Comic Guitar-Slinger Jerry Reed Dies

Jerry Reed, the guitar-toting singer and actor who worked with Burt Reynolds in the Smokey and the Bandit movies, died Monday of emphysema. He was 71.

Reed was a great guitar player and singer who specialized in funny story songs (like "Amos Moses") and truck-driving tunes ("East Bound and Down," "Caffeine, Nicotine, Benzedrine"). TDA covered his "When You're Hot You're Hot" back in the good old days.

You can see Reed in action at a country awards show in the embedded clip. The great ones just keep moving on.

Accordions On The Rise

Cynthia Dizikes has a nice story on accordions in the LA Times. She cites the resurgence in popularity of the instrument and some of the folks that have helped make it "cool" again. If only we had known, we could have lent a hand as well!

New Review of TDA CDs

Baron Dave Romm offers up a review of 4 TDA CDs. Baron Dave is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. He reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater, Permanent archive. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.

Air Guitar Championships 2008

You have only a few days left to submit your entry to Finland's 13th Annual Air Guitar World Championship. The MTV sponsored event takes place August 20-22 in Oulu, Finland, about an 8 hour drive north of Helsinki. The rules for competition dictate that you can use either electric or acoustic air guitars, you may use props such as a pick, but no real instruments, and you may hire an air roadie, but no air back-up band.

Started in 1996, the event also offers a training camp if you're worried your playing is a little rusty.

Full details at AirGuitarWorldChapionships.com.

Photo: glynnish/Flickr

Top 20 TDA iMix -Update

Thanks to all the folks that have emailed their top 20 TDA picks. Here's an update on the top 20 picks so far. (We'll post the full finished list on our site in April). If you haven't emailed your picks, not to worry. We're going to keep the voting booths open for another week so please let us know your TDA favs ASAP!

1. Them Hippies Was Right 50%
2. Mothra 41%
3. Deathbed Confession 41%
4. Frankenstein 36%
5. We're An Accordion Band 36%
6. Behind the Bellows 36%
7. First Bratwurst of Summer 36%
8. Hotsy Totsy Polka 36%
9. Mr. Slagle's Revenge 36%
10. I Think About Stuff 36%
11. Baba O'Riley 32%
12. Hamsterman 32%
13. Hippie With A Banjo 32%
14. Wall of Gum 32%
15. My Friend Jim 32%
16. Back in Black 27%
17. The Story Of Lawrence Welk 27%
18. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy 27%
19. Led Zep Med 27%
20. The Bowling King 27%

Help Build the TDA Top 20 iMix!

Dear Friend of TDA:

We need your help! We want to put together the top 20 Those Darn Accordions songs of all time and make them available as a custom "best of" iMix for download on iTunes.

Of course, we're all a little too close to the subject matter, if you know what I mean. And we'd really like to know what songs you like the best: What tunes get you laughing, dancing, singing, sneezing, whatever. It's a pretty big and varied catalog we've put together over the years, and we would love to know what songs the most important people in the world -- our fans -- really enjoy. (Can you believe this band has been pumping and grinding for almost two decades?)

So, whip out your iPod or your TDA CDs and cassettes, and give 'em a listen. Then e-mail us a list of your fave 20 TDA songs of all time, along with your snail-mail address, and we'll send you a free bumper sticker for your help. Bonus points if you put together a thematic list -- best TDA polkas, best TDA kids tunes, etc.

We'll tally the "best of" votes and put together the ultimate iMix of TDA songs. When we have the iMix complete, we'll let you know where you can go on iTunes to check it out.

We look forward to seeing your lists!

Paul Rogers and the rest of Team TDA
tda@thosedarnaccordions.com

Meet the Dinks

I've been going through the vault and pulling out some PRETTY interesting stuff, not the least of which is my first forays into songwriting for a band. It was 1980 and I was living in Alameda, CA , just across the bay from San Francisco. I was rehearsing in a half burned down cottage behind the house I was staying in with two friends I knew from my college days in Delaware, OH, Jim Breece, Paul Morris.
The three of us crammed in that small space and we banged out a bundle of New Wave, Power Pop, Pre-Punk, Post-Wacko and just plain nutty tunes. Jim played bass and Paul played guitar. Later when we started to record, we added a local drummer, Jerry Myers. We managed to get most of these tunes down on tape in some kind of rough demo form and it's fun to hear the raw energy of those recordings.
We played the SF club scene for a couple years and a couple of name changes and had a great time doing it. So I invite you to take a trip back in time and Meet The Dinks!

Long Live 'Unusual Music'

It's always nice to get a shout-out for your tunes, and it's particularly pleasing when it appears in your hometown paper. The Detroit Free Press (Paul grew up in Motor City) tags our version of "Fire" as "especially distinctive," honoring Those Darn Accordions in a story about "unusual music." Other musical oddities mentioned include ukelele great Jake Shimabukuro, the masters of Bavarian reggae and 11-year-old yodeler Taylor Ware:

Imagine Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" played by a bunch of accordions. Can't get your mind around that? Then listen to the first album by Those Darn Accordions, a group that, in fact, plays very well.

It all began in San Francisco one night in 1989, supposedly for a one-time-only gig, according to www.allmusic.com. A player known as Big Lou, previously of Polkacide, pulled together all the accordionists she could find who wanted to play a set.

Membership has changed, but the group persists. Its latest album, "Squeeze Machine," came out just last year.

Thanks for listening, Freep staff writer Alex Cruden!

David Lee Roth Vocal Track Stripped Bare?

An MP3 file purporting to be David Lee Roth's raw vocal track from the Van Halen hit "Runnin' With the Devil" gives you a little insight into the recording process. Listen to it, and see how much magic there really is in a mix.

I don't know how, or where, Chunklet found this gem, but it's pretty amusing (even if it's not real -- but I think it is).

We've witnessed Roth's magical stage presence -- from the wings of the amphitheater at Oshkosh, Wisconsin's wonderful Waterfest -- as the only real Van Halen belter transformed from cigarette-inhaling guy to 1,000-watt entertainer as he made a few short steps into the spotlight. Amazing.

P.S. Want even more insight into the recording process? Buried in The Gear Page's forum discussion of the mystery track, member michaelvincent says: "The story I've heard about this song is that Ted Templeman thought the initial takes sounded too clean, and instructed ol' Dave to take a break, and go eat a cheeseburger and smoke a joint, then come back and do it again! I have no idea if it's true but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it was."

And the Best Polka Album Nominees Are ...

Here are the bands competing for the Grammy for best polka album of 2007:

• Brave Combo for Polka's Revenge


• John Gora and Gorale for Bulletproof Polkas


• Bubba Hernandez and Alex Meixner for Polka Freak Out


• Walter Ostanek and His Band & Brian Sklar and the Western Senators for Dueling Polkas
  


• Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra for Come Share the Wine

We've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Brave Combo and Bubba many times over the years, and we got to hang with Alex at this year's Cotati Accordion Festival. But we've never met the old-school guys like Jimmy Sturr and Walter Ostanek -- we just don't seem to mingle with the straight polka crowd. (Guess that's sensible enough, considering the oddball nature of our music.) Maybe someday ...

Congrats to all the nominees.

P.S. I'm intrigued by Brian Sklar and the Western Senators. Turns out the band has an alter ego called the Tex Pistols, which sounds like essentially the same group, sans accordions. The Tex Pistols say they "play the (country) classics with today's sound and energy" -- they even dress up in Nudie suits, just like the pre-outlaw greats.

P.P.S. I'm equally curious about the National Polka Festival in Ennis, Texas. And the more time we spend in Texas, the more I like that musically rich state.

Carl Finch's Polka Faves

Brave Combo leader Carl Finch runs down his top five favorite polka albums for the Houston Chronicle, then goes on to list other "essential artists" in the genre. Shockingly, Those Darn Accordions did not make the list -- but our friends in Polkacide, Polka Freakout and The Polkaholics did. Time for some kielbasa, beer and sauerkraut to celebrate!

Best Albums of 2007?

Everybody in the blogosphere is picking the best albums of 2007, including Wired's culture blog. Underwire is also letting readers nominate their own faves and vote -- and some joker added a record by a certain squeezebox rock band. Check the list and vote! (Don't miss the "next" link at the bottom, as that's where Squeeze Machine will probably be listed.)

Mad Maggies Set Sail for Smiley's

Big band in a little bar, tonight! The Mad Maggies play Smiley's Saloon & Hotel tonight, so if you're anywhere near Bolinas, Calif., come on out and listen for a spell.

To call Smiley's "colorful" is like saying Dick Contino plays a little acordion. The place is a hoot.

This is a warm-up gig for the Maggies' recording session next weekend. TDA drum alum Bill Schwartz is back in the band, so prep yer ears fer a display of some mad skin-poundin' skillz on the third CD.

Too Bad Leslie Hall Doesn't Play Accordion

Because I'll bet she'd be a heck of a squeezer. Check out Wired News' profile of the gem sweater lady, "YouTube Gem Leslie Hall Bedazzles the Masses."

TDA X-Mas Shopping Tips

Before you run out to Wal-Mart and load up on oodles of toxic toys from China, I'd like to suggest you visit this guide to buying American. Lots of ways to Christmas shop right here in the good old USA! Of course, I'm proud to say that TDA Music is 100 percent American-made, so if you'd like to give the gift that lasts multiple lifetimes,and has actually been proven to extend a few, click on over to our special Holiday Gift Pack page. We've got special offers designed to meet the needs of the most discerning diatonic devotee!