Wizard Rock: Another Harry Potter Fan Phenomenon: Bands Inspired by the Characters and Mythology of the Harry Potter Series

Aside from spawning podcasts, conferences and costumed events, the Harry Potter phenomenon has also spawned a significant number of "wizard rock" bands all of which focus on themes of Harry Potter in one way or another, and while the quality varies wildly, some of which are quite good.

The most famous of these wizard rock bands is, somewhat obviously, named Harry and the Potters and largely features songs from the perspective of or glorifying the boy wizard. Close on their heels are Draco and the Malfoys, The Remus Lupins, The Hermione Crookshanks Experience, The Whomping Willows and The Sectumsempras, all of which are at least occasionally good enough to merit some of your online download time.

All of these Harry Potter inspired wizard rock bands have MySpace pages where you can listen to and often download some of their most popular songs. When checking out Harry and the Potters be sure not to miss their tune, "Song for the Death," a pop-y, positive number about fighting the Death Eaters with a chorus that cheers "out weapon is love." While containing lots of Harry Potter references to things like Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew's silver hand, the song is remarkably listenable and catchy regardless of how much you know about Harry Potter.

Draco and the Malfoys' musicianship isn't as good, but largely they're cleverer. Their song "My Dad is Rich" (a line which finishes "and your dad is dead") is one of the most hilariously obnoxious things I've ever heard, and also quite a catchy tune. Plus, it contains the line "How's your mummy doing in the mirror of Erised?" which I challenge any Harry Potter fan not to find absolutely hilarious.

The Hermione Crookshanks Experience takes us another step down the musical skill ladder, but is made up for by the absolutely lovely voice the lead singer, and the absurd earnestness of the songs, which capture Hermione perfectly. Krum's Song in one long, very polite explanation of why Hermione can't date the quidditch star Viktor Krum because, "there's nothing in [his] cranium." In another tune, she desperately tries to get us to join SPEW (the Society for the Protection of Elvish Welfare, a subplot in the fourth Harry Potter book which most people agree is annoying and shows Hermione at her absolutely most aggravating)..

Harder sounds come to us from The Remus Lupins, who really do know how to play their instruments, write songs and avoid many of the really painful rhymes from the bands previously mentioned. Also, it's nearly impossible to mention this band in Harry Potter fan circles without at least three people, even if they don't listen to wizard rock, saying, "Wait, isn't that the one with the really hot lead singer?" Apparently so.

The Whomping Willows, named after an aggressive tree on the Hogwarts Grounds may be one of the weirdest wizard rock bands out there. Most of the songs are from the perspective of this much maligned tree, and at least one of them takes the conceit that the Whomping Willow has a crush on Hermione, while several other tunes praise her (while explaining why Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were stupid to crash a flying car into the tree in question). The Whomping Willows also have a song called, "I Killed My Owl" in which some poor emo teen explains that the reason he's not corresponding with some girl anymore is that, well, he killed his owl. It's one very twisted guilty pleasure (as so much is in Harry Potter fan circles).

Finally, come The Sectumsempras, who sound nothing like the other bands (and are so good that several of my friends who know nothing about Harry Potter enjoy their music). Sexy darkwave and angry industrial their songs look at the darker elements of a range of things related to Harry Potter. "Dragon Child" covers Draco Malfoy's dilemma in Book 5 and at least one other tune looks at Snape's role as a double agent and both, if you can make out the words, are a bit heartbreaking. Their best song though may be Judgment, which is actually about religious fanatics who think the Harry Potter books are evil and host book burnings. I've listened to this song on repeat for hours, it's just that good. Like other songs from The Sectumsempras the vocals are largely submerged, so it may take you a long time to get all the lyrics - because of the discussions of purity and innocence, I actually thought it was a Death Eater apologist tune at first, but it turned out to be far more insightful than that.

Many wizard rock bands tour regularly - appearing at libraries, Harry Potter conventions and local clubs all over the country. Harry and the Potters and Draco and the Malfoys often play a double bill, sometimes joined by The Hermione Crookshanks Experience. These bands also all have CDs available (as do The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows). The Sectumsempras, with their music produced mostly electronically, are unable to tour at this time, but do plan to have a CD release soon.

Finally for those interested exclusively in the Harry Potter phenomenon of wizard rock, there is a podcast for it called WZRD.