''No Strings Attached'' is the third studio album by American

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

band

Those Darn Accordions Those Darn Accordions, commonly abbreviated as TDA, are an American accordion band from San Francisco, California, originally formed in 1989 by Linda "Big Lou" Seekins. Boasting several accordionists whose numbers have fluctuated over the years ...

, released on June 18, 1996 by Globe Records.

Overview

Released at the height of TDA's popularity, ''No Strings Attached'' showcases the band's trademark mixture of accordion-driven rock, pop and polka, as well as boasting

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

influences. The album notably features two cover songs, one of

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

s "

Baba O'Riley "Baba O'Riley" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Who, written by guitarist and principal songwriter Pete Townshend. It is the opening track to the Who's fifth studio album, ''Who's Next'' (1971). In Europe, it was released as a ...

" and the other of

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

s "

Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", also written "Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy", is a song by British singer Rod Stewart from his ninth studio album, ''Blondes Have More Fun'' (1978). It was written by Stewart, Carmine Appice, and Duane Hitchings, though it inc ...

", the latter sung by TDA's then-81-year-old member Clyde Forsman. In a positive review, the ''

Memphis Flyer The ''Memphis Flyer'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper serving the greater Memphis, Tennessee, area. The ''Flyer'' covers Memphis news, politics, music, entertainment, sports, food, and spirits. The ''Flyer'' was founded February 14, 1989 ...

'' called TDA "the true champions" of the alternative music scene's revival of the accordion, ahead of

Brave Combo Brave Combo is a polka rock band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/Keyboard instrument, keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for more than thirty-five years. Their m ...

and

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...

. The review concluded "This is one recording filled with good-natured humor where the novelty doesn't wear off, because there's a wealth of musical integrity behind it. Those Darn Accordions! are blazing a trail down a path that most fear to tread, and they're doing it with panache and aplomb".

Track listing

Personnel

;Those Darn Accordions *Linda "Big Lou" Seekins - accordion, lead vocals (5, 13), background vocals *Patty Brady - accordion, lead vocals (13), background vocals *Clyde Forsman - accordion, lead vocals (13, 14), background vocals *Suzanne Garramone - accordion, lead vocals (13), background vocals *Art Peterson - accordion, lead vocals (5, 13), background vocals *Paul Rogers - accordion, lead vocals (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13) *Bill Schwartz - drums, percussion, background vocals *Lewis Wallace - bass guitar ;Additional musicians *

Dick Contino Richard Joseph "Dick" Contino (January 17, 1930 – April 19, 2017) was an American accordionist and singer. Early life Contino was born in Fresno, California. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Contino, and he attended Fresno High School. H ...

- solo accordion on tracks 5 & 12 *

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

- vocals on track 13 *John Moore - tuba *Danute Janutiene - vocals on track 4

References

{{Authority control 1996 albums Those Darn Accordions albums