Those Darn Accordions! “Squeeze This!” F lying...

Those Darn Accordions! “Squeeze This!” F lying Fish

Those Darn Accordions! is a Bay Area band with 10 members: eight accordionists plus bass and drums. What--they couldn’t find two more accordionists?

Clearly, this group doesn’t expect to be taken seriously, which makes it that much more fun. Go ahead--just try to hold back a smile during accordion-centric reworkings of songs by Grand Funk Railroad (“We’re an Accordion Band”), the Charlie Daniels Band (“The Devil Went Down to Georgia”) and, proving that nothing is sacred to squeeze-box players, Jimi Hendrix (“Fire”).

Lest it start to sound as if it’s one big joke, check out the demonically swinging rendition of Louis Prima’s Swing Era standard “Sing, Sing, Sing.” They also deliver a stylistically credible performance of “Viva Seguin,” a Mexican polka by conjunto music pioneer Santiago Jimenez (Flaco’s father).

The group includes such originals as “The Bowling King” and the truly affectionate “The Story of Lawrence Welk,” tunes that inhabit a loopy middle ground between the B-52’s and Talking Heads.

No, there aren’t any enduring philosophical statements. And anyone who has, as I do, a dozen or so accordions stashed throughout his house and garage can’t pretend to be totally objective. That said, and with apologies to Bono, I think I have found what I’m looking for.