Technically, it’s a lyric vid, but there’s still quite a lot of movie footage to also count. As it’s Christmas and this song from Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls is one of my favorite holiday WRock selections, here’s Cold Wild Yonder by Expecto Patronum.
I think it captures the feeling of Christmastime during the seventh Harry Potter book/movie so well. This song still makes me cry.
At the Shore Leave convention I attended a particularly disappointing panel on the last day which went a little off topic and then became people sitting around complaining about the fandom community and their creations in general.
In specific, one young woman complained about Wizard Rock, and how WRockers think they’re so clever and unique but don’t realize filk has been around for decades upon decades.
And that got be a bit riled up, not that anyone was in the mood to listen to me rather than continue complaining. So I’m going to complain about the complaining here. Because I can. And because, in my book, WRock is NOT filk. They are extremely similar in a whole lot of ways, but anyone who’s spent time around both knows that they’re also pretty different.
The Music: Filk songs mostly (but definitely not exclusively) are parodies of existing songs with the lyrics changed. That takes some clever rewriting and often results in hilarity. WRock songs mostly (but definitely not exclusively) are original creations of music and lyrics. That takes a whole different kind of skill and creativity.
Subject Matter: While there are definitely filk groups that sing about only one fandom, many of the groups are non-fandom specific and jump around in subject matter as their muses dictate. WRock is Harry Potter. Sure, some of the groups sing the occasional song about another fandom, but it’s pretty rare on actual albums or at concerts during the “golden age” of Wizard Rock.
Groups & Perspectives: Filk singers and groups usually have amazing names and personas, but not many of them go to the extent that WRockers do. Wrockers not only name themselves based on the fandom but often write and perform songs specifically from that perspective. Listen to a Draco and the Malfoys song and you know you’re getting the wizarding world from Draco’s perspective in almost every song, for example. That’s one of the things I find most appealing about WRock. It’s a deeper investigation of the canon.
Culture & Community: This is the big one. Filk has its own culture and community. Filk concerts and circles are amazingly fun and unique to the genre. But Wizard Rock concerts have a different, unique feel to them. Though both are all about sharing the music and love of fandom, the cultures are different and the communities separate. While filk is supported in the Wizard Rock world and probably Wizard Rock supported in the filk one, they seem to consistently choose to be separate entities. Which, to me, makes them DIFFERENT THINGS. Both are places where one can be creative without judgement, but the communities are still separate.
I just did a quick search and found this interesting article that says much the same thing: Identity and authenticity in the filk community by Melissa L. Tatum
So, yes, they’re very similar in nature but they are different. Which anyone would know if they’d been to as many WRock concerts as I have.
It’s simply impossible to put together short lists of Wizard Rock. There’s just too much out there I love. So here’s a list of ten that I think are good examples of songs that expand the Harry Potter universe by making me think about things I’d not thought about before.
Thank you to Delma for helping me feel better about one of the songs on my list and suggesting a good thought path for me to get my last one on here. *hugs*
For a HP collection swap, I put together a collection of some of my Harry Potter buttons, bands, jewelry, and other small items.
Because I am not a millionaire by any means, there are few artists out there in the ‘verse whose albums I will buy sight unseen (hearing unheard? That doesn’t make sense…). But the Blibbering Humdingers are one group form whom I will always immediately press that “Buy Now” button.
Again, I’m still new to the album, but my current favorites are definitely “Engines Make Me Hot” (I still love Lauren’s version, but more Kaylee everywhere is NEVER a bad thing), 99 Death Eaters in the original German (so freakin’ clever, man), “Key to Your Hearts” (awwwww; who doesn’t want a TARDIS, seriously?), “Hot Girl in the Comic Shop” (I’m not hot, but sometimes even I get looks at the comic book store… though I’m much more the kind of person who would be having that Hulk vs. Spiderman debate internally and not notice being noticed; so I can relate on both sides LOL), and “Dark Mark in the Sky” (so clever and catchy… and I don’t even like westerns…).
I really appreciate the Humdingers representing my generation through music because it gives me a chance to actually get all the references, even fun older ones. And, not to get all deep or anything, but it’s fun thinking about the significance of the title song (and album name). My parents are certainly not at the level of nerddom that I feel I have achieved, but they did make sure I’d listened to Lord of the Rings on audio before I turned 5 and had seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail at least a dozen times before my 12th birthday. I was allowed to watch very few shows as a child, but was always encouraged to watch every episode of Star Trek (they probably wouldn’t have minded me watching Doctor Who with them either, but I saw a baddie in an episode at an early age and was scared of that show until 2005). But I definitely fangirl harder than my parents do/did. Which makes me wonder about the next generation. Does the pendulum swing back a little or does the fandom appreciation grow even more extreme? I hope for the latter. And, given the examples I’ve seen in my friends’ kids, I hope that’s the case for many of them. I see nothing wrong with raising one’s children with a strong appreciation for the good stuff 🙂 Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have kids, though. I can’t even imagine having to sit down and have a frank and honest “special” conversation about Highlander 2.
There’s a whole lot of Harry Potter Wizard Rock out there for the holiday season. There are even a few songs about Hanukkah and Ramadan out there. I managed to cut my list of over 150 songs down to, um, ten favorites. The first seven or eight were easy. After that… how do I choose just a few more? The songs I chose are a wide variety, but mostly ones that evoke strong emotions in me. Also, for someone not so fond of the latter Jingle Spells albums, I sure did pick a lot from JS4. Surprise!
Draco and the Malfoys released a new single today and the promise of their first new studio album in almost five years. I’ve only listened to the single six times now 😉 There’s something so thrilling about the prospect of new Wizard Rock. I don’t like to say that it’s dead, because art doesn’t ever die. But it certainly isn’t as popular as once it was. Only a couple touring groups came to my town last year, for example.
Cheat to Win isn’t necessarily my style, musically, but I really like it. It’s catchy and, well, speaks a bit of truth. I’m a rule-following Hufflepuff. Not all Hufflepuffs are as anal about rules as I am, but I hold the concept of fairness to all above almost everything else in this world (note to self: remember to grab that Nelson Mandela book out of the car before the next snow/ice storm hits tonight). So, no, I would NOT cheat to win at most things. But if it’s a matter of cheating or dying, heck year I’m going to choose cheating. But it brings up the question: why do I like this song so much, even if the underlying Slytherin concept in it is against the core of who I am as a person?
And it’s not just this song, either. I’m completely guilty of jumping up and down and shouting “Gryffindor” at Ministry of Magic concerts when Gryffindor Rally Cry is played. I could not have bought Swish and Flick’s album fast enough and I listen to its Slytherin songs far more than the Hufflepuff in me is willing to admit. So, yeah, my WRock playlist has its fill of JFF and Oliver Boyd songs. But you’ll also find Draco & the Malfoys and the Parselmouths popping up just as often. Why is that?
One of the things I like most about fan creations is getting to see someone else’s interpretation and passion for something I love. We all come at fandom with a shared understanding of canon. But the way individuals and fanon interpret it is not just fascinating but appealing to me. I love reading fanfic that shows me a brand new angle on characters I already love. I love going to meetup discussions with people who have different thoughts, viewpoints, and interpretations. And I adore fandom music that makes me feel different things. Most WRock is just plain fun–not deep, not life-changing. And I have a special place in my heart for the music that speaks right to me, completely in-line with my thoughts and favorite things about the characters and story. But when a song is actually able to convert me for 2-5 minutes into another person, to let me see things from a different point of view, and to let me rejoice in some of the values I don’t even share, that’s true magic right there.
