While Frankie Yankovic reigned as “America’s Polka King,” another polka monarch was flourishing north of the border. Walter Ostanek, “Canada’s Polka King,” grew up idolizing Yankovic and eventually became a close friend and frequent collaborator (for instance, Ostanek played accordion on Yankovic’s first Tonight Show appearance). A three-time Grammy winner with numerous recording, radio, and TV credits to his name, Ostanek is best known for playing Cleveland-style polka with a country/western twang.

Fred Ziwich may not be royalty, but he’s been the recipient of multiple honors from the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame, including “Musician of the Year”, “Button Box Musician of the Year”, and “Recording of the Year.” A classically trained clarinetist, Ziwich honed his accordion style in the ethnic halls and polka clubs around Cleveland. On Sunday, he could become the first Cleveland-area polka musician to win a Grammy since Yankovic himself.

The songs on Good Friends Good Music are divided between Ostanek (playing with his band) and Ziwich (playing with his “International Sound Machine”). The late Gaylord Klancnik, Joey Miskulin, and Igor Podpecan & Zlati Zvoki from Slovenia also make appearances. No matter who’s playing, though, the emphasis is on Cleveland/Slovenian-style polka music and the accordion is always front and center. Which explains why not one, but two accordion tuners (Don Krance and Jerry Balash) are credited in the liner notes!

Fred Ziwich: Polka Your Troubles Away (MP3 download)

Buy Good Friends Good Music by Walter Ostanek and Fred Ziwich

Lenny Gomulka is no stranger to the Grammys, having racked up 12 nominations (but no wins) since the award’s creation in 1986. A talented multi-instrumentalist (trumpet, clarinet, and sax), Gomulka grew up playing with the biggest names in Chicago polka: Marion Lush, Li’l Wally, and Eddie Blazonczyk.

In 1980, Gomulka left Blazonczyk’s Versatones and started his own band, Chicago Push. Their style is heavily influenced by the Polish-style polka music that Gomulka grew up with, but with modern arrangements and plenty of Gomulka-penned originals. After moving to New England in 1990, Gomulka wasted no time spreading the polka gospel there; he even wrote the official Massachusetts state polka (“Say Hello To Someone In Massachusetts”).

As Sweet as Candy is a textbook example of the “Push style”: tight horns, driving rhythms, and enough bellows shaking to make you think there’s an earthquake. The album alternates between traditional waltzes and obereks (some, like “Hop Ciuk Oberek”, are sung in Polish) and lively originals like “We’re Gonna Jam” and “She’s Got Nothin’ On You.” Nick Koryluk and Matthew Rosinski handle the concertina and accordion duties admirably.

But will it be enough to give Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push their first Grammy? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push: Dyngus Day in Buffalo (MP3 sample)

Buy As Sweet As Candy by Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push

The Grammy Awards are Sunday, so this week we’re looking at the five nominees for “Best Polka Album.”

The first (and only) woman ever to be nominated in the polka category, LynnMarie Rink grew up in a Slovenian community in Cleveland, listening to her father play accordion at the Slovenian National Home. Now based in Nashville, LynnMarie aims to bring polkas to a new generation, playing high-energy shows that fuse traditional polka with modern rock and country rhythms. And, as her album cover shows, she’s easily the sexiest nominee in this year’s field (sorry Mr. Sturr).

Party Dress is LynnMarie’s fourth Grammy-nominated album and, like her previous efforts, it mixes originals with covers ranging from “Blue Moon” to The Who’s “Squeeze Box.” The Carol Lee Singers (of Grand Ole Opry fame) lend their voices to a cover of jazz hit “Happy Feet” and Ray Benson (of Asleep at the Wheel) guests on LynnMarie’s original “Polka Till the Cows Come Home.” Inspired by her recent, highly-successful tour of Slovenia, the album also includes three tracks influenced by the current direction of polka music in Europe (think Atomik Harmonik, but without the babes in hard-hats).

Party Dress is an incredibly fun, bouncy album that’s both a little bit Nashville and a little bit Cleveland. LynnMarie’s spunky personality shines throughout, and she’s one heck of a button-box player, too. With her energy and drive, I can’t imagine a better spokeswoman for the next generation of polka.

LynnMarie and the Boxhounds: No Beer Today (MP3 download)

Buy Party Dress by LynnMarie and the Boxhounds

The tiny world of polka podcasting just got a little bit bigger. Seattle’s Smilin’ Scandinavians (profiled here previously) have launched a polka podcast, hosted by accordionist and leader Toby Hanson.

The first episode (iTunes link) features a wide variety of polka music (Slovenian, Polish, and “Dutchmen-style”), including tunes from Frankie Yankovic, Johnny Pecon & Lou Trebar, Whoopie John, and more. Toby does a great job keeping the show moving with anecdotes and insight on the music.

But… what’s a podcast? Basically, it’s a radio show that you can download and listen to whenever you want. You can subscribe to the Smilin’ Scandinavians podcast through iTunes and it will automatically download new episodes as they become available (every month, in this case). For more info, see Yahoo’s “What the heck is a podcast?”

If the Chicago Bears needed any more motivation for their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, they’ve got it now. Vlasta, the (self-proclaimed?) “International Queen of Polka” has resurrected the polka she wrote for the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl run and hopes it will inspire this year’s team to bring home another championship.

If the Bears go all the way, will Vlasta’s polka become the new “Super Bowl Shuffle”?

Vlasta: Chicago Bears Polka (MP3 download)

One of my co-workers showed me a giant photo of accordionist Rob Curto in this week’s San Francisco Bay Guardian. Turns out his band, Forró for All, will be at the Elbo Room in San Francisco next week.

The group is dedicated to forró, the dance/party music of Northeast Brazil, and features some of New York and Brazil’s most talented musicians. Three instruments make up the core of a traditional forró ensemble: accordion, zabumba (a large bass drum carried and played with a mallet and stick), and triangle. Driven by the rhythm of the accordion, it almost sounds like a Brazilian version of zydeco.

Forró for All will be performing tomorrow night as part of the accordion-themed series “Compressing the World” at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. Then they’ll head up to the Bay Area for shows in Santa Cruz, Sunnyvale, and San Francisco. While you’re waiting for them to visit your town, here’s a track from their self-titled debut:

Forró for All: Baião (MP3 sample)

I’ve been on a polka kick lately; I just received a bunch of CDs from Jimmy K. Polkas, we watched It’s Happiness: A Polka Documentary on Saturday, and I’m almost finished with Bob Dolgan’s biography of Frankie Yankovic. I’ve also been doing a lot of polka-oriented web surfing, which was what led me to the Kielbasa Kings of Dearborn, MI.

Like many polka bands, the Kielbasa Kings play a mix of polkas, waltzes, and obereks, but they also throw in an occasional traditional Polish tune (sung in Polish). What really caught my attention, though, were their polka-fied covers of alt-rock songs by artists like Barenaked Ladies and Violent Femmes. Check out their waltzing cover of Elvis Costello’s classic “Alison”; some might consider it blasphemy, but I think their aim is true.

Kielbasa Kings: Alison (MP3 sample)

Anna and I spent our holiday weekend in Fresno — catching up with family, eating pumpkin pie, and even doing some antique shopping on Christmas Eve. While we’re still kicking ourselves for passing up the accordion-shaped bar set (with shot glasses!), we did bring home this novelty record featuring Fresno accordion legend Dick Contino and comedian Bobby Volare.

Recorded in 1983 as a tribute to the Fresno State men’s basketball team — which won the NIT that year and brought Fresno some rare positive press — the single features two songs: “Bulldog Polka” (a cheesy reworking of “Beer Barrel Polka”) and “New York, New York” (I’m surprised Sinatra didn’t have Volare “whacked” for this rendition). Contino’s playing is solid, but given the material, neither tune will be appearing on his greatest hits record.

If you’re a fan of bad novelty records, go ahead and listen to “Bulldog Polka.” Otherwise, steer clear of the link below. You’ve been warned.

Bobby Volare and Dick Contino: Bulldog Polka (MP3 download)

How can you go wrong with a band that claims to “make music to bake pies by”? After all, what household couldn’t use more pie-baking music?

Sure enough, you can practically smell the apple pie on the window sill when you’re listening to Yard Sale — an all-female country/folk trio from Oakland. Accordionist Melanie de Giovanni, bassist Jill Olson, and guitarist Denise Funari each take turns writing and singing on the band’s debut album, Everything’s a Dollar. Nothing fancy here — just honest, heartfelt lyrics, great harmonies, and a laid-back vibe that begs you to put your feet up and crack open a beer.

Yard Sale: Sunday Afternoon (MP3 sample)