Pitchfork

When we cut loose Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington at the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival with a camera crew in tow, we didn't think the guy would take it so literally. Perhaps you even saw Tim-- a striking figure, for sure-- offering $2 haircuts and deep tissue massages, or hamming it up for the crowd in full barber regalia this summer; hell, maybe you walked away with a newly shorn hairdo thanks in no small part to the efforts of the world's funniest frontman. Even when the cameras are off, the dude is always on.

Now your pals at Pitchfork.tv are pleased to announce we'll be turning the lens on Tim regularly for a new series he's calling "Beardo". Harrington claims the name of the show springs from a popular coda in his own life. "I've been called 'Beardo' since I was ten. Life-size people, little kids sometimes call me 'Beardo.' 'Weirdo-Beardo.'" Wonder why. Three "Beardo" episodes are already in the can, with more to follow shortly. "Some of them are just me messing around with people, and other ones are great little short movies."

The show's premiere episode finds Harrington partnering with rising star of "Flight of the Conchords"/"Daily Show" featured player/funny lady Kristen Schaal. Turns out bribery played a role in getting Schaal's participation in the episode, which revolves around a supernatural blind date. "I tricked her into coming to do it. Well, I don't know if I tricked her. I offered her cookies, and she didn't know the cookies I was gonna make, I accidentally put too much salt in them and they tasted really bad."

Without giving too much away, Harrington let some of his plans for the future of "Beardo" be known. "I'm trying to get some political episodes going," he notes. "I'm working on one about legal male abortion, another one about a provocative sex education book. We're looking for someone that knows how to make puppets, for a puppet show episode, but I don't have a puppeteer yet. Maybe someone reading the article will want to be a part of 'Beardo'?" I can only imagine they might. (OK, we never thought we'd say this, but if you're a puppeteer and want to get involved, please email beardo@pitchforkmedia.com.)

Tim's also got plans to bring in a few more pals from the musical side of things, should the occasion arise. "Sometimes we'll have music stuff in it, sometimes not. It's always supposed to be funny. It always wants to be. Celebrities, musical guest stars, minor music celebrities. Major music celebrities, in my mind. Like, you hear a big round of applause, and in comes cameo spots by, like, Nick [Thorburn] from Islands. People in bands that I'd sort of be like, 'Oh my gosh! They're in this!' No bad on Nick from Islands, but society at large wouldn't necessarily recognize our celebrity cameos." Nick from Islands? You mean intern Nick?

"Beardo" premieres Thursday, October 30 on Pitchfork.tv.