On Monday It’s ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska,’ New Live Joni Mitchell, and a Gov’t Mule ‘Spotlight’ Feature, October 6, 2025

Welcome back to the work week, music lovers! We open it up today with some great island music, then it’s brand new live Joni Mitchell vintage 1966, and then Gov’t Mule.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

This one’s coming up on a major update which could move it into EP status. We’ll have to see but, in the meantime, you’ll hear Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker (with and without The Aces), Laurel Aitken, Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley, Derrick Morgan, Jimmy Cliff, The Rhythm Aces, Peter Tosh, Marcia Griffiths, The Jiving Juniors, and more!

Time for a trip in the Wayback Machine for this one, all the way to 1966 before Joni burst onto the “scene.” It may not be new, but it’s new to our station.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Gov’t Mule

We close it out with Gov’t Mule, a Southern bluesy jam band started by former Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes back in 1994.

It’s the beginning another work week, but not all is lost when you’ve got the best music on the planet to get you through. Just hit the button below and see for yourselves!

On Friday, We Open With Reggae, Then It’s Hot Tuna Live at The Fillmore, and The Kinks ‘In The Spotlight’, July 18, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! We are opening the morning today with our ‘Best of Reggae & Ska’ playlist, then we move on to some blues-rock from Hot Tuna, and the battling Davies brothers and The Kinks.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

We’re heading for an EP with this one, but we’re not there yet. You’ll hear Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Prince Buster, Jimmy Cliff, Laurel Aitken, Desmond Dekker & The Aces (and some without the Aces), Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, and more!

4:00 p.m. Hot Tuna Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, March 4, 1988

Rising up out of the ashes of Jefferson Airplane came the great blues-rock band Hot Tuna, led by Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. Today we have them live from The Fillmore.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Kinks

One of the best bands of The British Invasion that has stood the test of time, despite the battling Davies brothers. This is a great playlist, and a great way to close the programming.

This is a pretty eclectic chunk of programming today, but that is what we are all about. If you’re listening during the day, you know our stream is all in the eclectic zone. See for yourselves. The button is below!

Monday, Monday Brings ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska,’ a Sly & The Family Stone ‘Spotlight’ and Hendrix Live at a Volcano (No Lie), On May 19, 2025

Good morning, working class! We’re back to Monday and the journey begins with some great programming sprinkled in with our big, wide Open Stream!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

We’ve been remiss in playing this, but here it is. You’ll her Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker (with and without The Aces), Laurel Aitken, Derrick Morgan, Jimmy Cliff, Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley, The Rhythm Aces, Peter Tosh, Marcia Griffiths, The Jiving Juniors, Bunny Wailer and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Sly & The Family Stone

One of the greatest bands of the sixties and seventies (1963-1975) without a doubt. They had so many great songs and so many great messages for us all.

8:00 p.m. Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at Tha Haleakala Volcano, Maui, HI, July 30, 1970

A stage was built right there in a cow pasture near Olinda in front of the dormant Haleakala Volcano, and Hendrix and his mates gave a free concert for the filming of Michael Jeffery’s movie, Rainbow Bridge. The performance was called the “Rainbow Bridge Vibratory Color Sound Experiment,” and the band played two sets. The audience was organized via their astrological signs. No lie.

Another work week begins, but we’re here for you all week without interruption to help get you through and back to another weekend. The button, of course, is below.

On Friday It’s ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’, a Neil Young ‘Spotlight’ and Live Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, December 6, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the Mermaid Lounge. We have made it to Friday and we’ve got a great lineup that includes some vintage TPATH!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

Time to break this one out again! We’ve got Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Judy Mowatt, Laurel Aitken, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, The Jiving Juniors, Derrick Morgan, The I-Threes and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Neil Young

The grandfather of cool is back in the spotlight today featuring music from his long rock music history and his incredible catalogue. Tune in at 4:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Paradise Club, Boston, MA, July 16, 1978

I remember this one well even though it was years ago just like I remember The Paradise with great fondness. This one was before Damn The Torpedoes and their explosion onto the music scene. History in the making.

As always, before, in between and after we give you our ever-growing wide Open Stream. We’re here 24/7. We’re free. And there’s no advertising to gum up the works. The button, as always, is below.

‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’, ‘Soulsville, USA’ and ‘Live’ Mudcrutch Are All On Tap For Monday, May 20, 2024

Good morning, workforce! We’re all back at it for another week and we aim to start it off on a great note with a pretty eclectic lineup!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

We love this playlist, but it’s a first pass. We are poised for expansion and, perhaps, splitting it into two volumes, but I digress. You will hear Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker (with and without The Aces), Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Judy Mowatt, Laurel Aitken, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, The Jiving Juniors, Derrick Morgan and more!

4:00 p.m. Soulsville, USA: The Music of Stax Records

There’s Motown and then there’s Stax, where the ‘house’ band was the great Booker T & The MG’s. In addition to Booker T, you’ll hear Albert King, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Isaac Hayes, The Dramatics and more. By the way, the Stax documentary produced by HBO begins streaming today!

7:00 p.m. Mudcrutch Live at The Fonda Theater, Hollywood, CA, June 26, 2016

We’ve got a Mudcrutch Monday on tap today as we give you their live performance from the band’s great 2016 tour. Still kicking myself for missing them at Boston’s House of Blues, but at least I have this!

Yes, it’s Monday and Mondays suck in general, but they don’t have to. Just join us here. We’ll make your life better. And we’re free.

We Begin Anew With Emmylou Harris, The Best of Reggae & SKA and Music From ‘The Queens’, Monday, April 1, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! It may be April Fool’s Day, but we’re not fooling around here in The Mermaid Lounge. After a day off from programming we’re back with some great programming selections!

Here’s your April Fools Day lineup:

10:00 a.m. Emmylou Harris With The Daniel Lanois Band Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK, November 23, 1995

On her eighteenth studio album, Wrecking Ball, Emmylou Harris moved away from her traditional acoustic sound to work with Daniel Lanois. I don’t need to write a trove of stuff here when you can read this great review from Pitchfork. We start the day with her live performance with The Daniel Lanois band in 1995. Hear it for yourself.

2:00 p.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

We will be expanding this soon, but for now it’s a pretty damned good playlist. You’ll hear Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, Laurel Aitken, Derrick Morgan, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Judy Mowatt, Bunny Wailer, Rita Marley, The Rhythm Aces, Marcia Griffiths, the Jiving Juniors and more!

7:00 p.m. Long Live The Queens: Various Artists

Haven’t spun this one for a while, but we give you Koko Taylor (The Queen of The Blues), Aretha Franklin (The Queen of Soul), Irma Thomas (The Soul Queen of New Orleans), and Linda Ronstadt (The Queen of Rock) all in one very enjoyable playlist. Don’t miss it.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and we are having fun here in The Mermaid Lounge. It’s already April and we’re easing into a new approach here and we’ll be adding new artists that have been on the waiting list for a while. Keep us tuned in.

The Best of Reggae & Ska, Singer-Songwriter John Fogerty, and New Heartbreakers are All on Tap for Friday, October 27, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve made it to Friday, and that is always a good thing because we are officially weekenders!

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska: Various Artists

We’ve got all the greats you know, and some you may never have heard. You’ll hear Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of John Fogerty FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to John Fogerty today, the heart and soul of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Tomorrow we’ll introduce a brand new artist.

We’re pretty obsessed with The Heartbreakers as a cover band. No doubt about it, they’re the best. They respect the intentions of the composers and play them the way they were meant to be played. Their heralded 20-night residency at the famed Fillmore in 1997 was an amazing feat, changing the set list every night, allowing the fans to request songs and help build the show, and having special guests like Roger McGuinn and John Lee Hooker on stage with them. Tonight we give you a couple of hours of covers from the Fillmore ’97 residency. Not to be missed.

It’s ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’ Today With Gregg Allman and Our New ‘Wheels’ Playlist, Friday, August 11, 2023

Good morning, workers! We are at the final day of the work week (for most) and we’ve got a great musical lineup of reggae/ska/rocksteady music, Gregg Allman’s final spin as the featured singer-songwriter and a brand new ‘Wheels’ playlist.

Here’s your musical lineup for Friday:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Ska & Rocksteady: Various Artists

Take a trip with us to the islands where you’ll hear Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitkin, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker (& The Aces), The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Gregg Allman FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of Gregg Allman as our featured singer-songwriter. We’ve got a brand new artist waiting in the wings for tomorrow!

Cars are big topic in the music world, and we are finally putting a playlist together on the subject. You’ll hear Paul McCartney (singing about his tour bus), Lucinda Williams, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (worrying about getting pulled over), Donovan, The Kinks, Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, The Who, T-Rex, Asleep at The Wheel, Chuck Berry, John Prine, Mudcrutch, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, War, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Janis Joplin, Tracy Chapman, Steppewolf, Wilson Pickett (about girl who just wants to ride around) and more!

We Ease You Into the Work Week With Our ‘On The Map’ Playlist, The I-Threes In the Spotlight, and Some Live Blind Faith Later This Evening, Monday, January 30, 2023

Happy Monday, kids! It’s the beginning of another work week and we’ve got just what you need to get rid of those Monday blues as we give you ‘On the Map’ along with The I-Threes In the Spotlight and live Blind Faith later.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

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

We start our programming with a playlist about places across the globe, from Boston to Timbuktu, with The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, America, Little Feat, Joni Mitchell, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, The Association, Scott McKenzie, Fats Domino, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Jesse Winchester, Tom Rush, James Taylor and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of the I-Threes

As I’m learning, many people don’t know who the I-Threes are. They are Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths and they are the most influential female band in Reggae and Ska who provided the background voices for Bob Marley & The Wailers. They also recorded albums individually, so today, we enlighten those who have never before heard them sing. It’s a treat.

7:00 p.m. Blind Faith Live at The Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA, August 16, 1969

Blind Faith were an English supergroup featuring Steve WinwoodEric ClaptonGinger Baker, and Ric Grech. They weren’t around for very long, only for one album and one extended summer tour. We’ve got one of those performances from that tour for you today. (I’m sure that the Earl Warren Showgrounds were used for more than music, but the thought of a psychedelic rock band performing at a venue named after a Supreme Court judge makes me chuckle.)

We’re here no matter how damned tired we are because we have The Music Mermaid and she is large and in charge. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming) totally free to the listening public. You don’t need a subscription. You don’t need a credit card, and we don’t even want to know your name. We just want you to listen.

Monday Returns With the J. Geils Band, Our New ‘Best of Reggae & Ska’ Playlist, and ‘Live’ Byrds Later, December 12, 2022

Good Morning, Reggae-Ologists! We are back here in The Mermaid Lounge for the beginning of another week of indentured servitude to the masters. But hell, we’ve got some great programming today including our new Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska playlist.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The J. Geils Band

We haven’t spun this baby for a while, and we consider J. Geils the official original Bad Boys of Boston. I’ve seen these guys a few times and they never, ever disappointed. We give you the best of their music to start off the programming day.

3:00 p.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists NEW!

Finally a playlist dedicated strictly to this great genre. You’ll hear Bob Marley & The Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Prince Buster, Judy Mowatt, Basil Gabbidon, Peter Tosh, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, the Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker, Bunny Wailer, and more! We expect to expand this list over time!

7:00 p.m. The Byrds’ Reunion Concert at The Boarding House, San Francisco, February 9, 1978

The Byrds get back together for a reunion concert at this great San Francisco venue. Recorded and broacast live on KSAN-FM, and here for you tonight to close out our formal programming.

Monday. Back to the mines. And always a great day to tune us in. There’s no better way to start off a new work week, is there? Personally, I can’t think of one. But hey, that’s me. Remember that we are totally free. Every day. No strings. No surprises. No questions asked. We’re not about profit. We’re all about the music.