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments. He is an innovator who refuses to be “defined” by any one form and often incorporates elements of world music into his works. You get to hear him here today from The Mermaid Lounge.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Willy & The Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival

We are winding down on this week’s album selection. Our last airing will be on Saturday, so this might be a good day to tune this one in! On Sunday, when you roll out of bed, there’ll be a new selection.

7:00 p.m. Deb’s Stream: Travelin’ Fever, Various Artists NEW!

The road is a popular topic among musicians, and we’ve got a brand new playlist debuting here today on just that subject. You’ll hear The Doors, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, The Steve Miller Band, Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie, The Allman Brothers Band, Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Who and more!

Tune in. Turn on. Drop out. A once-famous person said that. I know. It’s a weekday. That may not be possible. But it’s the thought that counts. Nevertheless, if you can, you should.

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