Columnist Calls for Accordion Ban

A strangely unnamed columnist (at least on the website for The Times Argus) takes an un-ex-squeezable stance in a piece attacking nanny-state legislation proposed by Vermont lawmakers.

While I can certainly agree with the writer's main point -- that a super-restrictive bill that would ban drivers from all manner of activities, including playing musical instruments, is just plain ridiculous -- one segment of the column is beyond the pale.

"Some instruments, such as the accordion, should be banned, period. You shouldn't be allowed to play an accordion anywhere, and the penalty for doing such should be harsh. At the risk of regressing here a bit, have you ever noticed that there are certain things, such as an accordion, that for some inexplicable reason bring out an angry response in people?"

Can you believe it? I thought the days of knee-jerk accordion bashing had gone the way of the wind. But I guess the ol' squeezebox is still the joke instrument of choice, at least for some folks.

Man would I love to watch the comment section of the unknown writer's column fill up with "pro-accordion and I vote" sentiments (with lots of links to the TDA site, of course).

Vice Gives Props to Bagpipers

A blind bagpiper gets some love from the wickedest humor mag in the world. Wonder what they'd do with a blind accordion player?

P.S. Some of the language is a bit salty, but if you don't get at least one decent chuckle out of the cringe-worthy fashion disasters (and, of course, the beautiful people) chronicled in Vice magazine's Dos and Dont's feature, well, I guess I'm sorry you followed the link above and pressed Next.

P.P.S. This post is dedicated to Ohio's Black Bear Caledonia Pipe Band and my college buddy Brian Borowski, who just happens to be the group's pipe major. Fancy that.

Another Accordion Crime

This time a "stocky white man wearing a black hat" broke into a U.K. youth hostel and stole an accordion, according to the Hampstead & Highgate Express.

Here's the tragic twist on the ol' "they stole the car and left two accordions" joke: "The Excelsior piano accordion, worth thousands of pounds, was the only instrument stolen from the hostel practice room."

The victim, 18-year-old Lithuanian squeezer Ksenija Sidorova, is described as a "virtuoso teenage musician ... left devastated after her beloved accordion was taken by thieves."

It's a long-shot, but here goes. Detective Sgt. Paul Stephens from Camden Police says: "Have you seen the stolen accordion or do you know someone who has? Has someone approached you in attempt to sell it to you? I am appealing for anyone with any information which may assist the investigation to come forward to police."

Anyone with information should call Camden Police on 020-8733 6913 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Bright Spot for Terrance Simien

Louisiana zydeco squeezer Terrance Simien will be featured in a TV ad for Sylvania Light Bulbs, according to The Daily Advertiser. It will first show up in three cities (including Milwaukee and Minneapolis) before going national, according to the publication.

Those Darn Accordions had the honor of sharing the stage with Simien and his band, The Zydeco Experience, at the Johnstown FolkFest last year. They sounded great and performed with such energy and enthusiasm that it's easy to see why the TV folks would want to feature him playing his button box.

The funny thing is, Simien's wife and manager had to pull some strings to get zydeco's other premier instrument added to the commercial.

"At first, they were just going to do the accordion," Cynthia Simien told the Advertiser. "But I had to insist they do the rubboard.

Space Age Song Inspiration

If you are inclined to write songs about life in the weird lane, you don't have to look far for inspiration. I guarantee someone will have a ditty about this bizarre NASA tale within a week.

Crazy Cornhusk TDA

Suzanne and I spent a week in Ohio recently, and one thing I managed to get done (despite the extreme lack of broadband) was documenting possibly the strangest tribute to TDA ever.

The title of this blog post pretty much sums it up: It's a cornhusk doll version of Those Darn Accordions, commissioned by my mom. One thing that's particularly jarring -- other than the cornhusk creations' resemblance to voodoo dolls -- is that the folk artist who created them dressed them in period clothes. So what you've got here is a collection of cornhusk dolls in super-old-school outfits (or maybe a modern-day Amish version of TDA).

You've pretty much got to see it to believe it. (And no fair blaming me if you have Children of the Corn nightmares.)

Purty Arty Accordion Pix

A Flickr photo set captures Josh Lederman y los Diablos in action on their recent California tour. (The Mad Maggies had the joy of opening up for the band on a couple of Bay Area dates. Nice guys.)

Anyway, that's a mighty nice-looking crimson Acctone accordion that John Buczkowski is playing (sounded sweet, too).