Anniversary of Mothra's First Fight With Godzilla

On this date in 1964, Mothra clashed with Godzilla for the first time.

The classic movie went by various names, according to Wired.com. It's a sci-fi anniversary I suggest you celebrate by listening to the TDA classic, "Mothra." Just a thought.

Kimmo Pohjonen Pairs Accordion With Tractors

Avant-garde accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen is recording the sounds of revving tractors for his upcoming Earth Machine Music tour, according to Times Online. Pohjonen calls the music he's making "industrial agricultural music" -- don't expect any polkas.

Vince Neil Does the Chicken Dance

Everybody does the chicken dance, even Motley Crue singer Vince Neil. It truly is the international dance of love.

[Thanks, Bill!]

Charlie Daniels Dumps On The Devil

Charlie Daniels is fighting mad about Guitar Hero's version of his tune, "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". He's not too happy that the Devil is allowed to win. Uh oh, TDA has been known to do the same thing in our live versions of the tune. I guess we better change our ways or we might have Charlie come looking for US. Of course, in our recorded version of the tune on our CD, "Squeeze This", the Devil takes the fall everytime. May it always be so!

The Last Chicken Dance

Anyone who has been around an accordion knows that sooner or later you are going to get up and do "The Chicken Dance". We recorded it as the "Duck Dance" on our 1st cassette release and performed it in Lithuania. People all the world seem to know the song and the dance that goes with it. We'd like to take a moment and honor the man who wrote the tune. Here's to you Bob. We know they are all doing the "Chicken Dance" behind the pearly gates tonight.

WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2008, 5:36 p.m.


Bob Kames, of chicken dance fame, dies

Bob Kames, Milwaukee's own music man, died of prostate cancer today, according to his family.

Kames popularized an old-world tune called "Dance Little Bird" - better known as "The Chicken Dance." He long operated the Bob Kames Wonderful World of Music stores here in Milwaukee. He recorded more than 70 albums in his long career. Other professional work included a stint with the Lawrence Welk Orchestra.

His legal name remained Robert Kujawa, but he was known as Bob Kames, his professional name.

Another one of Kames' songs also made the big-time, said his son, Bob Kames, Jr. In 1949, Kames composed a pop tune in honor of his future wife, calling it, "You Are My One True Love." The tune was based on a Polish folk song. After being turned down by major labels, he recorded it himself, paying for the first 5,000 records himself.

It was picked up by London Records in England, becoming a huge hit.

"He wrote that for her," Bob Jr. said of his late mother, Edith Kames. "It was a million-seller. Lawrence Welk recorded it and Frankie Yankovic, and John and Sandra Steel, and others."

Funeral services are pending.

Squeezebox Is a 'Secret Handshake'

"The accordion is a secret handshake," says Don Turner, 43, a board member for the Milwaukee Accordion Club. "If you play accordion, and someone else plays, well, you'll help one another."

That's just one of the squeezebox secrets laid out in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profile of the club, which is keeping the accordion spirit alive in the city Those Darn Accordions is proud to call its second home.

The article tells the by-now-ragged tale of the squeezebox's fall from grace after its polka-powered heyday in the '50s.

"The misconception is that it's only good for the polka," says club president Shirl Barry. "You can play wonderful French waltzes, Argentine tangos and classical pieces."

Oh yeah, and rock and funk and swing and goofball country and heavy metal, too. Keep on squeezin' ...

Alien Eggs Discovered in Northwest Pond

Jonny and I were checking to see if the goldfish made it through the winter in the little pond outside his clubhouse. We noticed a bunch of smaller, darker fish that have somehow made it into Lake Jonny. I saw a large stick in the middle of the pond and decided to fish it out with a net. When I pulled it out there were these giant marble like globules attached to it. Inside each little gushy marble is an egg or seed or something. Like a little eye looking up at you.

Jonny and I were stunned and a little creeped out. In fact, I honestly looked up over my head to see if maybe we were being monitored. We took this photo and then filled a bucket with pond water and placed the life forms in there. I don't think they are frog eggs. We have frog eggs in there every spring and they are much smaller and float along the surface. Could they be goldfish eggs? Does anyone out there know? We will watch closely over the next few days. I will also check the sky for any abrupt cloud formations and blinding light.
Stay tuned.

Those Darn Accordions Top Tunes iMix

And the winner is ... "Them Hippies Was Right"!

The results are in and taking into consideration a few ties, here are the Top 22 TDA tunes. Thanks to everyone for sending in your favorite TDA songs. You can pick up all these TDA gems in one fell swoop in an iMix on iTunes. The songs are sequenced by order of popularity.

This was a lot of fun finding out what our fans like best about the band. We'll try it again in another 10 years!

Note: "Back in Black" made the list at No. 14, but AC/DC's publishing company has not authorized the song for download. For that reason, it is not included in the iMix.