In Case of Emergency
uploaded by lizhenryIn case of a fire, businesses are required to have a fire extinguisher somewhere on the premises. Silicon Valley institution, Buck’s of Woodside, though, takes it a step further; they have a couple accordions secured behind glass with the message: “In case of emergency, break glass — save accordions.” That’s good advice for anyone, and part of the reason why, at our house, we keep the accordions near the door.

Here’s some pre-Tax Day fun… if that’s even possible. Phil Fragasso, a mutual fund marketing executive from Wellesley, MA, has recorded a parody album called Taxpayer Blues. The album is a mix of originals and spoofs of public domain songs, with promising song titles like “The IRS Audited Me and Ran Off With My Wife” and “Battle Hymn of the Taxpayer.” I recommend using “The Taxpayer’s Polka” as background music while finishing your 1040:

The Taxpayer’s Polka (MP3 sample)

Thanks to Anna, I can’t stop listening to “(Is it Love or) Food Poisoning” by Slim’s Cyder Co., a London-based accordion band that plays country, swing, and rockabilly, mixed with a healthy dose of humor. According to Slim’s MySpace profile, he has played with the likes of Joe Ely, Billy Bragg, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and many more over the years. Check out a couple tunes from Slim’s latest release, “Journey into Cyder Space,” and catch the bug:

Food Poisoning (MP3 download)

Sweet Sweet Kisses (MP3 download)

Balkan style
uploaded by plenty.r.We’re suckers for photos of cute animals, so this Flickr shot of an accordion-playing puppy is right up our alley. And according to the description, he’s available for booking for weddings, bar mitzvahs, and funerals! I noticed he’s playing a button accordion — I wonder if he switched after having trouble hitting the piano keys with his paws?

Following up on our Accordion Hero post, the game’s developers have written a post-mortem on its creation, entitled “A Tight Squeeze: The Making of Accordion Hero”. As you might expect, it’s filled with more Hasselhoff and umlaut jokes than the original parody, but it’s worth checking out just for the photo of their “prototype” accordion controller.

Lately, I’ve been spending way too much time playing Guitar Hero, a video game that turns your air guitar dreams into reality. Just strap on the Gibson SG-shaped controller (complete with whammy bar) and you can shred your way through well-known rock anthems. It’s ridiculously fun and completely addictive.

So imagine my excitement when world-famous (and fictitious) German game developers Schadenfreude Interactive announced their latest title: Accordion Hero. Here’s their description:

“Hit all the right notes and get the crowd on their feet waving their beer steins in unison — you are an accordion hero! Includes all the great accordion melodies you’ve ever gotten really, really drunk to… from Ein Munchen Steht Ein Hofbrauhaus to Rock You Like A Hurricane.”

Don’t forget to check out the “screenshots” — I love the Squeeze-O-Meter and the cuckoo clocks in the background. [Found via GameSetWatch]