We’ve Got ‘The Founders’ EP, a Bobbie Gentry ‘Spotlight’ and Live Neil Young On Thursday, October 17, 2024

Good morning, music lovers everywhere! Today we open with ‘The Founders,’ paying tribute to the artists who inspired the bands and singers who inspired us to start this radio station. Got all that?

Here’s your musical history lesson:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We pay tribute to the pioneers of rock and roll today, celebrating the music of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bobbie Gentry

This afternoon we give you a Spotlight feature from Bobbie Gentry, one of the most innovative artists of the sixties who was also a recluse at heart. She much preferred to write for others to sing, but then she released Ode To Billie Joe and exploded on the music scene. When she’d had enough, she simply faded away, leaving us a legacy of fantastic music.

8:00 p.m. Neil Young Live at Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 19, 1971

A Mermaid Lounge favorite gives us a concert from his homeland to close out the programming for Thursday.

One more time: We’re here 24/7. We’re free. No strings. No surprises. And we do not run commercial advertising. The button is below.

We’re at Midweek With Songs About Water, Live J. J. Cale, and Stephen Stills ‘In Session’ on Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Good morning, musicologists everywhere and welcome to hump day. We start out with ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ today, followed by J. J. Cale and Stephen Stills.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Today we start out with songs about water in all its forms with Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, Bonnie Raitt, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Tom Rush and more!

We’ve got some vintage J. J. Cale on a 1994 tour from Hammersmith Apollo in London coming up this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Stephen Stills in Session at A & R Studios, New York, NY, April 26, 1968

Legend has it that Stills was accompanying Judy Collins to her recording session at A & R, but she finished with time left on the clock. Stephen Stills is rumored to have paid the engineer privately to help him cut this album full of demos, later called Just Roll Tape.

Here we are at midweek and tomorrow we start the downslide to the weekend once again! We’re on here 24/7 and we’re totally free. We’re also free of commercial advertising. Just use the handy button below!

Monday We’ve Got a Couple of Live Performances From Van Morrison and The Doors Sandwiched Around a Townes Van Zandt Spotlight, October 14, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome back to the work week. We’ve got some great music on tap for today mixed in with the great big wide Open Stream! And by the way, Happy Indigenous People’s Day because Christopher Columbus was a real piece of shit.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Van Morrison Live at The Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, December 18, 1993

I will admit that I find Van Morrison a bit caustic as a human being, but the man is a legend and his shows are a virtual spiritual experience.

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt is the only songwriter that I’ve ever heard anyone come close to putting on a pedastal next to Bob Dylan. Some of the songs he has written, such as Pancho & Lefty, are considered masterpieces of American songwriting, and with good reason.

8:00 p.m. The Doors Live at The Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, June 6, 1970

We close out the programming with the Lizard King and his band.

Don’t know what it’s like there, but it’s pretty rainy and gloomy here in the Boston area today. Good day to hunker down with some good music as my vacation comes to a close and I return to hardware hell tomorrow. By the way, the button is below.

It’s the ‘Are You Ready For The Country’ EP, and ‘Live’ Jackson Browne and Gov’t Mule on Saturday, October 12, 2024

Welcome, weekenders! Here we sit on a very early Saturday morning giving you the lowdown on today’s musical feast which includes our big country EP to start it off!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

No. We do not play Jason Aldean. But we do play real country and the artists who fused country with rock, like The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, 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, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, The Highwaymen, Gram Parsons, Tom Rush, The Flying Burrito Brothers, John Prine and more!

4:00 p.m. Jackson Browne Live at The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA, August 15, 1973

October 9 wasn’t just John Lennon’s birthday. It was Jackson Browne’s 76th birthday as well. Today, we celebrate a singer-songwriter legend.

8:00 p.m. Gov’t Mule Live at Leverkeusener Jazztage, The Forum, Leverkusen, Germany, November 7, 2017

We close it out with Gov’t Mule in a live performance filmed for Germany’s Rockpalast television show.

Another weekend is upon us, and next week my vacation will be over and I’ll be back in hardware hell. But we remain a constant. The Music Mermaid will take over and deliver music free on a 24/7 basis with no commercial advertising. The button is below.

Our New ‘Three Part Harmonies’ EP, a CSNY Spotlight, and Live Allman Brothers are On Tap, Friday, October 11, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re on the case today with a brand new EP of songs that use three-part harmonies, some live Allman Brothers Band and a CSNY Spotlight feature.

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

We’ve got a brand new EP for you this morning of songs that employ three part harmonies. One of the things I noticed putting this together is just how many Beatle songs used it. In addition to The Beatles, you’ll hear Creedence Clearwater Revival, CSNY, The Beach Boys, Talking Heads, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Yes, The Band, Stevie Nicks, The Doobie Brothers, Queen, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Mamas & The Papas, The Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Boston and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Speaking of three part harmonies, we have a band here that used it plenty. The second best supergroup (sorry, The Traveling Wilburys are first) on the planet is a back this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Cow Palace, Daly City, CA, December 31, 1973

We haven’t spun this one for a while, so it’s high time we did! This is a great New Year’s Even show from the Brothers.

We’re at the cusp of the weekend and we’re here to get you over the finish line with some great music. We’re on the air 24/7, we’re free and we don’t air commercial advertising. The magic button is below.

‘The British Are Coming’, The Pretenders and Dr. John are All On Tap As We Head For the Weekend, Thursday, October 10, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re over the hump and on the downslide to the weekend. We’ve got our big British music EP, live Pretenders and a Dr. John Spotlight feature.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

We start with music from the British Invasion and beyond with The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, the Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, Them, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann, Spencer Davis Group, Queen, Donovan and more!

4:00 p.m. The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009

Chrissie Hynde battled plenty of sexism before launching the Pretenders in 1978. At the time, the band didn’t have a name but recorded five tracks which eventually got them their start. She eventually named the band after the Platters song, The Great Pretender, which was a favorite song of her ex-boyfriend. The rest, as they say, is musical history. I am not what you’d call a ‘fan’ of the punk music genre, but The Pretenders under the leadership of Chrissie Hynde is one of the best bands on the planet, regardless of genre.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Dr. John

We close out the evening with Dr. John, another music master who managed to combine New Orleans-fueled blues, jazz, R & B, soul and funk into a style all his own.

I’m giving you a break from the drivel of the drill. You know what you need to know about us. Now it’s time to push the button below.

We’re ‘Under The Influence’, Then It’s Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band, and Later We Remember John Lennon On His Birthday, Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re here in The Mermaid Lounge and we’re going to be ‘Under The Influence’ for several hours before we move on to our other programming!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We’ve all been here, whether the ‘influence’ of choice is legal or not. You’ll hear The Byrds, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimmy 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. Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band Live at The Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA, August 3, 1986

Emmylou Harris has always managed to either pull together great bands, or team up with great bands. This time around she teams up with Chris Hillman’s Desert Rose Band for a great show.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of John Lennon

We close with a celebration of Lennon’s life and musical legacy as we celebrate what would have been his 83rd birthday today.

We make things simple here. All you have to do is use the button below to experience musical nirvana. We’re totally free. We do not request any personal information. We do not run commercial advertising. We’re all about the music. Try it. The magic button is below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Windy City Blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Buddy Guy, and Rory Block on October 8, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday where we kick things off with ‘The Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, then we move on from there!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists

We take a trip to the Windy City for some blues from Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. Buddy Guy With Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at The Lone Star Cafe, New York, NY< April 14, 1986

Two guitar masters together in one show. What’s not to love?

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Rory Block

We close out the blues programming with the sounds of Rory Block, a purveyor of the country blues and Delta blues, whose career has spanned six decades.

There’s always room in The Mermaid Lounge on Tuesday Bluesday, no matter how busy it gets! We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. There’s no commercial interruption and no mouthy DJs to suck up all the air in the room. The button is below.

On Monday, We Close Out Tom Petty Weekend With The Fillmore ’97 Shows in Three Parts, October 7, 2024

Good morning, Petty lovers! Today we close out Tom Petty Weekend with all Fillmore ’97 programming and plenty of big, wide Open Stream! We keep it simple today.

Your musical lineup is simple:

10:00 a.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, Volume 1, January 31-February 7, 1997

3:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, Volume 2, January 31-February 7, 1997

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, Volume 3, January 31-February 7, 1997

We have two concerts from the famed 1997 Fillmore concerts, which every member of The Heartbreakers considers the best of times on stage.Today’s collection is the one from the boxed set released a couple of years ago. Tom himself felt the band was at its most creative, and it is apparent as this collection covers 20 magnificent nights of shows where the playlist changed every single time out. That is unheard of. Of particular note are the number of “covers” from their rock and roll heroes that the band performs. We here in The Mermaid Lounge not only reveres The Heartbreakers as the best rock n’ roll band on the planet, but also the best cover band.

Enjoy the trip. The Music Mermaid will be here manning the controls all day and, as usual, at no cost and with absolutely no commercial interruption. The big ass button is below.

The Weekend Starts With Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, J.J. Cale & Leon Russell, and More Tom Petty, Saturday, October 5, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! Today we continue celebrating the life and music of Tom Petty later this evening. Before that we’ve got J.J. Cale and Leon Russell ‘in session’ and songs about dreaming.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

We wake up to songs about dreaming with The Everly Brothers, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Widespread Panic, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Harry Chapin, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, Dusty Springfield, Tom Rush and more!

4:00 p.m. J. J. Cale & Leon Russell Live at Paradise Studios, Los Angeles, CA, Recorded June of 1979

You know that lost dates annoy me, but it is a fact of life. So here we are with two masters ‘in session’ together on a 21-song set at Leon Russell’s Paradise Studios.

8:00 p.m. Mudcrutch Live at The Fonda Theater, Hollywood, CA, June 26, 2016

This very same tour passed through Boston’s House of Blues and I missed it. I regret it to this day, I might add, because the very best live version of Hungry No More just happens to have been recorded here on that tour. Nevertheless, we continue on with our celebration of Tom’s life and music today with Mudcrutch, his “other” band.

We’re here for yet another day as I prepare myself mentally for nine glorious days free of retail hell. Yes, it’s true. My first actual real vacation in five years. But I digress. We’re here. We’re free. And we don’t accept commercial advertising. What could possibly be better? Oh, yeah, we play some of the best music on the planet.