Garfunkel and Oates

Garfunkel and Oates are a comedy music duo that I have liked for quite a long time. They have had so many wonderful songs that I listen to quite regularly. The duo is made up of Riki Lindhome and Kate Miccuci both of whom are actresses that have been in many random shows and movies. I first heard of them on various comedy podcasts both playing songs as well as just comedy guests.

I wanted to write about them because they have a show coming out on IFC later this summer. I have been searching, but there is not a specific start date from what I can find. They are doing 10 episodes, and I trust in the creativity and humor that they will no doubt have in there show. Ben Savage is actually producing and directing the show, yes that same Ben Savage, he has become quite the comedy producer and director over the years including but not limited to episodes of Party Down, 2 Broke Girls, and Its Always Sunny to name a few. The limited series will allow Riki and Kate to write more of the stuff themselves while not changing the voice of the show.

I thought I would include a few of their songs in this post for people to enjoy for those interested they are NSFW and mom you probably wouldn't enjoy them so much:

I will stop at 4 videos, but feel free to search on YouTube for them, they have probably about a couple dozen videos out there, and I think the are hilarious as well as great at writing dirty rhymes.

IFC Shows

I have really loved what IFC has done with their original comedies, in their attempts, they have 3 shows that I really love, and the also have the rights to reruns of several other shows. I just wanted to show a little love for these shows, and I hope they keep making more original content like these shows. These are not the types of comedies that you would see on network television, they each have their own specific style and voice, and I am really glad these types of shows have found a home somewhere.

Portlandia
I think Portlandia is their current flagship show so to speak. It has aired 3 seasons, and the premise is really just examining cartoonish character that are found throughout Portland, Oregon. Every scene has Fred and Carrie in it, in many cases they are dressed up in unusual costumes, and Fred definitely does some cross dressing. There are some characters that appear regularly, and others that are more one off in the show's run. I love the writing of the show, and really the creativity. I also love the theme song that gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. I believe the first 2 seasons can be found on Netflix if you want to check some of it out.

Maron
The first season on Maron aired this past spring, with a 10 episode run that ended a few weeks ago. I am hopeful that it will be renewed for a 2nd season. The show follows a fictionalized version of the shows creator and star Marc Maron. The show follows him through different situations in his life from dating, to dealing with internet trolls. The show definitely has his voice captured well, and it even incorporates his podcast WTF into the plot at times, and also brings in different stars that way as well. Marc Maron has definitely spent a long time trying to find his place in the comedy world, and he is finally hitting his stride with his own very unique voice. For people who are fans of Louie on FX, this show has a similar feel to that show. Hopefully this show will be available in Netflix eventually, but because it is so new, its not yet available there.

Comedy Bang Bang
Comedy Bang Bang is a show that has been in many forms, it was originally called Comedy Death Ray, and was a radio show as well as a weekly comedy show in Los Angeles. The shows changed its name to Comedy Bang Bang, and the stage show eventually went away, the creator and host of the show is Scott Aukerman. Both the tv show and the podcast show have appearances from both real celebrities, and comedians and improvisers playing all sorts of characters. The television show really is an absurdist's take on the normal late night talk show format, with many weird and bizarre moments. The shows band is Reggie Watts, if you haven't heard of him, you should definitely look up some of his videos on Youtube, he is able to create some amazing songs all on his own, no backing instruments at all, he uses tools to loop his own voices to make melodies. On the show Scott will have one celebrity guest and at least one character of some kind, you will see some of the funniest people in the comedy world making experiences. I will admit that this show might not fit everyone's sense of humor, but the weirdness of it really makes me laugh a lot. The first season of the show is found on Netflix, and the 2nd season of 20 episodes starts last night July 12th. I am a big fan of supporting comedy that I like so I would really like to get more people to watch the show if at all possible.

Like I said before, I really like that IFC has taken chances on such unique shows and letting the talents involved with the shows have their own creative control and vision. If you don't interfere too much on the network side, lots of amazing things can be made in television.