Accordion Noir radio playlist 2018-10-31: Frightening World

AccNoir 2018-10-31

It’s hard to know which angle to take on Hallowe’en, so the picture isn’t always a great match for the recording… but it has an interesting story associated with it!

Last night was both Hallowe’en AND as a Wednesday, also an Accordion Noir radio broadcast night!  We try to visit the theme every year but we aren’t always so lucky as to manage to land square on it!  That may be the only thing lucky about last night’s program, concerning itself with the rapid deterioration of what seemed like a solid liberal order — something really frightening, as alluded to in Bruce’s title to the episode.  It’s not all doom (it is, however, all gloom), and even when it is down it provides a valuable opportunity for weighty reflection on the state of the world.  We’re not just emo here!  You can listen to last night’s Hallowe’en episode online courtesy of the Internet Archive, and here is its playlist and a few additional notes Bruce provided:

* Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird – Beyze Vintn – The Broken Tongue/Dos Tsebrokhene Loshn (2006) – Detroit-New York, USA / Berlin, Germany – http://www.paintedbird.net/
* Kroke – The Secrets Of The Life Tree – The Rough Guide To Klezmer – Poland – http://www.kroke.krakow.pl/html_en/main_en.html
* Yenkovitz Und Goldberg – Rimastic Doina – Columbia E1399 (1913) – Judaica Sound Archives: http://faujsa.fau.edu/jsa/home.php
* Yenkovitz & Goldberg – As Du Furst Avek – Cantors, Klezmorim and Crooners 1905-1953: Classic Yiddish 78s From the Mayrent Collection [Disc 3] (1913) – http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collections/MayrentRec http://www.jsprecords.com
* Mari Boine – Mu Áhkku = My Grandma – Goaskinviellja / Ørnebror / Eagle Brother (1993) – Sami / Norway – http://www.mariboine.no
* Katheryn Petersen – Accordion Noir Theme Song (2016) – Vancouver, BC, Canada – https://katherynpetersen.com All parts were played by me on accordion, toy piano and squeeky chair and all the effects were done live with my pedals and not by robots or in post.
* Wintermitts – Ghost Note – Heirloom (2008) – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Visit http://wintermitts.bandcamp.com
* Elliot Vaughan – Death – The Musical Miniatures Of From Whence He Came (2011) – Vancouver, BC, Canada – http://www.elliotvaughan.com
* David Roy Parsons – To Everyman’s Closet – Self-Titled – Vancouver, BC, Canada – http://www.myspace.com/davidroyparsons
* David P Smith – ill wind – Hurtin’ Dance Party (2002) – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – http://www.myspace.com/davidpsmith
* Ember Rev – Papillon – Premonition and Ruin (2018) – Cambridge, UK – https://emberrev.bandcamp.com Chris Peckham, acc.
* Spiro – I Fear You Just As I Fear Ghosts – Lightbox (2011) – United Kingdom – http://www.spiromusic.com
* Murder By Death – Ghost FIelds – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon (2012) – Bloomington, Indiana, USA – https://murderbydeath.com/
* Lonesome Leash – Ghosts – I am no captain (2013) – New Orleans, Louisiana, USA – Visit http://lonesomeleash.bandcamp.com

Some Lyrics from tonight’s Episode:

 

Beyze Vintn: (eng.)
Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird

Wailing, wailing, winds of evil
Weigh upon the land
Fell the trees and break the branches
By your raging hand.

Roust the birds from quiet meadows
Let them seek to fly
If a wing is weak or broken,
Crush them as they try.

Break the doors off all the hinges
Shatter every pane
If in darkness shines a flicker
Kill that fucking flame.

Wailing, wailing winds of evil
While your time is nigh
Long will winter keep the light of
Summer from the sky.

(From Reisen’s 1901 poem, “Tsum Vinter.”

Bundists (jewish socialists) and Warsaw ghetto fighters sang last line:
“Winter will not last much longer,
Summer is close by.”

http://www.paintedbird.net/

Mu Áhkku = My Grandma
by Mari Boine

Mu áhkku lei dego loddi
mu áhkku lei dego loddi
mu áhkku lei dego loddi
mu áhkku lei dego loddi

Mu áhkku girdilii ja manai
mu áhkku girdilii ja manai
mu áhkku girdilii ja manai
mu áhkku girdilii ja mana

Mun báhcen dása okto
ja mun váillahan mu áhkku
mun báhcen dása okto
ja mun váillahan su
mun váillahan mu áhkku

Gii válddii ja doalvvui mu áhku
ii ge buktán sat su manos
gii válddii ja doalvvui mu áhku
ii ge goassige buktán su manos
ii ge buktán sat su manos

Mu áhkku lei dego loddi
mu áhkku lei dego loddi
mu áhkku lei dego loddi
girdilii ja manai
mu áhkku lei dego loddi

GRANDMA

Grandma was like a bird
grandma was like a bird

Grandma alighted, flew, and was gone
alighted, flew, and was gone

Abandoned
I long for grandma
Abandoned,
alone with my longing

Who came and carried off my grandma
who didn’t bring her back
who came and carried off my grandma
who never brought her back

My grandma was like a bird
she alighted, flew and was gone
my grandma was like a bird

From the album: Goaskinviellja / Ørnebror / Eagle Brother
http://www.mariboine.no

Papillon
Words & Music by Dan Ecclestone

We break butterflies on the wheel
For fear they may return
Vengeful in colour

We break dreamers and schemers and seers
For fear they may return
As armies in number

We break butterflies on the wheel
For fear they may inspire
And lost in the beating of wings – a life.

Everybody says it’s the will, it’s the way
But how could we be so wrong?
Everybody says the die is cast.

Words & Music by Dan Ecclestone
Arranged by Ember Rev
https://emberrev.bandcamp.com/track/papillon

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!

PS, to the locals — don’t miss the classical accordion concert taking place tomorrow night!  That calibre of squeezing doesn’t pass through town often!