Wizard rock, or wrock as it's called, evolved sometime in the 2000s from the simple combination of fandom and music, with bands named for and often identifying characters from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe. There's Harry and the Potters, a two-man outfit that's become arguably the biggest wrock act around. Draco and the Malfoys, their punkier nemeses. The Moaning Myrtles, named for one of the series' most forlorn supporting characters.
So if you haven't spent all week listening to wizard rock while wearing your Hogwarts gown and Potter specs, here's your chance to become familiar with the DIY movement, which now counts hundreds of bands among its ranks.
Harry and the Potters, "Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock" (pictured above)
A bit of folk-electronica and a vague Phoenix vibe marks this famed wrock duo, who perform in character as Harry Potter and emulate their hero's upbeat spirit, with plenty of hating on He Who Must Not Be Named. As if Voldemort's life goal was to not only kill Harry Potter, but kill fun itself. (Click here to watch fans go nuts over these guys in concert.)
Sample lyric: "We won't let the dark lord ruin our party/Just like Tipper Gore tried with the PMRC"
Draco and the Malfoys, "Voldemort is Awesome"
The punky, Weezery answer to Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys instead champion all things Voldemort, because, well, "Voldemort is awesome."
Sample lyric: "Voldey won't you teach me about horcruxes/I want to be as awesome as the dark lord is"
The Whomping Willows, "Draco and Harry"
The Whomping Willows' acoustic ballad "Draco and Harry" bridges the gap between slashfiction and wrock by celebrating the great unacknowledged love story of the Potter series: The tale of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. Soulmates? Perhaps.
Sample lyric: "It's Draco and Harry, sitting in a tree/S-N-O-G-G-I-N-G"
The Ministry of Magic, "Accio Love"
Indie electro-pop band The Ministry of Magic has a wonderfully retro synthy sound that wouldn't sound terribly out of place on the soundtrack of Nicolas Winding Refn's upcoming thriller Drive (the soundtrack of the year, just wait and see), if their songs weren't all about life in the world of Harry Potter. Their "Accio Love" is a sweet ode to the other great romance of the series.
Sample lyric: "He smiles when she's not looking/she day-dreams when he's not there/It won't be long til they discover/Ron and Hermione love each other"
The Moaning Myrtles, "Cedric"
Lauren Fairweather and Nina Jankow comprise The Moaning Myrtles, who harmonize in songs told from the point of view of Moaning Myrtle, the Ravenclaw student turned ghost girl who haunts the second floor girls' bathroom at Hogwarts.
Sample lyric: "Oh Cedric, I can't believe that you're dead/Cedric, now you're in Twilight instead"
[Photo: Nate Backous via Harry and the Potters]