Tag: Folk Music

On Friday It’s The Newport Folk Festival With Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash and Richard & Mimi Farina, May 9, 2025

Good morning, folk music lovers! We’ve got a different arrangement today here in The Lounge. There is no available compilation from the Newport Folk Festivals, so we’re working on that for our next Festival Week. In the meantime, we’ve got a fantastic lineup today!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Joni Mitchell Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, July 19, 1969

We start out the day with the legend herself, Joni Mitchell, and her full performance from the 1969 festival.

12:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, 1963-1965

Dylan is up next and this is a compilation of his appearances during the years 1963, 1964, and 1965. Of course, 1965 was the year he raised the hackles of many folk purists by having the audacity to appear on stage with an electric guitar! Enter the folk-rock genre.

4:00 p.m. Richard & Mimi Farina Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, July 25, 1965

Richard and Mimi Farina made their start in the clubs of Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, and became stalwarts of the folk music scene before Richard’s untimely death at the age of 29.

8:00 p.m. Johnny Cash Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, July 16, 1964

We close the festivities with the great Johnny Cash on stage at Newport from 1964, a great way to end the day’s programming.

Remember, festival week extends through Sunday. We still have some great programming in store for you all, so be sure to stick around! You won’t be disappointed. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. We do not run any commercial advertising. And we play the best damned music on the planet. The button is below.

Newport Folk Festival!

It’s Motown at Midweek, Followed by Singer-Songwriters Tom Waits and Bob Dylan on Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Welcome to midweek in The Mermaid Lounge. Today we kick it off with our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, followed by Tom Waits, and the love songs of Bob Dylan.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We’re back with music from Motor City as we give you the best of Motown during the sixties and seventies. You’ll hear Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Tom Waits

Tom Waits and his trademark gravelly voice are back for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan: The Love Songs

We all know Mr. Dylan, our very first featured singer-songwriter, is undoubtedly the most accomplished musician and performer of his generation, even winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. In fact, his talents redefined the boundaries of literature. However, he didn’t just write social consciousness lyrics. Dylan just happened to write some of the most incredible love songs on the planet. See for yourself.

I could say this would be a great day to join us, but every day is a great day to join us. That’s because we are on 24/7 at no charge to you, we run no commercial advertising, and our D.J. is practically mute. That is every single day.

M is For Motown

It’s Sunday In The Mermaid Lounge, and It’s a Folk Music Kind of Day With Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and Tim Buckley With the Album of The Week, December 18, 2022

Good morning, folk music lovers. We love this particular playlist here in the Lounge. Very eclectic and full of great classic folk along with musicians who have paid homage to the genre even while not calling themselves “folk singers.” See for yourself.

Here’s today’s musical journey:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Goodbye and Hello by Tim Buckley NEW!

A lot of people don’t really know Tim Buckley. It took me a while to discover him as well. He was one of those singer-songwriters we call a changeling. He began his career in folk music but spread his wings into jazz, psychedelic, funk, soul, avant-garde and more, before dying at the age of 28 in 1975 from a heroin and morphine overdose. Goodbye and Hello was Buckley’s second studio album released in August of 1967 and is a combination of folk-rock and psychedelic-folk.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

The question you have to ask yourself is what kind of folk music best suits you? Because it’s a deep-rooted musical style that has changed and evolved over the years without losing its basic identity. I remember when Dylan took it electric. It created quite a stir. We’ve got it all here. You will hear Bob Dylan, 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, Townes Van Zandt and more!

This is a great day to join an international community of music lovers who enjoy the wide spectrum of stuff we play, and appreciate the fact that there’s some stuff we don’t play. We are not trying to be all things to all people; just some things to a lot of people. And we are totally commercial-free. We’re also completely free to you. Your money is absolutely no good here.

Folk Music From A-To-Z

We’re at Midweek With Our Multi-Artist ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and Chuck Berry In The Spotlight, Wednesday, October 19, 2022

We hit our midweek stride with a great EP focused on folk music and folk-rock. We play both the great pure folk artists (like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan), along with those who pay homage to the musical genre (like The Beatles and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers). Later, we put Chuck Berry front and center.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

We’ve got them all here in this playlist. You’ll hear 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 and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Chuck Berry NEW!

Tonight we put a rock n’ roll pioneer, one of its Founding Fathers, In the Spotlight as we celebrate his birthday (belatedly, it was October 18). John Lennon once said this about Chuck Berry, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.'” Indeed.

Before, in between, and after we’ve got that great wide Open Stream all day and all night long, because we run 24/7, not just when we have programming. You are in the hands of The Music Mermaid who, as you well know, has impeccable taste in music.

Happy Birthday, Chuck Berry!

Today’s Journey is To Laurel Canyon For A Musical Trip Back In Time, and ‘Live’ Allman Brothers Later, Friday, July 1, 2022

Good Morning, Folks! We are kicking off a brand new month in fine fashion here with our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP and some ‘live’ Allman Brothers Band bringing up the rear.

Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash hanging out in Laurel Canyon

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

A trip in the Wayback Machine with The Music Mermaid (instead of Mr. Peabody) to the 60s and 70s and some of the best musical cross-fertilization on the planet as country-rock was born. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Souther-Hillman-Furay and more!

7:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Atlanta International Pop Festival, July 3 and 5, 1970

The Brothers are here for the holiday weekend, although I’m not the patriotic type to begin with and am now less so in the land of lost liberty. Nevertheless, we welcome the Allman Brothers back to the Lounge. We have’t played this one in a bit.

It’s going to be hot as Hades here today, although they did remove the cactus warning from my phone. Once you get past 85 degrees with me, it’s ugly. But it’ll be cool here in The Mermaid Lounge and you can feel free to kick back with some great music today!

A Trip to Laurel Canyon

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.

Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and The Beatles Own Our Album of The Week, Sunday, February 20, 2022

Good Morning, Music Historians! I hope this sunny Sunday (at least it is here in the Boston area) finds you in great musical spirits. If not, we hope we can help you to get there!

The Beatles land in America, February 7, 1964

Here’s your Sunday Funday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Meet The Beatles by The Beatles NEW!

As you know, The Beatles are the other half of our ‘house band’ line-up (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers being the other half). We here in The Mermaid Lounge are very careful not to overplay either band, but this is a very special month for Beatles fans, especially myself. The Beatles first landed in America on February 7, 1964…on my tenth birthday. My present from my mother on that day was Meet The Beatles, their first U.S. release. The album changed my musical life forever. It gave me my own generation of music after having listened to my sisters’ music for several years which, by the way, I acknowledge as the beginning of rock n’ roll. The Beatles were listening to my sisters’ music as well, and drew their inspiration from those artists. We will talk about that later, however.

It is time Meet The Beatles gets its due as our Album of The Week. The Beatles changed everything, not just popular music, but popular culture as well. In England, their debut album was titled With The Beatles, and had a different line-up of songs. Today we give you the U.S. version of their debut album with the iconic cover photographed by Robert Freeman, who also photographed several other Beatle album covers. In the UK, the cover was straight black & white. In the U.S., it was released as a blue duotone.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We also have a great EP celebrating another important part of popular music history called folk music. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Odetta inspired Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and so many others you’ll hear in this playlist. Those “others” include Nanci Griffith, The Band, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Andersen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Jesse Winchester, The Stone Poneys, John Prine, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, The Wallflowers, and more!

Come on. It’s a day of rest and relaxation. And before the Blue Laws were dropped here in Massachusetts, there weren’t any stores open to continue the capitalism game. It’s time to, as The Beatles once said, “get back to where we once belonged.” This is a good day to start.

Get Back, People!

Welcome to Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge Where The Traveling Wilburys Own Our Album of The Week and Folk Music Reigns Supreme With Our Extended Playlist, September 26, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Simplicity is the word of the day today. Lots of Open Stream, but…some really great programming to carry you through your afteroon.

Hell, it’s only the greatest supergroup on the planet: (R-L) George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Bob Dylan.

Here’s Sunday’s musical line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: The Traveling Wilburys, Volume One NEW!

There are supergroups, then there are SUPERGROUPS. This one is in the latter category. Every poll I’ve seen taken in every music magazine and on every music website puts The Traveling Wilburys at the top of the supergroup heap, and we here in The Mermaid Lounge wholeheartedly agree. It started with George Harrison needing to record a “B side” for a release. The rest is history. You can read about it here.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-to-Z: Various Artists

Folk music is an amazing genre. I remember when folk music purists were upset the day Bob Dylan picked up an electric guitar. Dylan changed the face of folk and made it much more accessible to many people who may have ignored it. You’ll hear Bob Dylan in this EP. You’ll also hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Stone Poneys (featuring Linda Ronstadt), Bruce Springsteen, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, John Prine, Tom Rush, The Wallflowers, John Prine, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Odetta, Peter, Paul & Mary, and many more!

Sunday is officially a day of rest, so we’re taking it easy in The Mermaid Lounge. But The Music Mermaid is always in control here and you’re all in good hands. I promise. See for yourself.

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It’s Another Sunday Funday Here With “Folk Music From A-to-Z” and Steely Dan With Our Album of The Week, August 29, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We have another great Sunday lined up here in The Mermaid Lounge with our folk music extended playlist, and Steely Dan owns our new featured album.

You’ll be hearing Peter, Paul & Mary later during our Folk Music From A-To-Z extended playlist

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Countdown to Ecstasy by Steely Dan NEW!

Here in The Mermaid Lounge, we don’t care much about whether or not an album has generated “hits” or not. (Although we actually consider several songs on this masterpiece actual hit material.) What we care about is music, and this is a great album. And that’s why it’s this week’s Album of The Week.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

It’s that time of the month again when we break out the folk music archives. You’ll hear John Prine, Tom Rush, Woody Guthrie, Odetta, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Eric Andersen, Jesse Winchester, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Nanci Griffith and many more!

It’s Sunday and that means it’s the Official Day of Rest. So give it a rest and tune us in. We’re 100% free 24/7 with no interruptions from those pesky advertisers. And we never ask for your credit card or personal info.

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We Pay Tribute to Nanci Griffith, Give You J.J. Cale & Leon Russell Later, and An Afternoon of Trifectas, Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Here we are again at mid-week and today’s big event is Nanci Griffith In the Spotlight, as we promised a couple of days ago.

Today we put Nanci Griffith where she rightfully belongs: In the Spotlight

Here’s your mid-week line-up:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nanci Griffith NEW!

We heard of Nanci Griffith’s passing on August 13 at the age of 68, and a sad day it was. Her songs have contributed so much to the careers of so many of her peers over the years. Today, however, we turn the mike over to Nanci Griffith her self as we present just over two hours of her music.

Raised in Austin, Texas, Nanci Griffith lived in Nashville where it was described she kept one foot in country music and one foot in folk music. She appeared on the show Austin City Limits a number of times over her career. During her career, she recorded 18 studio albums, 2 live albums, and released 17 singles.

7:00 p.m. J.J. Cale & Leon Russell In Session at Paradise Studios, Los Angeles, June 1979

Here we have the marriage of two masters in session from Russell’s Paradise Studios in Los Angeles, guitarist J.J. Cale and pianist Leon Russell. In a 21-song set, they are joined by Cale’s wife, Christine Lakeland, on guitar, harmonica and backing vocals. Also in the session are Marty Grebb (Horn), Larry Bell (Piano), Nick Rather (Bass), Jimmy Karstein, and Ambrose Campbell (Percussion/Drums), Bill Boatman (Guitar), Pat “Taco” Ryan (Brass) and Shamsi Sarumi (Percussion).

Trifectas

Today, we also give you an afternoon of hour-opening trifectas:

3:00 p.m. Bob Dylan

4:00 p.m. Mudcrutch

5:00 p.m. Steely Dan

6:00 p.m. Valerie Carter

Tune us in, people. We’ve got it all here on the greatest little radio station on the planet. You won’t “get it” until you give us a listen.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio