South by Southwest musicians Timber Timbre (left), Peter Wolf Crier (top right) and Grass Widow.
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Timber Timbre (left), Peter Wolf Crier (top right) and Grass Widow. All are part of the marvelous SXSW preview at NPR Music.

South by Southwest musicians Timber Timbre (left), Peter Wolf Crier (top right) and Grass Widow.

Timber Timbre (left), Peter Wolf Crier (top right) and Grass Widow. All are part of the marvelous SXSW preview at NPR Music.

I am a hooting, foam-finger-waving fan of a variety of things, including Neil Patrick Harris, the Old Spice commercials where the guy is riding the horse, and my absolute right to enjoy the occasional pink book with shoes on the cover. (WHAT?)

But one of the things I am a big fan of here at NPR is the series of All Songs Considered podcasts where Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein, and Official Friend Of Monkey See Stephen Thompson sit around and crack on each other while playing great music. Common topics of conversation include: hating the music Bob likes, hating the music Robin likes, hating the music Carrie likes, and hating the music Stephen likes. Also: Stephen's hair. Also: Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone." Also: jingle bells.

I am not making up any of this, I give you my solemn word.

This is the time of year when NPR Music gears up for its coverage of South By Southwest, where several zillion bands, some of which are good and some of which are merely in town, play at large venues and small venues and in backyards and, as I always imagine it, hanging from trees with their banjos suspended from the branches and their harmonicas clenched in their teeth.

Yesterday, the All Songs team posted their SXSW preview, wherein you can hear 20 (twenty, two-zero) songs from bands that will be playing at the festival, and also learn the results of the "Secret South By Santa" project, in which they attempted to choose songs for each other to enjoy. I personally feel this show is the pinnacle of their comic and musical greatness — both a very good selection of music and A-level hilarity from all involved — and I honestly suggest that whether you think you care about music or not, you fire it up and listen.