At Midweek, We’re ‘Under The Influence’ With a Spotlight on The Band, and Some Live Little Feat, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We take a favorite EP out of mothballs today and give you a Spotlight feature on The Band and ‘Live’ Little Feat from London.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

We have all been here. There’s no denying it. Some of our ‘influences’ have been legal; some decidedly not. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Talking Heads, Neil Young, The Beatles, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Foreigner, Jonathan Edwards, John Lee Hooker, Donovan and more!

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

They were once Bob Dylan’s backup band. That’s how they got their name. They were referred to as ‘the band’. And then, they morphed into one of the most prolific and influential musical groups of their generation. They are In The Spotlight today.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, August 4, 1977

Speaking of great bands, we close the programming with a great live performance from Little Feat from The Rainbow in London.

I hear the weather is going to be nasty today here in the Boston area, rainy with possibly our first round of thunderstorms this season. We’ll see. But if I could hunker down here today with this great music, I’d be doing it. The button’s below.

Today We Give Thanks For Arlo & Alice, Dolly, Linda and Tom, Thursday, November 23, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! It’s Turkey Day and we are NOT celebrating the colonization of the free world. No sir. We are celebrating our musical artists of the day (as well as our families and friends, of course).

Here’s your Turkey Day lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Rockstar by Dolly Parton

Some of us thought we’d never see the day when Dolly Parton would make a rock album, but it has arrived and it is a treat. We’re winding down on this one, so get in on it. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday.

12:00 p.m. Arlo Guthrie: Alice’s Restaurant

Our Thanksgiving tradition continues at high noon with Arlo Guthrie’s ode to Alice. There will be no intro. No fanfare. It shall simply begin on cue and last for just under 20 minutes.

3:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Troubadour, W. Hollywood, CA, March 17, 1976

Linda live at the iconic Troubadour on St. Patty’s day in 1976. This was two years after Heart Like A Wheel, still one of the absolute best albums ever made by anyone, and the release of another gem, Hasten Down The Wind (which would be released in August of 1976).

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Live at The Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, October 16, 2002

The Heartbreakers on The Last DJ tour at The Olympic. I actually really love this album because it’s simply an album of great songs. The song The Last DJ laments the fall of radio into the abyss of utter capitalism: ‘As we celebrate mediocrity all the boys upstairs want to see/How much you’ll pay for what you used to get for free.’

The Music Mermaid is all keyed up and ready in The Lounge for an early start. Making a bird today? Hey, turn us on in the background. We’ll keep you entertained before the mob arrives.

Thursday Brings the ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, “Cahoots” by The Band, and New, Live Emmylou Harris, September 21, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are headed for the weekend once again with a great musical lineup to get you there, including a ‘lost’ concert by Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers recorded in Nashville.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Yes, various artists over various decades, some who are steeped in folk music history and those who simply pay homage to this great musical genre. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Phil Ochs, 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, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Cahoots by The Band

Coming around again. If you haven’t heard it yet and you’re curious, this is the time. Only one final airing left on Saturday.

This event happened about seven months prior to their great live show at The Ryman, which led to the eventual revitalization of this great music hall, the original home of The Grand Ole’ Opry. We have played that one here before. This particular outing is a completely different set list of songs, twenty-three in all. It’s a beautiful thing.

We’re Back to Simple Sunday Here With Our AOW by The Band and the ‘Under The Influence’ EP, September 17, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We’re back to our keep-it-simple Sunday mode here with our Album of The Week and our ‘Under The Influence’ EP.

Here’s you musical landscape:

A Mermaid Lounge favorite is back today. We’re of the opinion that The Band never made a bad album. This one is no exception, although it didn’t get the attention it deserved after their incredible run of Music From Big Pink, The Band (the amazing brown album) and Stage Fright. It’s our Album of The Week starting today.

3:00 p.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Likewise, we believe there’s nothing like being under the influence on the weekend. You’ll hear from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, The Beatles, Talking Heads, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

Monday Returns With Our ‘On the Map’ Playlist, a Grateful Dead Spotlight and Some New ‘Live’ Townes Van Zandt From London, July 17, 2023

Good morning, musicologists. The heat is on and it’s ugly. The next person who tells me global warming is a lie…well, never mind. It’s cool here in The Mermaid Lounge and we’ve got some great programming on tap.

Here’s today’s music lineup:

11:00 a.m. On the Map: Various Artists

It’s a shortie, but a goodie with Linda Ronstadt, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Little Feat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jesse Winchester, CSNY, James Taylor, The Association, Simon & Garfunkel, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Ray Charles, America, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, The Doors and more.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Best of The Grateful Dead

I may be an anomaly, but I much prefer the Dead’s studio music to their long, rambling jams. We play plenty of ‘Live Dead’ concerts here (we’re taking a break from that Saturday night tradition, but we’ll get back to it) for our Deadheads, but today it’s from the studio.

7:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at Union Chapel, London, UK, April 29, 1994 NEW!

This great live performance is new to the station. We’ve never aired it before. Townes Van Zandt, although not as ‘big’ as Bob Dylan, is often mentioned in the same breath as Dylan when it comes to songwriting. Listen in and see why.

Stay cool with us in The Lounge today as we give you great programming surrounded by tha wide Open Stream 24/7 without interruption from commercial advertising. We make NO profit here. We’re anti-capitalist and are all about the music.

It’s a Simple Sunday With Emmylou Harris and Our AOW, Along With the ‘Under The Influence’ EP, May 14,2023

Good morning, musicologists, and Happy Mothers’ Day to all you mothers (literally and figuratively speaking) out there. We’ve got a great new Album of The Week from Emmylou Harris and then we’re ‘Under The Influence’ starting mid-afternoon.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Pieces Of The Sky by Emmylou Harris NEW!

Emmylou Harris returns with our Album of The Week released on February 7, 1975 (my 21st birthday). This time it’s her second studio release and the first on a major label. It is a tour de force without a doubt. She covers songs by Dolly Parton, Lennon & McCartney, Charles & Ira Louvin, and Rodney Crowell, among others. But the most beautiful song on the album is one she co-wrote with Bill Danoff, Boulder To Birmingham, written for the great Gram Parsons, who passed in 1973.

3:00 p.m. Under the Influence: Various Artists

Hell, it’s always a good day to tune in, turn on, and drop out as far as I’m concerned. It’s a subject of many an artist, including Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, 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, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

We’re on track for a beautiful day here in the Boston area. The sun is shining and it’s nice and cool out today. Great day to open the windows and turn it up. So, it shall be. We’re on 24/7 and we’re commercial-free. And we’ve got The Music Mermaid at the helm. What could be better?

We Keep It Simple on Sunday With Our New AOW From Mavis Staples and Leon Helm, and After That We’re ‘Under The Influence’ on April 16, 2023

Good morning, weekenders. It’s another keep-it-simple Sunday today with just our latest Album of The Week and our ‘Under The Influence’ multi-artist EP, followed by our wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid.

Here’s Sunday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Carry Me Home by Mavis Staples & Levon Helm NEW!

This masterpiece of an album was born out of the friendship developed during their work together while making The Big Waltz, the final hurrah for The Band. (For those who may not know, Levon Helm was The Band’s drummer.) The album was made from sessions recorded at Helms’ studio in Woodstock, New York, in 2011, shortly before his death. The album explores both political and religious themes as the two cover songs written by Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan, Roebuck “Pops” Staples, and The Band’s own Robbie Robertson. I have seen Mavis Staples live and she is a force of nature. As for Levon Helm, he was one of the creative driving forces (along with Robertson) of The Band, one of my all-time favorite musical acts.

3:00 p.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

I keep on saying this,but it’s true. Whether your substance of choice is legal or illegal, we’ve all been here. And it is certainly a popular subject in the music world. During this EP you will hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, 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, 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, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

Kick off your shoes. Then tune in, turn on, and drop out. Some sage advice from Timothy Leary. It’s Sunday. If there’s a big guy up there, he even took the day off.

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.

It’s Friday Morning and We’re All ‘Under the Influence’ To Start Things Off, Then We Continue Exploring The Heartbreakers’ Fillmore Box Later, December 16, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! The weekend is nearly upon us once again, and we spend the morning with our ‘Under The Influence’ EP. Later, we continue onto volume two of the Heartbreakers’ long-awaited Fillmore box set.

Here’s today’s lineup:

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

You know, we’ve all been here haven’t we? In one form or another, we’ve all been under the influence. Some of it legal. Some not. For some, love is the drug. (I hold no such illusions.) You’ll hear from Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, 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, 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, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, 1997, Volume Two NEW!

We’re playing this one straight down the line, three sets with 24 songs in each in the exact order as presented on the discs. Today, we’ve got volume two up for you as we continue to unpack Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Live at the Fillmore, 1997. It is truly a musical garden of earthly delights.

Tune us in. We are on 24/7 with no commercial advertising and at no cost to you. That’s right. Your money is no good here. We won’t even ask for a credit card number or your personal information. What are you waiting for?

It’s Turkey Day and We’ve Got Our Traditional Airing of the ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ Saga, the ‘Down in New Orleans’ Multi-Artist EP, and Our AOW Later, Thursday, November 24, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving, Musicologists! What are we thankful for today? Great music for one thing, and the fact that it’s totally free here on #BecomeUngovernable Radio. We’ve got a great line-up for you today, so don’t forget to tune us in.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant Massacree: A Thanksgiving Tradition

This is our fifth year of this great Tradition, all 18 minutes of Arlo Guthrie’s rambling historical narrative of Alice’s Restaurant. Whether the event really happened according to the musical legend or not has been the subject of much discussion over the years. However, it seems that The Berkshire Eagle has finally put the question to bed for all of us. Come join us for this great holiday tradition!

2:00 p.m. Down In New Orleans: Various Artists

We haven’t aired this great EP since sometime in September, but it’s back today for Thanksgiving. Not only do we have all of the rock n’ roll artists who were born in New Orleans, but we’re playing traditional New Orleans blues, jazz. R & B, and Cajun/Zydeco. You’ll hear BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Lucinda Williams, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, Tony Joe White, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, Allen Fontenot, Aaron Neville, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Daywalkers, the Boogaloo Swamis, Kermit Ruffins, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Magnolia Sisters, The Meters, Queen Ida and The BonTemps, Boozoo Chavis and many more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Everybody Knows by Stephen Stills and Judy Collins

This is our next-to-last airing of this album, the first and only collaboration between old lovers and friends from the sixties, Stephen Stills and Judy Collins. Don’t miss it. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday.

Come celebrate Thanksgiving with us here in The Mermaid Lounge. You can’t go wrong. You can kick back after that l-tryptophan kicks in and just chill. We don’t cost you a thing except time. No surprises. I promise,