A Steely Dan Spotlight Feature, A Live Neil Young Acoustic Set, and Tom Petty as DJ are All On Tap, Friday, June 14, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got some great stuff today as we head into the weekend, including live Neil Young that is new to the station.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Steely Dan

Certainly a Mermaid Lounge favorite and one of the bright lights of the seventies and beyond, Steely Dan had a distinctive style and made some of the best music on planet earth. Walter Becker and Donald Fagan were certainly a dynamic duo.

This afternoon we have Neil Young in a great live acoustic performance at Massey Hall during his Journey Through The Past solo tour.

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty’s Picks: The Best of The Buried Treasure Show

Tom Petty moves out of the rock star category here and becomes a D.J. For those who may not know it, Doctor Petty was a DJ for his own radio show called Buried Treasure. It’s a master class in the evolution of rock n’ roll, and we’ve got it here tonight.

Saturday We’re ‘Under The Influence’ With Live Performances From Jeff Beck and Joni Mitchell, June 8, 2024

Welcome to the first official day of the weekend and we’re starting out ‘Under The Influence’ for several hours, then it’s Jeff Beck Live in Boston and Joni Mitchell live in Milan, Italy.

Here’s your official Saturday lineup:

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

Yeah. We’ve all been here. Don’t deny it. Sometimes it’s legal stuff. Sometimes not. Just ask The Byrds, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi 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. The Jeff Beck Group Live at The Boston Tea Party, Boston, MA, May 6, 1969

It’s into the Wayback Machine for this one as we catch Jeff Beck (and Rod Stewart) with their bandmates at one great venue, the now-defunct Boston Tea Party.

8:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at The Teatro Tenda, Milan, Italy, May 9, 1983

Joni Mitchell live from Milan on her Refuge World Tour, which coincided with the release of her great album, The Hissing of Summer Lawns.

We’re here 24/7. We’re totally free. And we don’t run any advertising. Seriously. All you actually have to do is hit that green button below.

We Keep It On Folk Today With Our Multi-Artist EP, a Nanci Griffith Spotlight, and Live Joan Baez, Thursday, May 30, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. We’re focusing on the folk side of music today with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, along with Nanci Griffith and Joan Baez.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music has a place in history beyond just being a music genre; it represents the birth of the protest song. This EP is as big as you can get, crossing generations. 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, Phil Ochs, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who had one foot firmly planted in folk and the other planted in country. It was a beautiful crossover combination.

Yes, that’s simply what it is. No venues listed; no dates which someone like me finds disturbing because I’m ridiculous about that stuff. But it’s the music that really counts. Here we have a collection of songs recorded long ago that reflect Joan Baez’s 1962 live performances. We have a 1963 collection we’ll air a bit down the road.

We’ve Got ‘Ode To Morning,’ a Carole King Spotlight, and a Steve Winwood History Lesson on Thursday, May 23, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the downslide to the weekend! We’re moving through this day in fine style with some great music.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

Yesterday we started out with songs about the night. Today, we get it right with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Carole King

From her days as a songwriter in the famed Brill Building to this very day, Carole King has been a force in the music world. A true legend in her time.

8:00 p.m. Traffic, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group Super Jam

Or, Steve Winwood 1.0. We close out the programming with another musical legend.

The weather is beginning to cool a bit, and that’s just fine with me. May is a bit too early for 90 degrees. Nevertheless, we are here in The Mermaid Lounge for your listening pleasure, where the music is hot but the atmosphere is cool.

At Midweek, We’re ‘Under The Influence’ With a Spotlight on The Band, and Some Live Little Feat, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We take a favorite EP out of mothballs today and give you a Spotlight feature on The Band and ‘Live’ Little Feat from London.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We have all been here. There’s no denying it. Some of our ‘influences’ have been legal; some decidedly not. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi 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. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Band

They were once Bob Dylan’s backup band. That’s how they got their name. They were referred to as ‘the band’. And then, they morphed into one of the most prolific and influential musical groups of their generation. They are In The Spotlight today.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, August 4, 1977

Speaking of great bands, we close the programming with a great live performance from Little Feat from The Rainbow in London.

I hear the weather is going to be nasty today here in the Boston area, rainy with possibly our first round of thunderstorms this season. We’ll see. But if I could hunker down here today with this great music, I’d be doing it. The button’s below.

We’re at Midweek With ‘Color My World’, a Dusty Springfield Spotlight & a McCartney Tokyo Show, Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re already at midweek and we’ve got a great lineup, including a Dusty Springfield Spotlight feature and a show from McCartney’s 1993 World Tour.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

First, however, we start out with colors in the title, lyrics or both with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Donovan, Booker T & The MG’s, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Dusty Springfield

The mezzo-soprano master of blue-eyed soul was more than all that. She was another great singer who refused to be defined by any one style.

We close out the programming later with a trip to Tokyo with Paul McCartney on his 1993 World Tour.

It’s ‘Color My World’, Joni Mitchell’s AOW, and Carly Simon, Thursday, March 14, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! I’m still lost in the COVID fog, so we are running a bit behind, but better late than never. We’ve got a full slate of good stuff for you today!

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Ah, yes, we return again to colors in song titles, lyrics or both with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Donovan, Booker T. & The MG’s, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Court & Spark by Joni Mitchell

We’re back with this masterpiece of an album. It could not be any more perfect than it already is, and it has more than stood the test of time.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Carly Simon

We continue on with Women’s (Music) History Month with a Carly Simon spotlight.

Tune us in, folks. We’re here 24/7 totally free of charge for your listening pleasure. We give you music uninterrupted by commercial advertising. Just do it.

It’s a Busy Monday With ‘Working Songs’, Rickie Lee Jones, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello, February 12, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! I was a bit overexuberant last night and went off the ledge on scheduling today. (We’re actually exploring a bit of late-night programming for our overseas listeners!)

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Working Songs: Various Artists

Quite appropriate on a Monday morning as the work week begins. You’ll hear from The Staple Singers, Van Morrison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Lennon, Slim Harpo, Neil Young, Jim Croce, Little Feat, Bob Dylan, Jesse Winchester, Maria Muldaur and more!

4:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Rickie Lee Jones

Over five decades this great singer-songwriter has recorded songs in a variety genres, including jazz, rock, pop, soul and R&B.

7:00 p.m.  Van Morrison Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, November 1, 1978

Van the Man is a staple around these parts. We haven’t heard him for a while, so we thought it was about time we break him out of mothballs.

Here we have another great Elvis, but it’s Costello. You can love him or hate him, but the man broke barriers and is a hell of a singer-songwriter. He’s one of the very few of his generation that I actually listen to.

Another Monday in paradise…at least for me since my “weekends” fall on Sunday-Monday. We’ve got some great music today and we’re toying with late-night programming. We’ll see how it goes. Our overnight listeners are generally outside the U.S. Give us a listen.

Our Simple Sunday Fare Includes The Boogaloo Swamis With Our AOW and the ‘Color My World’ EP, December 10, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are here in the Boston area with temps of about 55 degrees slated for today, absurd for December in New England. People just seem to love the effects of global warming. That’s all I hear. Just wait. That’s all I can say.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

More than likely, you’ve never heard of this Boston-based band unless you have sought out Cajun and Zydeco music, but I learned about them at Johnny D’s Uptown, a favorite haunt of my youth. They are a fantastic band playing some of the best New Orleans sounds on the planet. These days, you can only get their music on Ebay or Discogs. We have been on a search for more, and we’ve finally found some. It’s on the way. Get ready by listening to this great album.

3:00 p.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Primary colors are a popular topic in the music world. We’ve got an entire EP about color from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Donovan, Booker T & The MG’s, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

Saturday Brings Elvis’ AOW, Our ‘Under The Influence’ EP and Walter Becker-Donald Fagan as Our Singer-Songwriters, November 18, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! Yes, it’s finally Saturday and The Music Mermaid has her selections all queued up for this fine day. Read on for the details!

Here are your musical details:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Elvis’ debut album today, a fine piece of music from what I personally consider his best time, right around 1956 and the Nashville/Sun sessions. Tomorrow, we’ll have a new album.

12:00 p.m. Under the Influence: Various Artists

Ah, yes. In my youth, some of my best times were spent under the influence. Today, you’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, The Beatles, Talking Heads, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

There’s a thing out there on social media asking the best bands of the seventies. Had it not been for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Steely Dan would have been my number one. They’re a very close number two. We love them here in The Mermaid Lounge, and they are that good because of the singer-songwriter duo that put them on the map.