C/D/S/D : Polka

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I see polka turns up as the "joke" genre in a lot of ILM banter.

But what is polka? The original 2-step? What dance genres today are basically just polka under another name, or just near descendents?

Who's producing good polka?

― phil, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Wierd Al gag / non-gag answer is OFF the table!

― Daver, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think a lot of house and techno actually bears a surprising rhythmic resemblance to polka - and this is no coincidence: the heavy accent is on the 2 beat, creating a quick 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, etc. dynamic that's very bouncy and danceable. Of course, polka is "old country" music and thus consigned to either freakish nerds or senior citizens.

HOWEVER - there is indeed smart and energetic polka music, specifically the SF surrealist-punk-polka band Polkacide, who must be seen to be believed. Elements of polka also pop up (with great results) in numerous bands who draw on various European folk elements - people like the Pogues and Camper Van Beethoven. A lot of American ska music is also an extension of polka rhythms.

― Shaky Mo Collier, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree that ska can be seen as a kind of polka. Does that, by extension, also make reggae a polka descendent? (My folkie ex- landlord used to think so).

I thought House / Techno were more 4/4 marches rather than polkas.

But what about the assymetric beats from hip-hop to 2-step garage? Are these polkas or am I confused?

― phil, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I dunno about 2-step garage (not familiar enough with it), but hip hop operates on an almost completely different rhythmic formula. With polka/ska/house the accent's on the 2-beat, with a backbeat that skids along underneath. But hip hop is based on funk, which all comes in "on the one". Even today, the rhythyms are just basic modifications of James Brown/P-Funk/Sly - and even the more assymetrical beats from the dirty south, like Timbaland, still draw on those things - it's just more "Shoot Your Shot" or "Cold Sweat" beats instead of "Atomic Dog".

― Shaky Mo Collier, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Brave Combo played David Byrne's wedding. However I have never heard them.

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Brave Combo is great. Also great are the Polkaholics from Chicago - who mix the Ramones and/or Kiss with Polka. Their shows are a hell of a lot of fun, especially if you're wasted. Don Hedeker, the leader of said Polkaholics, 's other true passion is glam - so you kind of get both at once.

― Dave225, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Merengue is kind of polka-like, to my ears anyway. It feels a lot different to dance a merengue than to dance a polka, however.

― DeRayMi, Friday, 17 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

in any case destroy TOO FAT POLKA (She's Too Fat For Me) by Ross MacLean and Arthur Richardson.

― The Hegemon, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

For a good laugh, download Fintroll "Jaktens Tid" (it's on Audiogalaxy). Metal/polka. Happy and extremely silly.

― Siegbran Hetteson, Saturday, 18 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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