Decembrists Hit #1: Accordion tops the Top 100!

Accordion Noir co-host Rowan informed me that the Decembrists, an accordion-inclusive band from Portland, Oregon, has the No 1. album on the Billboard Top 200.  How cool is that?

As far as I know, they are the first “Accordion Renaissance” band to hit such lofty heights (I think), so celebrations are in order in squeezebox land.  In honour of their historic achievement, we’re gonna give a prize… (um, what?)

Ahh! One Accordion Noir t-shirt will go to the person (or corporate entity) who can tell us the last time an accordion band was at No. 1 in charts-ville. So what does that mean?  Does a cartoon soundtrack count?  Is Weird Al a band?  Did Devotchka or Yann Tierson get that high?  When did Lawrence Welk get his last break into the big-time?  Can you hear the accordion Brian Wilson buried in the mix on Wouldn’t It Be Nice?  Does Paul Simon count  only if he paid his accordionist, or does taking credit for their creativity and talent bump him from contention?  (When will the P. Simon people come after me?)  Whoever has the most interesting answer wins.

The Decemberists’ Jenny Conlee is the accordion rock-star of the day here at the Accordion Uprising.

 

Here’s a vid they put out for their new record: The King is Dead, listen to the lovely Ms. Conlee squeezin’ in there.  

Jenny Conlee, working for the splendid Futura of the accordion.

Listen, we knew them back before they were (as) famous.

Accordion Noir’s Decemberists in July episode back in 2009.