In these parts, South by Southwest is primarily known as a five-day, alcohol-fueled music festival, where thousands of artists take to music venues, pizza shops, and even – uh – restrooms for a shot at music blog stardom. In fact, it was the best music festival of ‘em all last year. But South by Southwest is also a showcase for new films and documentaries, many of which focus on music-related topics. Today, the 2012 film schedule was revealed and Girl Talk, Big Star, Paul Simon, and Bad Brains are all featured subjects. These films and more, with their accompanying descriptions, via SXSW.com:

– Girl Walk // All Day: A feature-length dance music film that combines freestyle dance with the daily chaos of New York City, set to Girl Talk’s recent mashup album, All.

– Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me: A feature-length documentary about the massive critical acclaim, dismal commercial failure, and enduring legacy of pop music’s greatest cult phenomenon, Big Star. (Work in Progress)

– Under African Skies: Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime.

– Bad Brains: Band in DC: How four young men from DC changed music forever. (World Premiere)

– The Comedy: Indifferent even to the prospects of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson (Tim Heidecker), a desensitized, aging Brooklyn hipster, strays into a series of reckless situations that may offer the promise of redemption or the threat of retribution. Also starring Eric Wareheim and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy

– Uprising: Hip Hop & The LA Riots: 20 years after riots ripped through Los Angeles, Uprising documents how hip hop forecasted – and some say ignited – the worst civil unrest of the 20th century. (World Premiere)

– An Evening With Sacred Bones Records: Brooklyn-based record label Sacred Bones presents an evening of original and curated programming of music videos, short films, works in progress, and a rare screening of their first film production, Twelve Dark Noons. (World Premiere)

– Charles Bradley: Soul of America:  The incredible late-in-life rise of 62-year-old aspiring soul singer Charles Bradley. (World Premiere)

– Rock ‘N’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen: Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, Billie Joe Armstrong and others discuss the incredible life and work of the world’s foremost rock ‘n’ roll photographer, Bob Gruen. (North American Premiere)

– Grandma Lo-fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigrídur Níelsdóttir: At the tender age of 70 she started making music – and then she couldn’t stop! A tribute to the Danish/Icelandic artist and late bloomer Sigrídur Níelsdóttir.

– Sunset Strip: The 100-year history of the loudest street on the planet, The Sunset Strip. (World Premiere)

As for the music portion, a number of new acts have been added (or re-added) to the schedule in recent days, including The Shins, Best Coast, Kasabian, Miike Snow, Neon Indian, OFF!, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Big Star’s Third, Sharon Van Etten, Deerhoof, Japandroids, Matthew Dear, Nneka, Rachel Yamagata, Shearwater, Murs, Tennis, Diamond Rugs, Cancer Bats, Caveman, Fake Problems, Fanfarlo, Gary Clark Jr., Doldrums, Machinedrum, Princeton, Cities Aviv, Eternal Summers, and James Husband. Check out a more complete list at Festival Outlook.

Badges are available via sxsw.com

Last weekend at Sundance Film Festival, Rough House Pictures premiered the Rick Alverson-directed film, The Comedy, which stars Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, and also former LCD Soundsytem frontman James Murphy. As a press release notes, The Comedy offers “the audience a look behind the curtain at the cost of American Utopianism and its unintentional byproduct of numbness and disconnect.” Hmm, we’ll have to wait until the film finally receives a proper release to fully understand that. In the meantime, check out a hilarious clip from the movie below. It’s the best cab ride you’ll never have.

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (TAEASGJ!), for those unversed, is without question the most innovative sketch comedy show since Mr. Show left the air over a decade ago. In each 12 minute episode, there is more derring-do than an entire decade of SNL put together. Marrying elements of meta-comedy, cable-access camp, surrealistic camera and foley editing, and a roster of slapped together characters with hideous wigs and costumes promoted from only the worst of thrift stores and failing costume outlets, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are, to some extent, geniuses. They are also, to some extent, stupid. They distort comedy beyond the abrasive or gross or uncomfortable to a style that is unparalleled and untouchable. TAEASGJ! relies, as much as new comedy does, on short sketches with abrupt abortions of jokes and bits, extended gags, and irony so thick it’s nearly impenetrable.

Photo by Meghan Brosnan

And therein lies the genius/stupidity of the live Chrimbus Spectacular. If I were to say “Well, that bit fell kind of flat”, who’s to say that wasn’t their intention? If they fumbled a joke or a line, or complained the audience was yelling too much during the show, how am I supposed to know that’s not all part of it? Tim and Eric have such an amazing shield of irony that anyone who says “I don’t get it” looks like a fool. But in looking back, it’s not about getting it. It’s not about anything. It’s Tim and Eric, ya dingus.

An example of a perfect blend of genius/stupidity was the opening sketch, with the duo playing two narrators of the Chrimbus Story. Like some bad Sonny & Cher-esque Christmas special, the two sang the Chrimbus song dressed like what Liberace would wear jogging. The bit lasted about 10 minutes, they threw packages of dried shrimp into the audience, took a bow and left the stage. The house lights came up, the roadie started cleaning up the stage, and Creed’s “My Sacrifice” served as exit music. While I lost my shit and the audience laughed, David Liebe Hart, one of the most hapless idiot savants of comedy and a reoccurring guest on the show, came up on the screen and alerted us the show was, indeed, not over. The most solid sketch of the show.

Photo by Meghan Brosnan

Also outstanding was Pusswhip Gangbang, the, I guess, house band of Tim and Eric. Their acid-rock songs that closed out the evening were a great blend of nu-parody and genuinely good musicianship, which sounds naive, but trust me — it was a welcome relief to see the two guys actually try at something and commit to playing and entertaining. Their song “Jambalaya” injected some much needed energy that waxed and waned throughout the evening.

Which is to say, the show was unevenly paced and never built to anything of a climax. The form of the show was Tim and Eric coming out as popular characters from AEASGJ! Douchebag “sketch comedy LOL!” tv-show hosts Jim and Derrick showed up, Dr. Jimes Tooper and Dr. H. Donna Gust pontificated on the universe much like Carl Sagan would after burning a few down, and the duo expanded on their Blues Brothers 2012 pitch to a Chicago audience (thin ice, indeed). Interspersed between the sketches were scenes from their upcoming Chrimbus TV Special, airing on December 5th. These worked well to keep the audience’s attention while the two facilitated costume changes, but severely ruined the pace and the energy the show could build to.

And that is why TAEASGJ! works so well in tiny 12 minute spurts.The senses are bombarded for those short minutes and as soon as its over you feel like you’ve been molested, but in a good way. Like a hilarious molestation. The live show suffered from the lack of visual trickery and avant-humor antics, and instead played like a giant show with quotes around it. “Here’s our show and we think it’s funny but we’re going to pretend like it’s not so you think it really is and that’s the whole joke.” This is rarely present in the TV show but was irritatingly shoved down our throats at the Vic last night.

Tim and Eric have set the bar for humor, much like Monty Python did in the ’70s, but unlike Flying Circus and Mr. Show before them, Tim and Eric do their best work without having to manage the emotions of a live audience. Without the aid of A/V technology, quick transitions/abortions, and copious amounts of good-ass weed, the genius/stupidity of Tim and Eric is a bit muddled live.

But, even after all that, I have to give them credit for courageously going where no men of comedy have gone before. Shaky live show notwithstanding, Tim and Eric are still Awesome Show, Great Job! - and that’s the end!

Photography by Meghan Brosnan.

Note: This review was for the 10:30 show.

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Gallery by Meghan Brosnan

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Before anything else, I need to let you all know that I am a Florida boy, born and raised (on the playground, where I spent most of my days). Flying to Seattle and the ensuing trip to Sasquatch was an incredible experience for someone who has never seen mountains before, and there are plenty of them. Driving from Seattle to The Gorge is a trip all on its own. One minute you are on the lush side of the Cascade’s, enjoying the millions of trees engulfing the mountainside. The next minute you are Cascaded (as it were) into the desert. The cold, bleak desert. The trip usually takes about two and a half hours, but with all the eager fans chomping at the bits to get to the campsite on Friday night it was closer to four. Sasquatch was about to begin. This is my story.

Night 1:

After arriving to the campsite at one in the morning, my friends and I set up tents in the pitch dark, not even aware of the beauty that we would wake up to. While the camping grounds at Sasquatch had sold out, no one was turned away. The Gorge was prepared to take anyone that wanted to camp, and there sure were a ton of people. If you’re doing your math right, one in the morning Washington time still feels like four in the morning Florida time, so sleep was definitely in the near future.

Day 1:

With little humidity in the desert, it gets rather cold. Wrapping yourself in numerous blankets seems like a great idea before going to bed, however you immediately regret that decision in the morning when the sun comes up and begins to bake you in the tent. Eager to get into the festival I quickly rushed to the Honey Bucket (which might sound like a delicious chicken restaurant but is most definitely a porta potty). This was a necessity as the public restrooms were few and far between.

After packing up for the day we made the mile or so trip to the Gorge entrance. You can look at pictures all day of this place but nothing will ever be able to capture how gorgeous the Gorge in George really is. With deep plummeting canyons leading down to the blue Columbia River, this is the venue of all venues. It is unrivaled by any competing festival show. After trying to take in everything I finally got around to doing my job, listening to music.

Doves – 2:20 p.m. - This English trio has a lot of sound to offer. Jimi Goodwin (bass) (to the right below) can really sing and belted out numerous songs from their latest effort Kingdom of Rust. Most famous in the States for their song “Black and White Town”, they rose above that song to appeal to any casual listener. With haunting melodies that come off effortlessly, it would be a shame to pass them up if you have the chance.

M.Ward – 3:25 p.m. – I decided to stick around the Main Stage for a while and camped out on the lawn. I found out the reason why it was so easy to get close to the stage for any show I wanted, because the real view is from the lawn. Before Sasquatch, M. Ward wasn’t a name I was particularly gunning for, but the star in my program next to his name suggested I check him out, and they were right. With a ’60s sound and prominent stage presence, he reminded me of a man that could have been famous in the ’60s, and that is a compliment.

Devotchka – 4:30 p.m. – Lets face it, folks… Devotchka knows how to put on a show. When you’re not listening to their anthems in indie movies and sleek car commercials, you see a band that rivals Gogol Bordello in the gypsy punk genre. However, Devotchka is not Gogol, they are Gogol if he decided to stray away from staccato and 32nd notes. The result is contagious.

My Honest Confession: All right this is where you’ll hate me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I am “that guy.” I decided to skip out on Animal Collective to check out the Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! You may be thinking why? Well, AC is coming to Orlando soon enough.

Tim and Eric – 6:00 p.m. – You either love them or you hate them. Coming out in skin colored jumpsuits, fully equipped with huge testicles (yes even bigger than GWAR’s frontman), Tim and Eric (below, center) jumped right into a song about none other than diarrhea. Performing numerous skits from their show, the two demanded your attention, even if you didn’t feel inclined to give it to them. The only downside in trying to cover four seasons worth of material was the elaborate costume changes. From the back of the stage, a horrible “DJ” whose name is so forgettable his name escapes me now, would take the stage to perform five minutes worth of horrible material. Was he that bad? Well, even Zach Galifinakis, who was standing by the stage was cringing at this guys pathetic attempt at humor. Fortunately, Tim and Eric would come and save the day before you felt like leaving the comfort of the comedy tent for the blazing heat.

Dilemma # 1: Dilemmas are rampant at festivals. I lasted ’til the evening, however. The first? Mos Def or The Decemberists. To get a good spot for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs I went for the Decemberists.

The Decemberists – 7:05 p.m. – My first regret. Although it was a very nice night, not even the beauty of the Gorge could make me like that performance. We get it Colin Meloy, you like concept albums, but do you have to deprive your fans of your entire back catalogue? The Hazards of Love was played in its entirety, and it was entirely too long and boring. Granted I will admit that I have not heard this album in its entirety yet, but it wouldn’t kill the band to play some music from their past, or god forbid, mix it up some.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 8:30 p.m. – Karen O is hot. Okay, we got that out of the way. Between eight and ten in the evening is the best time to play at the Gorge. The sun setting behind the stage has the ability to make it appear as if it’s floating. On Friday night, the colors were unimaginable and palatable, but in all honesty, it was hard to keep your eyes off the stage — especially given the oddities. A huge eye ball drifted behind drummer Brian Chase as O took the stage, looking like she bought her clothing at a shower curtain liquidation sale. Opening with “Heads Will Roll”, the band got the momentum moving from the start.

The Decemberists should take a cue from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as Karen O & Co.’s setlist included a little bit for any type of fan. It’s Blitz has been an evolution in the way the Brooklynites make music, and also how they perform it. Karen O has hit 30, and it does show. She’s not drunkenly stumbling around but moving gracefully as if she knows that her music and her own self have matured. Slowing things down, they did a haunting acoustic version of “Maps” that had the whole crowd singing. Just when it appeared like that would be the end, they ripped into a heavy performance of “Y Control”. Relevance isn’t something the band has to worry about, and this performance set that in stone.

Kings of Leon – 10:00 p.m. – I first saw Kings of Leon (below, center) while I was at a taping of the Carson Daly Show years ago. At the time, I wasn’t very impressed with their song “The Bucket”, and even still I’ve yet to come around. However, after all my stale considerations for the band over the years, I find myself in love with the song “On Call”. But still, Kings of Leon, headlining a festival? Kings of Leon, selling out Madison Square Garden? I couldn’t believe it. As much as I disagreed with their new classification, I decided to stay and watch until I didn’t recognize a song or got too bored. Neither happened! After an hour, I realized that I had stuck around for close to 60 minutes of KOL…and enjoyed the hell out of it. Playing songs like [my favorite] “On Call”, “Fans”, their big hit “Sex on Fire”, “Charmer”, and “Use Somebody”, Kings of Leon had a chance to prove to me that they do deserve their new title as headliner.

Click here for Day 2.

All photo support graciously provided by Christopher Nelson and Travis Hay via EAR CANDY.

Now I abided by one crucial guideline. Each theme listed was written specifically for its show, even if it was released elsewhere later on. Unfortunately, this means that an overflow of ridiculously good music was disqualified. Milestone theme songs like The Sopranos’ “Woke Up This Morning” (a remix of an Alabama 6 tune) and “Suicide Is Painless” from M*A*S*H* (an instrumental of the film version’s song) were sadly dismembered on the chopping block. But there’s plenty to love here, especially from Nickelodeon. What can I say? Some of TV’s best music came from cartoons.

As always, feel free to agree, disagree, and most importantly, post your own choices on the comments section. Don’t touch that dial, we’re about to begin.

10. Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007)

This song could only exist in the age of Girl Talk and Dan Deacon. Boasting a so-bad-it’s good 80s infomercial aesthetic tinged with video game guitar and robot voices, the theme to Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is a jewel in the crown of cheap mash-ups, the perfect fit for one of Adult Swim’s most hilarious, ingeniously low key shows. Be sure to pay attention in the opening credits or you’ll miss the explosions and kissing cat effects.

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9. Johnny Quest (1964)

It may have been produced by Hanna-Barbara, but Johnny Quest was the cartoon where people got killed. Race Bannon and Dr. Quest slaughtered their villainous victims without mercy: shooting them, stabbing them, and throwing them to gargantuan killer lizards. And you can get all that without even watching the show. One listen to this bulked up spy music theme is all it takes. It’s Secret Agent Man without the goof factor; all jungle trumpets and rattling guitar, as if Steely Dan riffed on The A-Team. Take that, Yogi Bear.

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8. The Office (2005)

Clocking in at under forty seconds, this Scranton ditty says a lot about the show in very little time. Opening with a yearning plunk of piano notes before launching into a quirky mini-suite of pop punk, the theme sets the overall tone of the series; the bittersweet mixed with the outlandish, evoking images of Jim and Pam’s first kiss and Dwight swiping at a rogue “vampire” bat in equal doses.

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7. Tales From The Crypt (1989)

Danny Elfman is the king of foreboding atmosphere. This schizophrenic theme to one of the most frightening shows ever created is built on bassoon and out of control strings, sending us spiraling further and further into the twisted depths of the Cryptkeeper’s castle. The fact that he springs from his coffin and cackles at the end is a bonus. Demonic laugh or no demonic laugh, bust out the rubber sheets when listening to this one.

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6. Salute Your Shorts (1991)

Cast members singing a show’s theme song can often be a disaster. But what’s usually sappy is downright hilarious in Salute Your Shorts, most likely because it takes place at a summer camp. The lyrics lampoon every cliched “Kumbaya” we’ve ever been forced to chant around a campfire as each character indifferently slogs through a line of the cheesy words to “Camp Annawanna” while their lamely enthusiastic counselor Ug accompanies them on the piano. What’s best is that we get to see a pre-Rilo Kiley Blake Sennett perform music with the same exact haircut he sports today.

*note: the below clip was the first season of the show, which Sennett was not a part of. If you can find the intro to the second season, please post it.

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5. Doug (1991)

While the entire run of Doug is jam-packed with nuggets of musical genius that reference everything from The Beatles to The Talking Heads, nothing beats the nostalgically frenetic theme song. Consisting mostly of backyard percussion (“bangin’ on a trashcan,” anyone?) mixed with infinitely layered adolescent beatboxing, the insanely catchy title track is light on instrumentation and heavy on imagination, as if a ten year old boy was trying to form his own one man doo-wop group. Like the show’s namesake character, the song creates an entire universe from so-geeky-it’s-cool musical scratch.

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4. The Muppet Show (1976)

Oddly enough, the majority of the music featured on The Muppet Show was pulled from old jazz standards, broadway musicals, and the program’s guest stars. However, the opening theme is pure Jim Henson; an unabashed romp of colorful vaudeville and peculiar mayhem. From the clumsy trombones to the gruff, abrasive character voices to Gonzo’s final ill-placed trumpet note (Zoot’s saxophone in the closing credits), we know we’re stepping into a wacky universe as soon as those kettle drums bring down the house lights. “It’s time to play the music…”

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3. Oz (1997)

The theme to HBO’s first and most brutal original series is tribal, violent, and percussive. Fueled by oil can drumming, screeching horns, and male grunting, you can almost smell Oz’s theatrical narration, primal murder, and anal rape just from listening to it. Nuff said.

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2. The Simpsons (1989)

Sometimes you’ve gotta go with the classics. And if this one isn’t considered timeless, I don’t know what is. For all of its funhouse, grandiose Danny Elfman complexity, The Simpsons theme has proved to be delightfully adaptable over the years, being covered (both on-show and off) by Tito Puente, Sonic Youth, Hans Zimmer, Green Day, and many, many more. Besides being performed by such a diverse, esteemed collective of musicians, it has also been molded to fit the closing credits of each episode. Whether disguised as a mobile lullaby as Maggie says her first word or an authoritative Dragnet march as we fade out on the “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” mystery, The Simpsons theme is the soundtrack to our lives; always recognizable and always loved.

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1. The Adventures Of Pete And Pete (1993)

Performed by Polaris, a house band formed by Miracle Legion frontman Mark Mulcahy specifically for the show, “Hey Sandy” is a power pop gem with lyrics that remain shrouded in mystery to this very day. But would it really be as fun if we could understand what Mulcahy is saying underneath his nasally yelp and ethereal solos? After all, The Adventures Of Pete And Pete was the best kid’s show on any planet because it wasn’t always easily understood. And with the music of Polaris, it let New Jersey shine in all of its surreal, teenage glory.

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