Tag: In The Spotlight

It’s a Sunny Day Out There and We’ve Got Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP and Nanci Griffith In The Spotlight Later, Friday, March 11, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! I personally love the morning with the sun up shining into The Mermaid Lounge. It’s a perfect day to spend with our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP. Later, it’s Nanci Griffith.

In the Spotlight today is Nanci Griffith, a singer-songwriter who kept one fot in folk, and the other in country.

Here’s your musical landscape for Friday:

11:00 a.m. Old To Morning: Various Artists

We have our EP about the night time, so you know we’d have to put one together about the morning hours, and it’s pretty damned good. You’ll hear Nanci Griffith (In the Spotlight later), The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Dusty Springfield, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Electric Light Orchestra, Emmylou Harris, Harry Nilsson, The Wallflowers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Norah Jones, Todd Rundgren, Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell, Foreigner, Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Badfinger, Chris Hillman, Hot Tuna, Fairport Convention, B.B. King, Cat Stevens and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Nanci Griffith

It sounds like marketing bullshit, but it’s the truth: Nanci Griffith was an American treasure. She was a singer-songwriter who was raised in Austin, Texas, and lived in Nashville. She kept one foot in folk music, and the other in country, and her beautiful voice was more than capable doing justice to both genres seamlessly. Nanci Griffith made many appearances on Austin City Limits beginning in 1985, and won a Grammy Award for her album, Other Voices, Other Rooms in 1994. She passed away in August of 2021 at the age of 68. If Nanci Griffith has fallen through the cracks on your musical journey, tune her in tonight.

We are here every day spinning the tunes (that’s, of course, simply for imagery in this computerized age), we’re on 24/7, and we never cost you a penny. You won’t have to “subscribe” to our service. You won’t be asked for a credit card. And we certainly will never ask you any personal information. We have our own problems here.

Morning Has Broken!

The Women Dominate the Day With Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, and Bonnie Raitt, on Thursday, March 10, 2022

It’s International Women’s Week and we continue to celebrate here in The Mermaid Lounge. We have some great programming on tap for you today. So, come celebrate with us.

Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone represent the women of music today!

Here’s Thursday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Nina Simone

Nina Simone was an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, and civil rights activist. Her musical style married many genres, including jazz, blues, folk, classical, gospel and pop, and is often referred to as The High Priestess of Soul.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Home Plate by Bonnie Raitt

We say this every week, so why stop now. We are winding down on this week’s Album of The Week. This will be the second-to-last airing of Home Plate, so time’s a wasting if you want to hear it here. Saturday will be the final airing before a new selection is made.

7:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO, July 30. 1983

There are not many people who do not know Joni Mitchell. Her influence on pop music is legendary. She helped to expand and legitimize the folk music genre, but her repertoire covers many genres. In addition to folk music, Joni has drawn on pop, jazz, rock, and classical as she sings about romance and womanhood, as well as social and philosophical beliefs. She’s a woman of many musical styles and colors.

Come on, ladies. Get on this great International Women’s Week ride before the carnival is taken down. (Quite frankly, we consider every week women’s week, but we’re playing more than usual this week.) We run 24/7 at no charge to anyone; hell, we don’t even request personal information. Nor to we track it for our advertisers. And that’s because we do not accept advertising. Get the picture yet?

Ladies In Charge!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and We Celebrate The Blues and Women’s Week Together, March 8, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! Yes, it’s Tuesday Bluesday and today we manage to deliver the blues and continue our tribute to the women of music quite handily, I must say!

We’ve got The Best of Chicago Blues on tap this morning!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

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

Yeah, this one is scheduled for an upgrade in the near future, but it’s still pretty damned good. 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! My friend Dave loves the Chicago Blues. He tunes it in every time.

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Home Plate by Bonnie Raitt

It’s perfect that this is our album of the week. Call it serendipity. Although Bonnie Raitt refuses to be pigeon-holed into one specific style of music and has expanded her repertoire over her long career, she is still a blues artist at heart and every song she makes has that blues aura about it. This album delivers on that. And did I mention that she plays that slide guitar like she was practicing in the womb?

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Marcia Ball

Here we have another great female blues artist who has been at it for nearly half a century. Born in Orange, Texas and raised in Vinton, Louisiana, she’s more than qualified to sing the blues. USA Today once described Marcia Ball as “a sensational, saucy singer and superb pianist… where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana blues-swamp meet.” If you don’t know her by now, perhaps this is an excellent time to get to know her.

Every Tuesday is a blues day here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we are always on the hunt for great blues music to add to our repertoire. Join listeners today from Canada, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, the UK, and points beyond. We’re totally free 24/7. The music never stops.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Barrel Into Women’s Week With A Broad Spectrum of Programming From The Pioneers, on Monday, March 7, 2022

Good Morning, aficionados of music, particularly women’s music. Let’s face it, women still get the short end of the stick in the music world. And I’m not talking contractually. I’m talking as someone who listens to other radio stations and knows that women still do not get enough air time.

These are just a few of the women you’ll hear today!

Here’s your opening day line-up:

11:00 a.m. The All-Girl Revue, Volume Four: Various Artists

We’ve got five volumes of this so far, and this is the one we haven’t heard in the longest time. So, today is the day we break it out. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette Larson, Shawn Colvin, The Shirelles, Phoebe Snow, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Rosanne Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Carole King, Valerie Carter, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Aretha Franklin

It’s only fitting that the first one In the Spotlight this week is the undisputed Queen of Soul, the first woman ever inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and whose career spanned a half century.

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

In spite of her incredibly successful solo career and her position as the Queen of Rock during the 70’s, Linda Ronstadt always preferred singing with others and dreamed of being in a girl group. She finally achieved that when she joined up with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris for the Trio albums. Here you’ll hear her sing with J. D. Souther, Randy Newman Ry Cooder, Hoyt Axton, Wendy Waldman, Neil Young, Ann Savoy, Paul Simon, Rosemary Clooney, Aaron Neville, Maria Muldaur and more. And you’ll hear her as lead vocalist, background singer, and harmony singer.

Every week is women’s week here in The Mermaid Lounge. People who listen to us regularly already know that. But this is a very special week, and we’re very happy to put the pedal to the metal and give you that little extra. We’re always free, and we’re always on the air 24/7. What could be better?

WOMEN’S WEEK!

We Close Out The Month With Music Banned On The Airwaves, The Animals, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live, Monday, February 28, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! February certainly is a short month, but we’re closing it out in style with some excellent programming, including a brand new playlists of songs banned ’round the world!

Hard to believe this song was banned, but that’s what happens when you “Imagine there’s no heaven.”

Here’s your musical programming for today:

11:00 a.m. Banned On The Airwaves: Various Artists NEW!

This certainly isn’t an EP, but it was fun to put together. Thanks to my compadre Dave Denton for the idea! These are songs that have been banned from different locations around the world, not just here in America. Some of them defy logic, I must say. For example, My Generation by The Who was banned by the BBC because they felt it was disparaging to people who stutter. Sailing by Rod Stewart was banned because of the war in the Falkland Islands (incidentally, this was not the only nautical song banned at this time). God Only Knows by the Beach Boys was banned because, well, God just wasn’t used in rock n’ roll music. This Note’s For You by Neil Young was banned because it was anti-capitalist.

In addition to these guys, you’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (yes, it’s true), The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Shirelles, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, and more. There’s a list of songs and artists under the Playlist tab. Scroll down to the bottom. By the way, this is not an exhaustive list.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Animals

The Animals were certainly one hell of a band. Steeped in R & B, the blues and rock, they were formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early sixties, then moved to London when they began to gain traction. Eric Burdon was the perfect lead vocalist for this band.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The PPL Center, Allentown, PA, September 16, 2014

Speaking of great bands, we give you The Heartbreakers live on the Hypnotic Eye tour. It’s hard to believe that a band can produce such brilliant material over a forty-year span, but this album proved to be one of The Heartbreakers’ finest ever. Sadly, this would also be their final album ever as Tom Petty would prematurely pass into the great wide open a week after their 40th Anniversary Tour in 2017. Nevertheless, their music lives on eternally here in The Mermaid Lounge.

The set list for this show is also under the Playlist tab. Again, scroll down to the bottom.

Come on, folks. Music makes nearly all things tolerable. The only exception would be the GOP, but I digress and we don’t want to ruin the mood here. Hey, we’re anti-capitalist too. We don’t charge you anything to tune us in. We don’t ask for a credit card or personal information. In fact, we will have no bloody idea who you are. So do it.

IMAGINE.

What Could Be Better Than Tedeschi Trucks With Our Latest AOW, George Harrison In The Spotlight, and A (Musical) British Invasion? Sunday, February 27, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! Yes, it’s Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got a great line-up today, kicking off a bit early with our Album of The Week!

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi (center) are the musical power couple at the core of Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Here’s your kick-ass line-up:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Revelator by Tedeschi Trucks Band NEW!

Susan Tedeschi has been around for a while, and so has Derek Trucks. But they put it all together in 2011 with the debut album of their fine band, Revelator. If you like blues-rock, this is is where you should be, people. Recorded in Susan and Derek’s Swamp Raga Studios in Jacksonville, Florida, the band shows that they are more than just a great ‘live’ band. Co-produced by Derek Trucks and producer/engineer Jim Scott, Revelator went on to with the Best Blues Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, and Derek Trucks has established himself as one of the finest guitar players on the planet. Find out why.

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of George Harrison

George Harrison’s birthday was on February 25. We may be a bit late here in The Mermaid Lounge on birthdays but we’re never a dollar short. We play Harrison’s best stuff as the lead guitarist of The Beatles, as Nelson Wilbury, and from his solo efforts. Happy Birthday, George.

4:00 p.m. The British Are Coming! Various Artists

Finally, we immerse you in the sound of music from across the pond, a key part in rock n’ roll’s journey to legitimacy. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Zombies, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Hollies, Yes, Them, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Animals, The Dave Clark Five, Rod Stewart, Lulu, The Searchers, Petula Clark, Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, The Yardbirds, The Pretenders, Herman’s Hermits, Blind Faith, Cream, The Spencer Davis Group, and more!

Jump on in, folks. The music’s fine. And it’s all free, from start to finish. You don’t need no stinking credit cards. There’s no form to fill out. And there’s no personal details asked. Just do it.

Just Do It.

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!

Another Monday and We’re Between Heaven & Hell, We Put Steely Dan In The Spotlight, and Deliver That Sweet Soul Sound This Evening, February 21, 2022

Here we are again, people. The beginning of another work week. But we’ve got some great music for you today as we celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday and Black History Month. But hey, here in The Mermaid Lounge, every month is Black History Month.

We celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday with Steely Dan In the Spotlight

Here’s your Moan-Day line-up:

11:00 a.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists

We start the day with a real Monday playlist because on Monday we are generally between heaven and hell. Here we have references to heaven and hell in the title and lyrics, and you’ll hear from Donovan, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Presley, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Fats Domino, Foo Fighters, The Grateful Dead, and more.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Steely Dan

After the 60’s the music of the 70’s was a bit of a letdown. (It only got worse in subsequent decades, by the way.) But Steely Dan was one of those bands who was an oasis in the middle of a desert. Love this band and the rap that they can’t reproduce their sound ‘live’ on stage was bullshit, by the way. That was not my experience when I saw them. Today we (belatedly) celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday by putting Steely Dan In the Spotlight.

7:00 p.m. That Sweet Soul Sound: Various Artists

I’d say we’re celebrating Black History Month, but every month is Black History Month here in The Mermaid Lounge. If it weren’t for black music, there would be no rock n’ roll. And no. Elvis never said he invented rock n’ roll. He deferred to his black counterparts on that issue. You’ll hear from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Roberta Flack, Rare Earth, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Fontella Bass, Edwin Starr, The Friends of Distinction, The Isley Brothers, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Ben E. King, Mary Wells, Ann Peebles, The Temptations, Jackie Wilson, and more.

Your Monday doesn’t have to be a bad experience. Not when you’ve got access to all this great music totally free 24/7. No lie, people. We’re all about the music. People over profits. We live that here.

Free Music 24/7

What Could Be Better Than a Friday ‘Under The Influence’ and With Lucinda Williams In the Spotlight Later? February 18, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve made it to Friday. Yes, we have. And it’s looking good as the weekend approaches. Next to love, perhaps being ‘Under The Influence’ is the most sung-about condition. We’ve got it here for you today!

Come join the fun! They’re clearly ‘Under the Influence’

Here’s your Friday line-up:

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

Look, let’s face it. We’ve all been here at one time or another in our lives, and sometimes with legal substances…but sometimes not. So, we can all identify with the songs of The Doors, The Byrds, Donovan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Glenn Frey, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, Emmylou Harris, The Band, Eric Burdon & War, Bob Dylan, The Fraternity of Man, Little Feat, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is a blues, country, rock and folk singer, songwriter and musician. Like so many other women of her generation, her early releases went ignored. However, as of today, Williams is recognized as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation. Her commercial breakthrough finally arrived in 1998 with her album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, which fused blues, rock, country, and Americana music into Lucinda’s own signature sound. The album won the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album. The rest, as they say, is history.

The weekend is technically here, people. Yes. Yes. I know we have one more day of work (in my case, two days), but the end is in sight now. It’s time to start to mellow out. It would be a great weekend to get on board the music train here in The Mermaid Lounge. Come on. You know you want to.

Just Push Play

It’s a Trifecta Start To The Day, With Our AOW at Mid-Afternoon, and Paul McCartney In the Spotlight Later, Thursday, February 17, 2022

We are definitely on the downslide heading toward the weekend, folks, and we’ve got a great day of music programming for you to help get you closer. We open with a set of Trifectas and move on from there.

The Traveling Wilburys, Steve Winwood, Little Feat, The Byrds, and Norah Jones are today’s Trifecta artists.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Trifecta Thursday: Various Artists

We’re going to kick off the day with five hours of Trifectas. The schedule is:

9:00 a.m. Little Feat

10:00 a.m. Steve Winwood

11:00 a.m. The Byrds

12:00 p.m. The Traveling Wilburys

1:00 p.m. Norah Jones

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Laid Back by Gregg Allman

I know I sound like, well, a broken record, don’t I? This is our next-to-last airing of Gregg Allman’s debut solo album. The final airing will be on Saturday. Get in on it while you can.

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

Tonight we put Macca In The Spotlight as we feature his music as a driving force behind The Beatles, as the leader of Wings, and as a solo artist. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Come on, people. This is a great day to tune us in. I’ll be slavin’ in retail hell, but that doesn’t mean your day has to suck as well. Hell, if you’re in an office working on your computer, just close the door, pull up a tab and click the button below. It won’t cost you a penny. And we’re unlike any other radio station on the planet. See for yourself.

Trifecta Thursday!