Here’s another fabulous recording from the Accordion Noir archives: ten years ago, we aired episode number 135, which more than anything seems to be a primer in alt-folk, with side jaunts to the demented cabaret of the Tiger Lilies and Bahamian rake & scrape because why not? At its original online host it was enjoyed some 11392 times (?!), so please feel free to go check it out at its new home at the Internet Archive. Here’s its playlist!
AccNoir-2009-07-03, Mix-Master Bruce (Now, with Stickers!)
Artist – Song – Album (date) – Sources?
Dust Poets – Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key – World At Large (2009) – Onanole, Manitoba, Canada – http://www.dustpoets.com Karla Ferguson, acc.
X (Australia) – Sad Days Girl – Evil Rumours – Live At the Basement (2 CD) (2003) – Victoria, Australia – http://www.myspace.com/xaustralia
Meatdraw – We’re Not All Gonna Die – Fin Du Monophone (2008) – Victoria, BC, Canada – http://www.meatdraw.com
The Antlers – The Carrying Arms – In The Attic Of The Universe (2007) – New York, USA – http://www.antlersmusic.com/index.html
Deux Accords Diront – Valse Pour Yvan – Gardadvergur (2006) – Belgium – http://www.anneniepold.be/Anne_Niepold/accueil.html
The UnSettlers – Jerome – The UnSettlers (2008) – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – http://www.myspace.com/theunsettlers
Fugitives – Highway 3 – In Streetlight Communication (2007) – Vancouver, Canada – http://www.fugitives.ca/
Los De Abajo – Joder – Cybertropic Chilango Power (2002) – el DF, México – includes backwards accordion! (And I hope we don’t get in trouble for that title.)
Olenka And The Autumn Lovers – Ballad Of Lonely Bear – Olenka And The Autumn Lovers (2009) – East Vancouver, BC / London, ON, Canada – http://www.olenkalovers.com
The Tiger Lillies – Circus Clown – Circus Songs (2000) – United Kingdom – http://www.tigerlillies.com
Uncle Tupelo – Watch Me Fall – Still Feel Gone (2003) – Belleville, Illinois, USA – http://uncletupelo.com/
Ed Moxey’s Rake ‘n Scrape – The Timestable – Bahamas Islands Of Song (1995) – Ragged Island and Cat Island, the Bahamas – http://www.folkways.si.edu—————-
This episode’s cover is: My Zero Sette from our “One Less Guitar” Stickers!
Also included way at the bottom here should be a downloadable jpg image of the whole sticker.
They’re available for $2 (or $8 for five) as a fund-raiser for Co-op Radio and Accordion Noir. Email: accordion.noir@gmail.com——-
This is where we love to say: Please support ethical and fabulous media by becoming a member of Co-op Radio, because we love our little radio-station, and it loves us all back.
CFRO Co-op Radio in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Thanks for reading us here (and hopefully listening to us, there), but if you find you want more, you can always keep up with us on Twitter (@AccordionNoir and @AccordionBruce), Instagram (@AccordionNoirFest), and Facebook at Accordion Noir fans, the Accordion Noir Festival, and the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle. Cheers & squeeze on!
On this week’s episode of Accordion Noir radio we had some live guests in (pictured) to help promote this August’s “Accordion Madness” concert, on which we’ll elaborate closer to the date (and at length on the air in this recording!) Ana Bon-Bon is reviving the dormant “Accordion Madness” brand last invoked for her squeezebox song-circle tour with David P. Smith and Linda McRae sixteen flippin’ years ago to christen a gig we’re helping her throw at the Princeton Pub with Mizz Lisa and Nuvo Zydeco (the next stage for Mojo Zydeco, who you may remember guested on our program a mere 8 years back) backing up Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, visiting from New Orleans. The soloists came in tonight to help soften you up, and in a few weeks we may be joined by the band to finish the job. In the meantime, you can enjoy listening to it courtesy of the Internet Archive (supposing you haven’t yet subscribed to our renewed podcast!) — here is its playlist!
- Mamou Prairie Band – Jolie Fille
- Clifton Chenier – Calinda
- Lisa, Ana, Randy (LAR) – A Place We Can Go
- Mizz Lisa – Sing It
- Sydney Babineaux – Rayne One-Step
- Ana Bon-Bon – Someone Let the Kitty Out
- Rosie Leder – Chasing After Rainbows
- Mizz Lisa – A Night Like This
- Rockin’ Sidney – Mais Yeah Chere
- Ana Bon-Bon – Serves Me Right to Suffer
- Boozoo Chavis – Lula Lula Don’t You Go
Thanks for reading us here (and hopefully listening to us, there), but if you find you want more, you can always keep up with us on Twitter (@AccordionNoir and @AccordionBruce), Instagram (@AccordionNoirFest), and Facebook at Accordion Noir fans, the Accordion Noir Festival, and the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle. Cheers & squeeze on!
As part of our crash course in accordion literacy we felt we needed in order to credibly host the Accordion Noir radio program, in the early years Bruce and I availed ourselves of every indulgence in squeezebox culture that strayed across our paths. That doesn’t mean that I combed the concert listings for accordion performances, but it does mean that every time I saw a book of accordion sheet music, porcelain squeezebox bear tchotchke or accordion record on vinyl at a garage sale or thrift shop, I’d be obligated to dig deep into my pockets and get out the bus fare needed to bring this critical artifact home for a deeper analysis. In time we got to the bottom of what we felt we had to learn from the sheet music and figurines, but every new accordion record was another gateway into a world where the expansion of the accordion hadn’t yet halted and collapsed. Furthermore, records are a fascinating sampling of a moment in the culture of music recordings that likely did not successfully make the leap to successive technologies — few accordion albums on 8-track, not many on audiocassette, darned few on CD, not a huge selection on iTunes, fewer than you might expect on Spotify. I mean, sure, there’s plenty, and you have the advantage today of having the offerings being vetted for quality and mass appeal. But for many of the songs appearing on records, vinyl was assuredly the only way those recordings could ever be heard — and consequently, putting one of the discs on your turntable made it very likely that you were the only human being who had ever heard that performance for decades.
But what use is all this history if we selfishly keep it to ourselves? Ten years ago Rowan listened to … many of his dozens of thrifted (plus a few liberated from the dirt-floor deep archives in the CFRO basement!) accordion records (many delightfully local, eg. this Manitoba Ukrainian chorus probably did not have their album circulated that widely) in order to skim off some winning (and amazingly-oddball) tracks to help to demonstrate to you home listeners what the territory looked like to home listeners of accordion recordings back in 1955, 65 and even 75, resulting in this playlist of songs, in Accordion Noir radio episode number 134, that likely would not and could not ever be heard anywhere else — except through this broadcast by loving historical specialists. (The rest of the collection was laboriously converted to MP3, then the dozens and dozens of records themselves, billed as “what is most certainly western Canada’s largest library of accordion recordings on vinyl”, were offloaded on music writer Alexander Varty.)
At its original online home, this episode was enjoyed some 16569 times. At its new forever home at the Internet Archive we hope it leaves that number in the dust! In the meantime, here’s its playlist:
AccNoir-2009-06-26, Rowan on Vinyl, diggin’ in the crates
Artist – Song – Album – Web Resources
* Jon Bartlett & Rika Ruebsaat – the Green Fields of Canada – The Green Fields of Canada – http://www3.telus.net/jonbartlett-rikaruebsaat/
* the Mom and Dads – Wabash Cannonball – the Best Of the Mom & Dads
* Lawrence Welk (and Myron Floren) – 12th Street Rag the Best of Lawrence Welk
* Walter Ostanek – Walter Ostanek – Accordion and Saxophone Polka – http://walterostanekband.com/
* Clifton Chenier – Zydeco Disco – I’m Here! (1982) – http://www.coldbacon.com/music/clifton.html
* Fred Hector and his Accordion Band – Aquarius – Accordion Encores
* Francis Ray Accordeons – Swinging Flowers – Swinging Accordeon
* Messengers of Praise Quartet – It Is Well – I Walk With God
* Charles Camilleri – Cool Customer – Charles Camilleri – http://www.accordions.com/memorials/mem/camilleri_charles/
* Trimble Tones – In The Mood – 20 Old Time Hits – http://www.myspace.com/thetrimbletones
* Paco Rapallo y su Orquestra Tango-Tipico (after Ludwig van Beethoven) – Para Elisa
* Carneval Brasil – Das grosse Akkordeon Schlager-Potpourri Folge 3
* Gigi Stok – Caminito – Superballoliscio – http://accordions.com/memorials/mem/stok_gigi/index.shtml
* Addy Kleyngeld – Serenade Andalucia – Wonder Akkordeon
* Harry Hibbs – I’se the B’y – at the Caribou Club – http://www.harryhibbs.com/
* Jim Gregrash – Ukrainian Anniversary Song – Jim Gregrash Plays at a Ukrainian Wedding
* Peter Gritchen – Moscow Nights – Popular Russian Songs – http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.religious.doukhobor/1376/mb.ashx?pnt=1
* Wesoła Czwórka – Zabłąkany kujawiaczek – Zen sie Jasiu
* The Team – Polka from Lvov, Maltese Melody – Party Music
* Jon Bartlett & Rika Ruebsaat (after Wads Hemsworth) – Wild Goose – the Green Fields of Canada—————-
This episode’s cover is: the “Happy Accordion a go-go” album from, http://www.willysvinylrecords.com.au/recorddetail.asp?id=219&genre=8
Thanks for reading us here (and hopefully listening to us, there), but if you find you want more, you can always keep up with us on Twitter (@AccordionNoir and @AccordionBruce), Instagram (@AccordionNoirFest), and Facebook at Accordion Noir fans, the Accordion Noir Festival, and the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle. Cheers & squeeze on!
The good news is: Bruce survived his book launch! The bad news is: the moment he let his guard down, a virulent bug swept through his whole family, leaving him unable to hold down this week’s episode of the Accordion Noir radio program. But fear not! His intrepid and stalwart co-host Rowan swung into action, airing a playlist consisting almost entirely of songs about illness that Bruce curated as a grim kind of joke. Whatever it takes: it’s good radio! Subscribers to our podcast will already have it waiting for them, but for the rest of you — you can enjoy this week’s episode over at the Internet Archive. Here’s its totally ill playlist:
AccNoir-2019-07-03, Bruce Lays Low
- Fear of Drinking – House Fever – One Morning When I Went To Work… – Vancouver, BC, Canada – http://timreadman.com/bandspast-and-present/bands/fear-of-drinking/
- Sick Boss – Troubled – Sick Boss (2017) – Vancouver, BC, Canada – https://tysonnaylor.com Tyson Naylor, acc. Debra-Jean Creelman, voc.
- Raghu Lokanathan – Sick Boy – Blue Girl (year?) – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – http://www.raghumusic.com/
- Aurochs – Four – Another Helpful Medicine (2016) – Toronto, Ontario – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – http://www.AurochMusic.com Ali Berkok, acc.
- Amoebic Ensemble with alec k. redfearn – Repetitive Motion Sickness – Limbic Rage (1995) – Providence, Rhode Island, USA (Home of HP Lovecraft!) – http://aleckredfearn.com/
- Jody Kruskal – Seasick Willie / Wacky Wendy / Running for Your Life – Naked Concertina (2005) – New York State, USA – http://www.jodykruskal.com
- Kal Cahoone And The Dirty Pretty – The Sickness and the Cure – The Sickness and the Cure (2012) – Denver, Colorado, USA – http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=178771631
- The Pogues – The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn – The Very Best Of The Pogues (1985) – Ireland / UK – http://www.pogues.com/
- The Bad Things – The Unsinkable SS Merde – Vaudeville Show (2006) – Seattle, Washington, USA – http://www.thebadthings.com/ Used in our “History PRA.”
- Cliffie Stone – Ida Sweet as Apple Cider – from Kevin Coffey’s collection (1947) – Hollywood, California, USA – (Billy Liebert, acc. From “Dinnerbell Roundup Time,” 1947-48)
- IVA NOVA – Poor Boy – Iva Nova (2003) – Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation – http://www.iva-nova.ru/
- Johanna Juhola – Hippo – Miette (2006) – Helsinki, Finland – http://www.johannajuhola.net/
- Karen Tweed, Kerry Fletcher Karen Wimhurst Keith McIntyre – The Moon In The Man – 4K Plot (Get1) (2006) – Isle of Wight, UK – http://www.KarenTweed.com
- Janet Klein And Her Parlor Boys – Kashmiri Song – Come Into My Parlor (1998) – Los Angeles, California, USA – http://www.janetklein.com/
Thanks for reading us here (and hopefully listening to us, there), but if you find you want more, you can always keep up with us on Twitter (@AccordionNoir and @AccordionBruce), Instagram (@AccordionNoirFest), and Facebook at Accordion Noir fans, the Accordion Noir Festival, and the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle (tonight!) Cheers & squeeze on!
From ten years ago, here’s episode 133 of CFRO Co-Op Community Radio’s weekly Accordion Noir radio program. As the notes even include “wild mix” explicitly in its description, it may be too much to hope for any kind of consistent theme among the song selections — except where crazy randomness is the theme! At its original online home, it accumulated some 10679 listens, a total that may someday be surpassed at its new hosting at the Internet Archive, where you can hear it today, courtesy of our renewed podcast functionality! And now, here’s its playlist:
AccNoir-2009-06-19, Wild Mix of keys and buttons.
Artist – Song – Album (date) – Sources?
Wintermitts – Petit Monstre – Cascadia Fault (2007) – Vancouver, BC, Canada – http://wintermitts.com/
Linda McRae – How Can I Bring Her Back – http://www.lindamcrae.com/
Dick Van Dyke – Pavement Artist (Chim Chim Cher-ee) – Mary Poppins (1963)
Filippo Gambetta – Episogdio Diatonico n.1 – Pria Goaea (2002) – Genova, Italy – http://www.filippogambetta.com/
Matilde Politi – Santaninfara – Folk Songs From Sicily (2009) – Polermo, Italy – http://www.matildepoliti.com/it.html
John Kirkpatrick & Chris Parkinson – I’m A Hog For You – The Sultans Of Squeeze (2005) – England, UK – http://www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk http://www.Chrisparkinsonmusic.co.uk
Tom Waits – I’ll be gone (William Schimmel is the accordionist) – Franks Wild Years (1987) – USA – http://www.tomwaits.com/ http://www.billschimmel.com/
Tom Russell – Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? – Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? (2006) – El Paso, Texas – http://www.tomrussell.com
Calexico – Guero Canelo – Feast Of Wire [Europe] (2003) – Tucson, Arizona, USA – http://www.casadecalexico.com/
Dsd (Derrick Stacey Denholm) – Kapuskasing Wishbone – Norsk Drag (2006) – Prince George, Canada – Wish we knew how to contact him.
Lennon Sisters Universal Drier Commercial (1964) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQVgkv_LyM8
The Buttless Chaps – The Poacher (Ida Nilsen, accordion) – Where Night Holds Light (2006) – Vancouver, BC, Canada – http://www.thebuttlesschaps.com—————-
This episode’s cover is: some (German?) soldiers in gas-masks, enjoying their accordion.
——-
This is where we love to say: Please support ethical and fabulous media by becoming a member of Co-op Radio, because we love our little radio-station, and it loves us all back.
CFRO Co-op Radio in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Thanks for reading us here (and hopefully listening to us, there), but if you find you want more, you can always keep up with us on Twitter (@AccordionNoir and @AccordionBruce), Instagram (@AccordionNoirFest), and Facebook at Accordion Noir fans, the Accordion Noir Festival, and the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle (coming up this Thursday night, yow!) Cheers & squeeze on!
What is this Accordion Worth?
Perhaps the most common accordion question posted online is, “How much is this old accordion worth?” They’re usually instruments that were inherited from someone who used to play, and the current owner doesn’t know if their grandfather’s old treasure is a fabulous gold-mine or simply a sentimental old thing.
After years of responding to similar requests I’m an expert at saying: “I don’t know.”
“Accordions Are Not Rocket-Science.” Some would debate this.
George Bachich’s great Accordion Revival website gives some idea of the things that effect prices. Most older instruments need some work. This can cost 100’s of dollars to bring them up to good playing shape, so that brings down the selling value. As a result many old accordions are only worth a few hundred dollars even if they haven’t been mistreated. George wrote a whole book on the issues effecting the value of used accordions.
Where are you located?
Hey look, Piano-people get the same question!
“This is a question we see a lot, so I thought I’d explain it for our visitors.
“We don’t offer valuation services on this site. The reason we don’t, or rather can’t are because we can’t see the instrument to inspect it. It’s impossible to do in this format.
“We always recommend that you have it looked at by a local professional/tech etc. They can visually inspect it, which is key, and can offer you a guide price.”
http://www.mypianofriends.com/what-is-my-piano-worth-225344.html
Last night’s episode of Accordion Noir radio was a sneak preview of the early 20th-century Golden Age ground covered by our program’s regular host Bruce Triggs in his new squeezebox history book “Accordion Revolution”, launching at our home radio station this Friday night, June 26th, from 7-9 pm. You should consider reserving a free ticket on Eventbrite and coming out to join us! But in the meantime, you can enjoy listening to the episode online courtesy of the Internet Archive (or: subscribe to our podcast and have it delivered to you automatically!) Now, here’s its playlist:
AccNoir-2019-06-26, Accordion Revolution Launch Preview
* Figgy Duff – Matt Eiley – Figgy Duff (1980) – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada – http://www.ambermusic.ca/artist_figgyduff.htm
* The Fiddlin’ Linvilles – You Don’t Love Me Any More – from Kevin Coffey’s collection (1946) – – (Bettie Devere, acc. Later married Billy Liebert.)
* Clifton Chenier – Moi J’Ai Une P’Tite Femme – Frenchin’ The Boogie (1976) – Bogalusa, Louisiana, USA
* Louis Massey & The Westerners – Buckaroo Stomp – from Kevin Coffey’s collection (1934) – Chicago, Illinois, USA – (Larry Wellington, acc.)
* Yiddish Glory (featuring Sophie Milman) – Kazakhstan – The Lost Songs of World War II (2018) – https://youtu.be/7A_vcOxtYD8 Alexander Sebastian, acc. RIP
* The Klezmer Conservatory Band – Yidl Mit’n Fidl (Yidi With His Fiddle) – Klez! (0) – Boston, Massachusetts, USA – http://www.klezmerconservatory.com/
* Betty White’s How to Dance Course – Heel and Toe, Skater’s Position (Man and Woman) – How to POLKA (1960)
* Brave Combo – Mystery Spot Polka – Polkas For A Gloomy World (1995) – Denton, Texas, USA – http://www.brave.com/bo/
* Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter) – Laura (same, alt mix?) – African American Accordion (1947) – Mooringsport, Louisiana (in Caddo Parish), USA – Compiled by Jared Snyder
* The Bowman Sisters – Old Lonesome Blues – from Kevin Coffey’s collection (1929) – Tennessee, USA – Fran Trappe, acc. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bowman-sisters-p526487/biography
* Carolina Cotton and Deuce Spriggens Orchestra (or Hank Penny Orchestra) – I’d Love To Be A Cowgirl – Yodeling Blonde Bombshell Volume 2 (194) – Cash, Arkansas, USA – http://www.carolinacotton.org
* Viola Turpeinen – Tähti Ja Meripoika, Valssi (Star & Sailor) – Viola Turpeinen – American hanuriprinsessa Vol. 4 1949 -1951 (1949) – Champion, Michigan, USA / Finland
* Trois copains (H. Wattier, violon ; A. Pigeon, accordéon ; Ed. Moreau, piano) – Reel de Fiset – Digital Gramophone, Library and Archives Canada (1938) – Montréal, Québec, Canada – Arthur Pigeon, acc.
* Elly Kelly – Send Me The Pillow – Yesterday’s Dream (2007) – St. Charles, New Brunswick, Canada – http://www.ellykellymusic.com/home.html
Thanks for reading us here (and hopefully listening to us, there), but if you find you want more, you can always keep up with us on Twitter (@AccordionNoir and @AccordionBruce), Instagram (@AccordionNoirFest), and Facebook at Accordion Noir fans, the Accordion Noir Festival, and the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle. Cheers & squeeze on!
