For once, the parents can't be blamed. Heading for early mid-life crisis at age 26, the soon-to-be-tagged Squeezebox Sam found solace in a beat-up Soprani piano accordion from a going-out-of-business music shop. Shortly, he had three-four timed his way through the Palmer Hughes Course for Accordion Book One and was ready to turn his newfound skills on the music of his long lost youth. Nothing was held sacred. He set about converting everything from Leadbelly to Johnny Cash to Social Distortion to Eazy E into the obnoxious oom-pah-pah accordion sound.
To escape the aural torment, every member of Squeezebox Sam's family moved to inland Washington State, daring him to follow and brave the 30 degree below zero winters with his whimpy Southern California bred constitution. After a short period of remorse, Squeezebox Sam permanently borrowed a Lomax compilation from the library where he worked and set about fleshing out the foundation of his musical interests with raw Americana. Finally, many lonely nights later, Squeezebox Sam unleashed his gutteral talents on the public. Armed with a repertoire that included a waltzing rendition of Social Distortion's "Ball and Chain" and a high speed one-two time medley of "Folsom Prison" and "Cocaine Blues", not to mention a thoroughly oom-pah-pahed "Ballad of Billy the Kid", Squeezebox Sam assaulted the public's sonic sensibility with repeated coffee house and open mic guerilla hit-and-runs.
He is still at large, unapprehended, and his first album (Squeezebox Sam: Squeezin' the Oldies) is a highly prized treasure amongst those who have friends and associates who refuse to believe the truly shocking nature of the performer without actually hearing the goods themselves.
When asked as to why he chose the accordion, given all the available instruments, a thoughtful Squeezebox Sam replies "Well, I always really wanted to play the tuba. But I have asthma."
Check out some of Squeezebox Sam's videos below
"Long Black Veil", an instant folk song penned by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin in 1959. Recorded by the likes of Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, The Chieftans, and Mike Ness, it has often sounded better... but it has never looked this good!
"Tell It To Me", an old timey standard about addiction.
Squeezebox Sam's angry retaliation against the hemhroid medication company seeking to buy the rights to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"
Squeezebox Sam's first music video, a rendition of "To Have and Have Not", is now available in the My Videos section. Much thanks to A.D.D. Films
Squeezebox Sam also imbibes in Roadside Americana, hot rod and kustom culture and vintage aviation, spends a lot of time looking for 29 cent gas, and believes in the preservation of all things old. Except undesirable old stuff like non-tubeless tires, racism, and liquor taxes.
This video here just makes me wanna quit while I'm ahead...
And this puts the video they made for Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down" to shame...
and speaking of Johnny Cash...
a little Hank, anyone?
I'm not too sure what my putting this here says about me...
Not exactly quite as radical as I imagine it, but interesting nonetheless...
while yer on here, check this guy out:
and this feller too:
At least there's some notoriety involved in this...
