Saturday Delivers Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, the Final Airing of “McCartney” and LIVE DEAD! Later, June 25, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! It’s going to be a hot one outside today, and we’ll be matching that in The Mermaid Lounge with some great programming interspersed in all that wide Open Stream.

Cool your jets with ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ starting at 11:00 a.m.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

It’s promising to be a hot one here to day in the Boston area, so we’re inside cooling off with some music about all kinds of water. You’ll hear from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Alison Krauss & Union Station, 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, Johnny Rivers, America, Donovan, and many more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: McCartney by Paul McCartney FINAL AIRING!

We bid a very fond farewell to this first solo Beatle effort today from one of the greatest musicians of all time. He’s still out there touring and singing and thrilling audiences everywhere. But alas, this is the final airing.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at The Dream Bowl, Vallejo, CA, February 22, 1969 NEW!

Mr. Peabody put us in the Wayback Machine for this one, vintage 1969 and another new show added to our list of Live Dead performances.

Here in The Mermaid Lounge, we have two strict rules: We never have more hours of programming than we do Open Stream. And we never charge for the music we play. We also don’t require you fill anything out or provide us with any personal information. Hell, we don’t even track you. We’re too damned busy finding new music.

Just Push Play!

The Weekend is Knocking and We’ve Got ‘The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist’ EP, and Lukas Nelson and Promise of The Real Later, on Friday, June 24, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are cookin’ today with our very own House playlist, which is also an EP, so that means five hours of great uninterrupted music. As we say, there is music that has inspired this station, and we have lots of it today. Later on, we have Lukas Nelson & POTR to take you into the night.

Starts today at 11:00 a.m.

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

Yes, music lovers, it’s our very own House EP full of great music from Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Year’s After, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, Phil Ochs, The Association, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real UPDATED!

Here’s a great little country rock band that’s fronted by Willie’s boy, Lukas. Any band that does road duty with Neil Young is okay with us. But POTR is a band in its own right as well, so give them a listen.

Here we are again on the cusp of another weekend, and we’re starting it off with a great extended playlist here. Before, in between, and after our programming, we give you that great, wide Open Stream. We’ve added new music from Bobbie Gentry, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Koko Taylor, Tracy Nelson, Chuck Berry, and more! We’ve also got brand new playlists in the works to get us through the dog days of summer here. Just. Do. It.

Just Push Play!

I Know. The Start of Summer Was a Few Days Ago. We’re Kicking It Off Today With The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and “McCartney,” Thursday, June 23, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Yes, I know we’re a bit late on the uptake here. The first day of summer was a few days ago. But hey, we don’t stand on ceremony here. We thought The Beach Boys would be a nice touch.

Here’s your lineup for today:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Beach Boys

We haven’t heard this one in a while. It’s a very modest kick-off to summer here in The Mermaid Lounge, but we’ve got something else in the works that should be ready in the next day or two. In the meantime, these guys know how to make it feel like summer for some reason. Maybe it’s all in the name. And Brian Wilson is a musical genius. Even Paul McCartney and Linda Ronstadt think so.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: McCartney by Paul McCartney

This is our next-to-last airing of this iconic solo debut by McCartney. Over the years, it has become one of the most revered solo debuts by any musical artist. The final airing will be some time on Saturday. Sunday will bring a new selection.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL, April 19, 2003

Great concert here in what can be considered a small venue. The Heartbreakers played a lot of large halls in their day, but they always preferred small, intimate settings. IMO, it didn’t matter where they played. They were one of the best live bands in the history of rock n’ roll.

Great day to be here with us. I know I say that every single day, in one way or another, but it’s true. This is where the music never stops. We run 24/7 totally free of charge with absolutely no strings attached. Your money is no good here. Know what I mean?

Open 24/7!

We’re at Midweek With Our Second Volume of ‘The Sixties Rotation’ EP and New Live Little Feat Later, Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Every day after today is one day closer to the weekend! We’ve got volume two of our sixties music EP for you today along with some brand new live Little Feat later.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

This is the second half of our sixties rotation and is, for the most part, focused on the mid-to-late sixties, although I’m sure some earlier stuff has found its way in. You’ll hear music from The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, 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 Ronettes, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, Donovan, The Velvet Underground, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, and more!

7:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, New York, April 10, 1973 NEW!

Tonight we’ve got Little Feat “live” in a studio setting, broadcast live on WLIR-fm. We realize that Little Feat carried on after Lowell George, but we here in The Mermaid Lounge feel the same way we feel about The Dead. Lowell George was the heart and soul of this band just as Jerry Garcia was the heart and soul of The Grateful Dead. Enjoy.

We’re at midweek and every day beyond this is a day closer to the weekend. We’re here every day 24/7 to help make getting there easier. Know what I mean? Good music goes a long way, and life is too damned short to listen to bad music. It’s even worse when you pay for it and have to listen to commercial advertising. There’s none of that shit here.

The Sixties Rule!

It’s Another Tuesday Bluesday and We’ve Got Koko Taylor In the Spotlight, and Some Live Buddy Guy with Stevie Ray Vaughan Later, On this First Day of Summer, June 21, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We’re back for another Tuesday Bluesday and we have some new blues today as we add the late, great Koko Taylor to our Spotlight list. And later it’s two great blues guitarists together live.

Today we put the great Koko Taylor In the Spotlight!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Koko Taylor NEW!

There’s no doubt about it: Koko Taylor is a blues powerhouse whose musical style encompassed Chicago blues, electric blues, rhythm & blues, and soul blues. She’s often called the Queen of The Blues, just as Aretha is called The Queen of Soul and Irma Thomas is called The Soul Queen of New Orleans. Come to think of it, that would make a fucking great playlist. But I digress because today, we put Koko Taylor In the Spotlight where she belongs.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: McCartney by Paul McCartney

Our only break in our blues programming today is to hear Sir Paul’s iconic 1970 debut album. The simple beginnings of an amazing post-Beatles career that’s still going strong as he turns 80 this week.

7:00 p.m. Buddy Guy & Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at The Lone Star Cafe, New York, April 14, 1986

Two blues guitar masters together is a real treat, and we close out our Tuesday Bluesday programming today with them live at the Lone Star Cafe in New York.

Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge is always a great take. Make this the day to join your friends from Germany, Switzerland, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Russian Federation, Chile, Australia, Texas, New York, North Carolina, Flori-DUH and points beyond.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Today We’ve Got Bob Dylan Live at Royal Albert Hall, Songs Banned From the Airwaves, and Our New Seasons Playlist, Monday, June 20, 2022

Good Morning, Music Aficionados! How goes the battle on this fine Monday? We’ve got some great stuff here for you today, including a brand new playlist to close out our programming later.

We start the day off with Dylan live at Royal Albert Hall, vintage 1966

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Bob Dylan Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, May 17, 1966

It’s a mystery. Is it May 17 or May 26. Is it the real Royal Albert Hall concert, or the Manchester concert mislabeled as Royal Albert Hall? As far as we can tell, this is the real Royal Albert Hall concert. Either way, it’s vintage early Dylan and it is a milestone in the development of popular music as he moved folk into the electric era. We here in The Mermaid Lounge love a good musical mystery. One thing we’re absolutely sure of is that this is part of what is known as The Bootleg Collection.

3:00 p.m. Banned From the Airwaves: Various Artists

This is a fun one. There are songs that have been banned from all over the spectrum, although you can pretty much catch them on all radio stations in this day and age. Petty’s You Don’t Know How It Feels was initially banned for its reference to weed; both Lola by the Kinks and Arnold Layne by Pink Floyd were banned because of their references to transgender and/or LGBTQ characters; My Generation by The Who was initially banned because it insulted people who stuttered; and McCartney’s Hi Hi Hi, The Everly Brothers’ Wake Up Little Susie, The Doors’ Love Me Two Times and The Stones’ Let’s Spend the Night Together were all initially banned because of references to sex. Listen to the rest and see if you can figure it out.

7:00 p.m. Seasons: Various Artists NEW!

Tonight we close out the programming portion with a brand new playlist about the seasons. Either the word ‘seasons’ appears in the song somewhere or the song references a specific season in some fashion. You’ll hear Bobbie Gentry, Janis Ian, Donovan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Byrds, Johnny Rivers, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Hoyt Axton, Don Henley, Wendy Waldman, The Stone Poneys, Jefferson Airplane, The Kinks, Nina Simone, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Murphy, James Taylor, The Beatles, Eva Cassidy, Eddie Cochran, The Band, Sly & The Family Stone and more!

We’ve got a full house this morning with Germany, Chile, The Netherlands, Russian Federation, our friends from the Faroe Islands, Italy, Greece, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Australia, the UK, along with Texas, Montana, Massachusetts, and New York. When are you logging on?

Put That Cursor Here!

McCartney’s Solo Debut is Our Album of The Week, and We’ve Got ‘The Psychedelic Express’ Rolling Through Later, Sunday, June 19, 2022

The Psychedelic Express rolls through this afternoon!

Here’s your Sunday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: McCartney by Paul McCartney NEW!

Released on April 17, 1970, this was the very first Beatle solo album. Of course, people were absolutely pissed that the Beatles had broken up, so it took a while for people to warm up to this one, but over the years it has become one of the most beloved albums of all time. I also look back now and remember that the album was criticized for what appeared to be “unfinished” tunes. Now, alternate takes, unfinished versions, home recordings and all of the progressions to the final product are literally an art form. I remember the angst of millions that The Beatles were gone, and I suspect a lot of the criticism came from the fact that they broke up to begin with. The blame game was being played. I, too, was upset that The Beatles were no more, but as I got older I realized that bands break up all the damned time. I also know that The Beatles gave us all they had in the tank. They changed everything in a very short period of time, and the band’s music is timeless. That’s also the way I look at them as solo artists as well.

4:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

Psychedelic music is one of my most favorite genres of all time, so I’m looking forward to this one myself! Even bands not know as “psychedelic” bands tried their hand at this genre. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The 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, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, and more!

Sunday. It’s a day of rest all across the globe. Pull up a chair and tune us in. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming), we’re totally free, and we never air commercial advertising. What are you waiting for?

The Psychedelic Express!

It’s Saturday with a Happy 80th McCartney Celebration, the Final Airing of Our AOW, Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and LIVE DEAD! Later, on June 18, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ve got a great lineup for you today and it’s a bit busier here in The Lounge than usual because we’ve got McCartney’s 80th birthday celebration later on.

Happy 80th Birthday to Sir Paul McCartney!

Here’s today’s musical journey:

10:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We begin the programming day with this great extended playlist that includes tunes from John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, 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, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Phil Ochs, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: American Tune by Eva Cassidy FINAL AIRING!

Today we bid a fond farewell to this week’s Album of The Week by the late, great Eva Cassidy who, unfortunately, didn’t live long enough to see her success. Don’t miss this collection of rehearsal tunes and live performances.

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

Today we say happy 80th birthday to a true musical living legend who’s still rocking away on his ‘Got Back’ tour. We’ve got Beatles’ stuff, solo performances, his stint with Wings…it’s all here for a couple of hours tonight.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Summer Jam, Watkins Glen, New York, July 28, 1973

Tonight’s LIVE DEAD! is a rare repeat, but it hasn’t been aired since 2020, so it should sound just like new to those of you who aren’t Deadheads (and they don’t care how many times they hear a Grateful Dead show; it’s all new to them).

We’re chock full of stuff today and we think you’ll like it. There’s no better way to kick start your weekend than with the little radio station that could. (I think I like that.) There are, of course, some things we just can’t do, like play rap and screaming heavy metal death, charge for listening, or play commercial advertising. But we’re pretty damned good with everything else.

The Little Radio Station That Could.

Friday Delivers Our ‘Under The Influence’ EP and Puts Paul Simon In the Spotlight as the Weekend Is Right Around the Corner, June 17, 2022

Go ask Alice. She knew where it was at.

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. Under the Influence: Various Artists

Ah, yes, taking me back to my youth, where I took numerous risks that I would never take in my old age. Remind me to tell you about the blotter acid experience sometime. Today, you’ll hear from Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 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, The 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, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man, Led Zeppelin, and more!

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

Whether with his partner, Art Garfunkel, or as a solo artist, Paul Simon has been an immensely brilliant singer-songwriter for many years. Today, after far too long a hiatus, we put him In the Spotlight.

We are one day away from the true weekend. Some of us working under the scourge of retail, however, start our weekends even later. But no matter, because whether I’m sitting here in The Mermaid Lounge or taking shit in retail hell, the Music Mermaid is clearly in control. The music here never stops.

Non-Stop 24/7

We’re Sliding Toward The Weekend With Bobbie Gentry & Some Friends at BBC Studios, Our ‘Rock, Blues & Ballads’ Playlist, and our AOW, Thursday, June 16, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists. We’ve got some great new stuff to start off the day today as we’ve discovered a Bobbie Gentry BBC Studios performance with a couple of friends along for support.

A couple of friends dropped by to help Bobbie Gentry out with her BBC Studios show

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC Studios, London, 1968-1969 NEW!

This was a great find, given the fact that Bobbie Gentry was always a bit reclusive and shunned the limelight. She just wanted to write songs for other people. But she did perform live music, and she did so at BBC Studios in 1968 and 1969. Maybe she brought Donovan and James Taylor along for moral support! We’re glad she did!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: American Tune by Eva Cassidy

We’re winding down on this week’s album selection as we’ve reached our next-to-last airing here. The final will be sometime on Saturday. Don’t wait too long!

7:00 p.m. Rock, Blues and Ballads, Volume One: Various Artists

I know. It’s about time I got volume two together. And I totally agree, so it’s on my weekend list. But this one’s pretty damned good and we haven’t heard it in a while. You’ll hear Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Van Morrison, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Tom Petty, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, J.J. Cale, Dusty Springfield, Neil Young, Paul McCartney & Wings, Long John Baldry, Randy Newman, Maria Muldaur, Ry Cooder, Gregg Allman, Linda Ronstadt, and more!

We’re sliding steadily toward the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge, although I’ll grant you it’s not getting here fast enough this week. But good music goes a long way toward making the work week easier, so give us a shot. Because we play some seriously good shit with absolutely no commercial interruption, no chatty disc jockeys who’d rather talk than play music, or cost to you. Not one penny. And we’re open 24/7. What more do you want?

Open 24/7!