Quick Links: Tide You Over Edition

It may seem quiet around here lately, but we’ve actually been working feverishly behind the scenes on a new Let’s Polka project. We’re still applying the finishing touches but, in the meantime, here are a few links for those in need of an accordion fix:

• Video: Big Lou and the MAP Marimba Band
  Brace yourself for a culture clash of epic proportions as Big Lou, the accordion princess, takes her polka show on the road to Gaborone, Botswana, where she performs the “Chicken Dance” with the help of the Maru a Pula Marimba band.
• Hold Steady! Nicolay Breaks Out on Solo Adventures
  Best known for his work with The Hold Stead and the World/Inferno Friendship Society, the impeccably mustachioed Franz Nicolay is stepping out on a solo tour with his accordion (and banjo) in tow. This interview gives some good insight into his solo work.
• NPR: The Accordion: Your New Beach Music
  Can’t believe I missed this, but the theme of last month’s Wassermusik festival in Berlin was “The Caribbean and the Accordion.” Performers included Chango Spasiuk, coba, Ray Abshire, and more.
• Decemberists Busted for Busking
  Not even a major label deal can prevent the Decemberists from getting a warning for busking on the streets of Royal Oak, Michigan. Judging from the photo, it looks like Jenny Conlee is playing a Weltmeister Rubin 60 bass.