This fall's Free Press Block Party is a monster. For the first time in the event's brief history, it's a two-day affair featuring hundreds of bands as opposed to just dozens. It's an ambitious undertaking, especially given the shambling nature of the one-day version of the festival, which is held together with the love and patience (and sometimes impatient tantrums) of Houston's indie bands, not so much by a rigid schedule or organization.

How do you a fill a schedule with 250 slots, anyway? Are there really that many indie bands in Houston? Not exactly. Here are a few tips to filling out your 250-band schedule if you're the Free Press:

Schedule Elaine Greer as many times as you can. Including her new stint with The Sour Notes, she's on the schedule three times. Springfield Riots pops up twice.

Schedule bands that don't exist. Defend the Ghetto will play at 4:10 p.m. on the main stage outside Numbers on Saturday. Oh, wait. No, it won't. That band hasn't been together in years and isn't re-forming for this.

Pad the schedule with bands still in high school. See below.

Just don't put the schedule on your website. I mean, who cares about a schedule if they can't see it in the first place? Update!: While writing this post, the schedule was posted. Thank goodness.

Ah, but these are quibbles. As long as the bands show up when scheduled to play (fingers crossed), a good time should be had by all. In order to help you better navigate the schedule, I have grouped the bands by themes:

The solid performers -- bands that you can never go wrong seeing.

Saturday: The Legendary K-Otix, Robert Ellis, Young Mammals, Buxton, Golden Axe, listenlisten, Elaine Greer, Perseph One, Peekaboo Theory, Chase Hamblin, Two Star Symphony.

Sunday: Tyagaraja, Wild Moccasins, Spain Colored Orange, Sideshow Tramps, Something Fierce, News on the March, Bright Men of Learning, Mechanical Boy.

The hippies -- Bands that you might have found playing the original West Fest so many years ago.

Generation Landslide, Free Radicals, Organ Failure, Poopy Lungstuffing.

The headliners

Dead Prez, Japanther, Eastern Sea on Saturday. 8:30 p.m. doors at Numbers. $12.

Bands I have never heard of, the Saturday edition (check back tomorrow for Sunday's unknowns)

Because I'm willing to take one for the team, I tried my best to listen to all of the unfamiliar band names on the schedule. As expected, many of the unfamiliar names are of very young bands. Here are some first impressions:

Guerrila Foco Clan -- Rap inspired by Che Guevara. Seems intelligent, nice samples. Better than Mike Jones.

Skurge -- Just what this town needs, another thrash-metal band. You'll have to tell me if this is particularly good thrash-metal because it really all sounds the same to me.

National Electric -- Soothing, possibly ignorable electronic tunes.

The Handshake -- Simple indie-rock from a trio out of Lamar High School. Name comes from a MGMT song, so there's that.

Behind Buildings -- Another young band, this one is instrumental rock out of Missouri City. Not bad, but need a dash of something extra to make it stand out.

Searching for Signal -- Apparently I'm the last to hear about this band, as the Press and Space City Rock have both reviewed it. I wish the band wouldn't spend so much time piddling around with the same old thudding indie-rock when the vocals are kinda nice. More vocals, less noodling, please.

Components of the Modern Age -- Kudos for having a MySpace page. Now put something on it.

Gamma Ringo -- Pretty pop-rock from Louisiana. The band intrigued me; I'll be stopping by its set.

HRStrut -- Nice-to-middling pop-rock with Drop Trio drummer Mike Blattel.

Wighead -- What's a Tulsa band doing on this schedule? Anyway, this is Tulsa's version of the Mathletes, but with less zaniness.

Together, We Are Instruments -- I cannot, in good conscience, call this music. It's electronic blips and noise, which some people like.

Uzoy -- I'm very happy to see another female MC on the scene! She's good, too. I'll be at this set.

The Niyat -- Another nice hip-hop group that also is better than Mike Jones.

The Holy Hand Grenades -- They appear to be pretty young, but I hear promise.

David Lascoe -- Wearied, lo-fi, bluesy singer-songwriter. Definitely interested in seeing him live.

Bands I have never heard of and are either un-Google-able or don't seem to even be online anywhere

T.H.E.M., DISSENT, The Energy, Left of the Dial, In Beds, The Swervys, Corners, Dustin Wes, Make Your Own Escape.

Here's a look at Sunday's schedule.

Noon-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Numbers, Avant Garden, Mango's. Free.