Wednesday Brings ‘Are You Ready for The Country’, a Gram Parsons Spotlight Feature and Live Kris Kristofferson, June 12, 2024

Good morning, musicologists. We start out with our multi-artist country EP which delivers both traditional country as well as country-rock, then it’s a Gram Parsons Spotlight and Kris Kristofferson on Austin City Limits.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

We’ve got five hours of country (real country; not bad pop bands with fiddles) and country-rock music to kick off the day with The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Gram Parsons

One of the best and a pioneer of country rock whose life ended far too soon. Gram Parsons was a member of The Byrds, The International Submarine Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, a solo artist and a mentor to Emmylou Harris. This afternoon he’s In the Spotlight.

Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson definitely in his prime recorded live at the Moody Theater for Austin City Limits.

‘Are You Ready for The Country’, a Guy Clark Spotlight and ‘Live’ Lukas Nelson & POTR on Saturday, May 11, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We keep it on the country side today with our programming, both old school and country-rock, that great sound out of Laurel Canyon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

Another EP out of mothballs this morning as we pay homage to the old standards and the country rockers with The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Guy Clark

Surely one of the absolute best country singer-songwriters ever. I know I’ve told this story before, but one dreadfully snowy night my friend George and I were walking around Harvard Square freezing when we decided to go into a place called Passim’s Coffee House to warm up. We had no idea who Guy Clark was, but we paid the cover charge and went inside. It was undoubtedly one of the best things I ever did in my life. I was totally hooked. And he played a mean fiddle to boot.

8:00 p.m. Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real Live at The Boathouse, Newport News, VA, June 14, 2018

We close out the country programming with Lukas Nelson and his great little band. Lukas comes from great country outlaw pedigree, so it’s no wonder we love him here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We’re here 24/7 for your listening pleasure, at absolutely no charge to you and with absolutely no commercial interruption. Ever. Just an occasional station I.D. bit courtesy of yours truly. That’s it. The button’s below.

It’s Friday With ‘Live’ Steely Dan, ‘Everybody But Bob’ and Our ‘Train Tracks’ Multi-Artist Playlist, March 22, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the end of the work week! We’ve got some early ‘live’ Steely Dan and two outstanding multi-artist playlists for you today.

Here’s your Friday playlists:

This live in-studio concert was part of a promotion run by ABC Dunhill Records around the release of Countdown To Ecstasy and the hits that were spawned by that album. It was broadcast live over now-defunct (sadly) rock station KMET.

3:00 p.m. Everybody But Bob: Bob Dylan Cover Songs

It should come as no surprise that the man who won a Nobel Prize for Literature for his songwriting would boast an impressive lists of artists who have covered his songs. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, George Harrison, Linda Ronstadt, Joan Baez, Chrissie Hynde, Tracy Nelson, The Band, Johnny Winter, Shawn Colvin, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Fairport Convention, The Byrds, Hot Tuna and more.

8:00 p.m. Train Tracks: Various Artists

We close out the programming with a playlist of songs about trains, runaway and otherwise, with Steve Winwood, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, New Riders of The Purple Sage, the Doobie Brothers, J.J. Cale, Chicken Shack, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Rosanne Cash, Allen Toussaint, The Eagles, Paul Simon, The Guess Who, Lucinda Williams, Guy Clark, Joni Mitchell and more!

It’s Simply Sunday Here and Maria Muldaur Owns Our AOW and ‘Travelin’ Fever’ is the EP, Then It’s Open Stream on December 3, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got another simple Sunday on tap here in The Mermaid Lounge with light programming and plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s your musical lineup:

Maria Muldaur is undoubtedly one of the most underappreciated singers of her generation, hanging out with her peers Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, among others. They knew who to tap for background and harmony vocals, and vice versa. On this release, she works with some of the best, including Bonnie Raitt, John Sebastian (founder of The Lovin’ Spoonful), Taj Mahal, and fellow blues singers Angela Strehli and Tracy Nelson.

3:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We’re back on the road with some of our musical friends, including Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Asleep at The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, the Marshall Tucker Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and more!

Our ‘Friends Of Mine’ EP, A Trio of Songwriters, and a Blood, Sweat & Tears Spotlight on Monday, November 27, 2023

Welcome to a rainy Monday here in the Boston area as I prepare to work a rare Monday shift. But The Music Mermaid has a great show lined up for you!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Friends of Mine: Various Artists

This one has been waiting its turn for a bit. Songs to our friendships are in the pipeline today with The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Elton John, Maria Muldaur, Argent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding and more.

4:00 p.m. Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark Live at The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN, September 3, 1995

Three brilliant singer-songwriters playing a live show together at a nationally-renowned musical venue for songwriters. This show happened just 15 months before Van Zandt’s death.

We’ve had this one on the burner simmering for months. It finally comes full circle today as we put one of the greatest jazz-rock bands on the planet In the Spotlight. Yet, there is a mystery surrounding what happened to this band that literally burst onto the scene and skyrocketed, and then just seemed to disappear. If you’re interested, here’s the story.

Heading Toward the Weekend With the ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Tom Rush, and Sir Paul McCartney, Thursday, November 2, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are in great company here as we roll along toward the weekend.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

There are topics, and then there are topics. There are loads of songs about life on the road and traveling in general. We’ve got them today with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Joan Baez, The Traveling Wilburys, Asleep at The Wheel, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, Marshall Tucker Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush

We’re winding down on this great album, so get in on it while you can. The final airing will be on Saturday, time TBD.

7:00 p.m. Paul McCartney Live at Citi Field, New York, NY, July 17-21, 2009

Tonight we close the programming with Macca recorded live at Citi Field in New York City. I never got the chance to see The Beatles live, leaving a musical hole in my life. However, I did get to see Sir Paul at Fenway Park in Boston and it was everything it was cracked up to be and then some. Tonight we have his New York performance from 2009.

We’re getting closer now. The weekend is on the horizon. And we’ve got some great new music coming up in November, including an expansion of our general rotation and some of our older playlists. Stand by.

It’s Simply Sunday in The Lounge with Steve Winwood and Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ Multi-Artist EP, October 22, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! As you know, we keep Sunday’s simple here in The Mermaid Lounge and today is no exception. Steve Winwood owns our AOW and we follow that up with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ multi-artist EP.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

Steve Winwood is a legend in these here parts. He spent his early musical years in the Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and Traffic before embarking on a successful solo career. I saw him live at what was then called The Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, many years ago out in the open air and it was a fantastic show. This was Winwood’s fifth solo studio album and it was his most commercially successful. It went to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and sold three million copies. It’s our Album of The Week.

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

We’ve got them all for you today, from the pioneers of the genre to those who pay homage to the genre. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers, 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, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan Townes Van Zndt, Neil Young, The Carter Family and more!

Let’s Keep It Simple: We’ve Got ‘Pet Sounds’ as Our AOW and We Hit The Road With Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Sunday, August 27, 2023

Good morning, serious weekenders! This is our keep-it-simple day today and the living couldn’t be any easier here in The Mermaid Lounge. Read on for details!

Here is your musical road ahead:

This is The Beach Boys eleventh studio release, although it was pretty much a Brian Wilson tour-de-force solo project of major proportions. He composed the majority of this by himself, spurred on by a mystical revelation (there was a lot of that going around those days) and by the work of The Beatles. It is certainly considered one of the greatest and most influential albums in popular music history.

3:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We’re back on the move again with our road warriors, including Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Asleep at The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, The Beatles, Ray Charles, The Marshall Tucker Band, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Del Shannon and more!

‘Are You Ready for The Country’ Today? We’ve Also Got The Kinks’ AOW, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris with The Nash Ramblers From The Ryman Later. on Thursday, August 17, 2023

Good morning, global musicologists! We’ve got some great programming lined up starting with our ‘Are You Ready for The Country’ multi-artist EP!

Are you ready? We are!

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

The best in ‘real’ country music along with the pioneers of country rock. You won’t hear Jason Aldean here, but you will hear Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep at The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of The Purple Sage, John Prine, The Desert Rose Band, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Give The People What They Want by The Kinks

We’re winding down on this week’s selection. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday, so get in on this while you can!

8:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers Live at The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, Recorded April 30-May 2, 1991

This is the concert that began the Ryman’s renaissance as Emmylou Harris and her band inspired the revitalization of this great, historical country music venue.

Thanks for tuning us in. We appreciate you every day. We’re on 24/7 at no cost without commercial interruption. We also avoid chatty DJ’s who talk through a song. Sounds good to me!

Keeping It Simple Today With Our ‘Are You Ready for the Country’ Multi-Artist EP and The (Young) Rascals’ AOW Later, July 16, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are on a ‘keep it simple’ Sunday routine today with some great country and country-rock (no bad pop bands with fiddles, we promise) and our Album of The Week from The Young Rascals.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

From real country music to the creators of the country-rock sound. You’ll hear Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep at The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of the Purple Sage, John Prine, The Desert Rose Band, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Groovin’ by The Young Rascals NEW!

No doubt, The Rascals are one of our favorite bands; a great rock band that could really make real R&B music. They just kept churning out the hits between 1964 and 1969. You couldn’t keep them off the charts, and they fully deserved to be there. Groovin’ was their third studio album, released on July 31, 1967. It went to #5 on the Billboard Top LP chart, #7 on the R&B chart, and #2 in Canada. Eight of the songs were released as singles, with the title track reaching #1 in the U.S. This would be the final album where they would use the ‘Young’ moniker. Moving on, they would explore psychedelia as did so many bands of this generation. They will be back here again with another AOW.

Kick off your shoes. Take your socks off. Pour yourself your favorite beverage. And get into the music. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge every day, not just when we have a “subscription” drive. We don’t require a subscription or a credit card. So there.