Wizard rock grows up, on the new Harry and the Potters album, Lumos, releasing Friday.
The band spawned the Harry Potter-obsessed subgenre Wizard Rock, or Wrock, more than a decade and a half ago. Now, they have gone back into the studio after a prolonged hiatus to deliver an urgent and timely album. Lumos uses the narrative of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the series’ final book, to comment upon the current political situation.
Harry and the Potters co-leader Paul DeGeorge has already commented: “We’re hoping that parents and their young kids might see us play at the library, hear a song explicitly critiquing pureblood supremacy, and then later have a real discussion about white supremacy and how it manifests in their own lives.”
The new single from the album, “Where’s Ron?,” highlights another hot topic: respectful, non-romantic male/female relationships. This atypical platonic-love duet, features DIY folk star Kimya Dawson guest-starring as Hermione Granger to Joe DeGeorge‘s (or is it Paul DeGeorge’s — I don’t know which brother is which) Harry.
The charming music video stars Neil Cicierega‘s Potter Puppet Pals, with the human performers making cameo appearances.
Harry and the Potters are currently embarking on an extensive tour of libraries across the United States (in addition to a few more typical music venues as well). Check their website to see when the band is planning to cast a spell near you.More Pop Culture Beast – Music:
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*David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti release a new (old) single
*St. Lenox’s Ten Fables of Young Ambition and Passionate Love
Justin Remer makes movies, directs music videos, and plays in the bands Duck the Piano Wire and Elastic No-No Band when he is not writing movie reviews. His folk-rock documentary MAKING LOVERS & DOLLARS is currently streaming on Amazon.