When I was a child I would go to family parties where my uncle would haul out his accordion and regale us with horrible oom-pah music. It took many years for me to recover from the trauma and realize that the accordion can be a pretty cool instrument in the right hands.

Blackstrap “St. James Infirmary Blues” (Traditional)
A very old-timey feel to this old folk tune. It comes to us from a wonderful compilation of “deviant twang” music on Warning Sign Records called Someday Coming Down.

They Might Be Giants “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” (The Four Lads)
A lot of people don’t know that this is a cover. It took me awhile to find out. Even if you’ve heard it before it’s still a fun klezmer/accordion dance tune.

Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band “Rockin’ Robin” (Bobby Day)
Something about this song makes me feel like it’s early in the morning and I’m in a dark, sweaty, smoky bar. Probably because that’s the only time I ever hear a band play it live.

This tune has some great interaction between the accordion and the saxophone.

Flaco Jimenez and Dwight Yokam “Carmelita” (Warren Zevon)
Flaco Jimenez is widely regarded as the Jimi Hendrix of Tex-Mex accordion. Here he pairs up with Dwight Yokam of all people for a song about being strung out on heroin.

Mr. Yokam makes one small change to the original lyrics. Warren Zevon sang about pawning his Smith Corona to pay for heroin. Yokam sings about pawning his Smith And Wesson, I guess to seem more “country.” The problem is there’s a later line about playing solitaire with a “pearl handled deck.” Which makes sense if you pawned your typewriter. But how could you be playing with your gun if you already pawned it like Yokam did?

Myron Floren “Beer Barrel Polka” (Traditional)
I know what you’re thinking, more horrible oom-pah music from Lawrence Welk’s bandleader. But it’s more than that. Much More. It’s Disco Accordion! Seriously.

Now I can die a happy man, I’ve finally found a song that combines the cheesy syncopation of polka with a thuddng disco beat. Back in the day everybody put out a disco album, even Ethel Merman.