A few people tasked me with writing up a Wizard Rock Primer, and who am I to deny such a request? What you'll find (in two parts!) is a brief description and history of Wizard Rock, followed by a run down of some of my favorite bands. There are lots of links, embeds, photos, and downloads in this post, so hopefully you will soon know your Harry and the Potters from your Parselmouths (and be eager to find more Wizard Rock on your own).

I do encourage you, fans of Harry Potter, to check out this post.
Wizard Rock is not just a bunch of kids singing off-key.

What Is Wizard Rock?
Wizard Rock (or Wrock) is rock music about the world of Harry Potter. Many bands take on a persona from the books either as a specific character (The Remus Lupins) or as students (The Parselmouths are Slytherin students) or as other characters/organizations from the books (The Whomping Willows, Ministry of Magic). A band named for one character may not write all of their songs from that character's point of view.

What does Wizard Rock sound like?
The sound of Wizard Rock is very diverse. There's everything from raw garage bands (Harry and the Potters) to music that is more techno/remix-based (Ministry of Magic) to traditional rock sounds (The Remus Lupins) to folk/blues (The Whomping Willows) to metal (Voldemort) to rap (Dumbledore). So you're likely to find a Wizard Rock sound that is similar to your normal musical tastes.

Don't Take It Just From Me
TIME Magazine recently released an article on Wizard Rock and had this to say about the movement.

… [I]f you’re trying to get your head around wizard rock, punk is a good place to start. Like punk, this is a subculture in which the fundamental poles of popular culture, cool and uncool, have no meaning. Nerds tend to be very comfortable with powerful, unironized emotion—Harry and the Potters’ 2008 tour was titled Unlimited Enthusiasm. As the poet said, they’re too busy singing to put anybody down.
—Lev Grossman, July 20, 2009

When you're done with the Primer, you might want to check out the full article here.

Wizard Rock, A History
Wizard Rock has two accredited beginnings. The earliest was in the spring of 2000 with The Switchblade Kitten's song "Ode to Harry" which is from the perspective of Ginny Weasley. The Switchblade Kittens preformed the song as The Weird Sisters, the band mentioned as playing at the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire. (Since then The Switchblade Kittens have released a full-length Wizard Rock album.)

Ode to Harry Potter - Switchblade Kittens

What is probably the more accurate and impressive beginnings of Wizard Rock is accredited to Harry and the Potters. Joe and Paul DeGeorge created the band in the summer of 2002. They began touring with the release of their second CD in the summer of 2004.

More bands began emerging in late 2004 and 2005. Some of the first were The Whomping Willows, Draco and the Malfoys, and The Remus Lupins. Through touring, collaboration, and the impressive powers of the internet, the Wizard Rock movement took off, growing until, as of today, there are over 400 Wizard Rock bands.

If you would like to know more about the history of Wizard Rock, please visit Wizrocklopedia.

More Than Music
Wizard Rock is more than music. Many of the bands use their music to support literacy (they tend to tour in libraries), and organizations like the HP Alliance encourage wrockers to take a stand against tyranny, genocide, global warming, and more, using parallels to the book series, such as correlating media suppression to Ministry attempts to control the Daily Prophet.

The HP Alliance, more than anything, shows that art is a reflection of life and that we can be our own Dumbledore's Army in the world.

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For all bands I've provided embedded songs which will give you a 30-second preview of each song. If you would like to hear a song in its entirety, click on the link and you can listen to it on imeem. If you are still curious about a band, click on the band webpage and you can hear more of their songs from their MySpace music players. Also, all of the bands listed here are available on iTunes, so you can use iTunes to preview tracks or buy digital copies of their albums.

While I support trading Wizard Rock to help people fall in love, I urge you to help support the bands by purchasing either physical or digital copies of their songs and albums. Purchasing albums allows them to tour and encourages them to continue producing music about Harry Potter.

Harry and the Potters


Band Members: Paul DeGeorge (guitar, vocals) and Joe DeGeorge (keyboard, saxophone, vocals)
Website: http://harryandthepotters.com/

Discography:
Harry and the Potters (2003)
Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock! (2004)
Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love (2006)
Scarred for Life (7") (2006)
Split 7" (2006)
The Enchanted Ceiling (EP) (2007)
In the Cupboard (EP) (2008)
Priori Incantatem – 2 Disc Set (Collected Work) (2009)

Harry and the Potters largely write songs that are quite comical, ranging from songs such as "My Teacher Is a Werewolf" (a 40-second song about Professor Lupin) to "Smoochy Smoochy Pukey Pukey" (a song about Ron and Lavendar Brown and their insatiable snogging). The few songs that they have that are more serious tend to focus on Harry's lost mentors Sirius ("The Godfather Part II") and Dumbledore ("Dumbledore").

Harry and the Potters are well-known for being the movers and shakers of the Wizard Rock community. Paul is actually a full-time Wizard Rocker (I believe the first—if not only—full-time wrocker).

Dumbledore It is important to also mention Joe DeGeorge's side project, the self-proclaimed "Wizard Rap" of Dumbledore. As Dumbledore, Joe drops the beat with hilarious songs like "U Down W/ OotP?" Dumbledore has only released one EP (Lemon Drop the Beat, 2007) but has songs available on other compilations such as Jingle Spells 2.

Song Samples:
Save Ginny Weasley (Harry and the Potters, The Enchanted Ceiling)
One of the oldest Wizard Rock songs, "Save Ginny Weasley" appears on HatP's first album and their 2007 EP The Enchanted Ceiling. I've heard other wrock bands cover this song and some write "responses" such as Voldemort's "Feed Ginny Weasley to the Basilisk."
The song covers events in Chamber of Secrets from Harry's point of view.

Save Ginny Weasley - Harry & The Potters

The Godfather Part II (Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock)
"The Godfather Part II" is about the death of Sirius Black (and always makes me sad).

The Godfather: Part II - Harry & The Potters

Save Ginny Weasley from Dean Thomas (Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love)
While the title is a play on the original "Save Ginny Weasley," "Save Ginny Weasley from Dean Thomas" is nothing like the original. In it Harry recognizes that he must save Ginny again—this time from her boyfriend!
Their 2006 album Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love has a different sound, and this is representative of the way they branched out for that album.

Save Ginny Weasley from Dean Thomas - Harry & The Potters

U Down W/ OotP? (Lemon Drop the Beat)
All about the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbedore delivers a hilarious rap including verses from Remus Lupin, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Severus Snape. It also includes my favorite line, "The bird, the bird, the bird is on fire."

U Down w/OOTP? - Dumbledore

Live: Harry and the Potters have a lot of energy live. They may not be polished, but they love what they do and they love sharing that with people. They have played over 500 Wizard Rock shows (their 500th show was in Norwood, MA on June 19, 2009).

Draco and the Malfoys


Band Members: Brian Ross (guitar, vocals, bass) and Bradley Mehlenbacher (guitar, drums, vocals)
Website: http://evilwizardrock.com/

Discography:
Draco and the Malfoys (2005)
Party Like You're Evil (2006)
Family (EP) (2007)
It's a Slytherin World (2009)
An Anthology of Slytherin Folk Music (2009)

Draco and the Malfoys are similar to Harry and the Potters in many ways. They tend to focus on comical lyrics from the point of view of Draco Malfoy and contain the essence of reasonably talented young men who are having fun. They call themselves an "Evil" Wizard Rock band because they sing songs venerating Voldemort ("Voldemort Is Awesome"), picking on the Weasleys ("Your Family Is Poor"), and celebrating being a Slytherin ("We're Slytherins!").

Song Samples:
My Dad Is Rich (Draco and the Malfoys)
Typical of Draco and the Malfoys, "My Dad Is Rich" is about Draco needling Harry that not only is he not as rich as Draco, but his parents are dead. The lyrics are quite clever while being entirely mean-spirited.

My Dad Is Rich - Draco and the Malfoys

(I I I Wanna Go To) Durmstrang (It's a Slytherin World)
"(I I I Wanna Go To) Durmstrang" is about Draco Malfoy's desire to go to the Wizarding school Durmstrang where "little evil wizards are trained to kill." Keep an ear out for the Star Wars references!

(i i i wanna go to)Durmstrang - Draco And The Malfoys

I. (Family)
Different from their previous endeavors, their 2007 EP Family focused on the Malfoy family and the negatives of being part of the Dark Lord's inner circle. The lyrics and music show a very different side of Draco and the Malfoys.
"I." details the opening scene of Deathly Hallows at Malfoy Manner in which Draco's eyes are fixed on the Muggle Studies professor Voldemort had captured.

I. - Draco And The Malfoys

Live: Draco and the Malfoys have amazing energy, throwing themselves around the stage for the full set. Brian and Bradley know how to rock the hell out. The embedded video is a little dark, but perfectly shows the way they rock.

The Whomping Willows


Band Members: Matt Maggiacomo (guitar, vocals)
Website: http://www.myspace.com/thewhompingwillows

Discography:
The Whomping Willows (2006)
Welcome to the House of Awesome (2007)
III (2008)
Rock n' Roll Redux (EP) (2008)
Demons at the Helm (2009)

The Whomping Willows' early sound is very folky. Matt writes songs from the point of view of the Whomping Willow (whom Dumbledore has transplanted into the body of Matt Maggiacomo, as he explains in "Wizard Rock Heartthrob"). Mostly humorous, his songs range from his love for Hermione ("I Found a Loophole") to advocating vehicular safety ("Your Flying Car") to his tumultuous relationship with Remus Lupin ("Hey Remus").

His latest album, Demons at the Helm, deals much more with Muggle topics, detailing some of Matt's experiences while on tour. The sound is more refined and the lyrics are quite compelling.

Big Whompy Matt has a rapping side project, Big Whompy. He's released one EP, Treestylin (2008), with hilarious songs like "Covah Yr Junk," which contains Whompy's advice for avoiding Moaning Myrtle's roving eyes while in the prefect's bath.

Song Samples:
Hey Remus (III)
This cover of "Hey Mickey" lets it be known that the Whomping Willow still holds a candle for the werewolf he once helped hide.

Hey Remus - The Whomping Willows

A Conversation With My Demons (Demons at the Helm)
Demons at the Helm is a departure from Matt's earlier work in that the lyrics are mostly Muggle and slightly more serious. "A Conversation With My Demons" is one of the most serious and somber songs on the album.
Additional vocals are provided by Mark Jennings of Ministry of Magic.

A Conversation With My Demons - The Whomping Willows

Whompy iz a Gangsta (Treestylin')
From Big Whompy, "Whompy iz a Gangsta" is what it is, a song in which Whompy explains the ways in which he is a "gangsta."

Whompy Iz A Gangsta - Big Whompy

Live: Matt puts on a great show whether he's acoustic or supported by a band. He gives great crowd banter and breaks into either Ice Ice Baby or The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire during nearly every performance.

The Remus Lupins


Band Members: Alex Carpenter (guitar, vocals), Tyler Nicholas (bass, backing vocals), and Toby Karlin (drums, saxophone, backing vocals)
Website: http://www.myspace.com/theremuslupins

Discography:
Spells from a Broken Wand (2006)
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (2007)
Horcruxes and Hand Me Downs (EP) (2007)
Nevermind the Furthermore (2008)
The Rest Is Silence (2009)

The Remus Lupins are my favorite band (selecting only a sampling of songs was torture). They have some songs that are funny ("Werewolves > Zombies"), some that are gut wrenching ("Lullaby"), and some that celebrate love ("Maybe Tomorrow"). The majority of the songs are from the perspective of Remus Lupin, but there are some songs about other characters ("Teddy and Victoire"). Alex Carpenter is an amazing songwriter and tries to vary his style providing an excellent mix of dance tunes, rock, and ballads.

Song Samples:
Alone on Valentine's Day (I Was a Teenage Werewolf)
Alex writes quite a few songs about Remus's non-canon crush on Lily. These songs tend to be insanely catchy, adorable, and I love them.

Alone On Valentines Day - The Remus Lupins

Seven Potters (Nevermind the Furthermore)
Written about the Deathly Hallows chapter of the same name, "Seven Potters" details the frightsome flight to move Harry from the Dursley's to the Burrow while under Death Eater attack.
"Seven Potters" was voted 2008's Best Dance Song.

Seven Potters - The Remus Lupins

Remember Cedric (Spells From a Broken Wand)
"Remember Cedric" is an acoustic song about the death of the Hufflepuff Hogwarts Champion Cedric Diggory.

Remember Cedric - The Remus Lupins

Marauder's Worst Memory (The Rest Is Silence)
Many of The Remus Lupins songs deal with the Marauder's time at Hogwarts. "Marauder's Worst Memory" tells the events commonly referred to as "The Prank" in which Snape found out that Remus is a werewolf.
"Marauder's Worst Memory" was originally written for a short film of the same name by Erin Pyne (House of Black).

Marauders Worst Memory - The Remus Lupins

Live: The Remus Lupins put on a great live show. Alex Carpenter is wildly charismatic and he always encourages people to get up and dance. Alex is completely dedicated to rocking out in every library and at the end of Leaky Con this past summer, he burned and smashed his guitar. (Luckily he's a wizard, so a little reparo and it was good as new.)

Continued in Wizard Rock Primer, Part 2!