#occupygringotts on TWH

This past Saturday, Harry and the Potters contributed to the #OccupyBoston protests, part of the larger #OccupyWallStreet movement, in their own magical way. Drawing parallels to the Potterverse, they declared an #OccupyGringotts movement, as described on their tumblr.

In this spirit, TWH joined in this week with an entire episode dedicated to a discussion of the wizard economy, Gringotts, social movements, government, media and the larger "-isms" addressed by JKR.

We spun tracks primarily from the first and second volumes of Wizards and Muggles Rock for Social Justice and Rocking Against Voldemedia, which both supported the Harry Potter Alliance, the #1 Harry Potter social justice activist group, which we've talked about on several occasions.

But on to the podcast...

Season 4 - Episode 5 - #occupygringotts

"Money for Christmas" by the Gringotts Goblin Choir
"Voldemort Controls the Media" by Roonil Wazlib
"My Dad is Rich" by Draco and the Malfoys
"Your Family is Poor" by Draco and the Malfoys
"What up, Hogwarts?" by Big Whompy
"It's Quite Alright" by Catchlove
"Friends" by the Cedric Diggorys
"Werewolf Rights Now" by the Remus Lupins
"United We Fight" DJ Luna Lovegood
"Fang (Keeps Peeing in my Lake)" by the Giant Squidstravaganza
"Save the Quibbler" by Gred and Forge
"Eff the Ministry" by Justin Finch-Fletchley
"Goyle's Pants" by Draco and the Malfoys
"The Rebel Call" by the Whomping Willows
"Part-Werewolf for Hire" by Gred and Forge
"Woe is Me" by Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls
"Maybe Kreacher Will Bring Me a Sandwich" by Harry and the Potters
"Here's the Scoop" by DJ Luna Lovegood
"(Never) Do What You're Told" by the Remus Lupins
"Owl Post Strike" by the Owl Post and the Mudbloods
"Don't Believe It" by Harry and the Potters
"Quick Quotes Quill" by Tom Riddle & Friends
"Potterwatch Episode 294" by the Sneakoscopes
"Howl at the Moon" by the Moaning Myrtles
"Sniffle My Niffle" by the Nifflers
"I'm in Love with the World" by the Pizookies
"A Werewolf, A Willow" by the Remus Lupins
"Potterwatch" by Catchlove
"Jerry the Goblin" by Tom Riddle & Friends

If you know what's good for you

... then check out this article about the power and future of wizard rock, dear readers. Saw it via Harry and the Potters' summer tour tumblr.

Excerpt:

Harry and the Potters jump between all these levels, singing about events and emotions, but also releasing their own albums and booking their own tours while organizing human rights projects through the charity they co-founded, Harry Potter Alliance. This connection to human rights is common. I listened, for example, to an entire compilation of Wizard Rock bands like Roonil Wazlib and the Whomping Willows singing about independent media. Their Voldemort is Rupert Murdoch. In fact, I’m pretty sure they’re just singing about Rupert Murdoch. Why, then, don’t they just sing about those things? Why marginalize yourself within a fan community? For one thing, marginalization isn’t a side effect, it’s the point. The Rupert Murdoch references aren’t just trading fictional evil for real evil: The books themselves contain a strong DIY message — when Harry is persecuted by a corrupt government, his friends turn to an independent zine and pirate radio to exonerate him. The community around Wizard Rock rewards the same spirit in their bands.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to good cheer"

Listen to Happy Christmas from Daniel Radcliffe

Season 2 - Episode 13 - "I solemnly swear that I'm up to good cheer"

Happy holidays from The Witching Hour! We've brought you the Christmahanukwanzaakah season a bit pre-maturely to celebrate the release of a yearly classic, Jingle Spells 4!

Album cover courtesy of The Leaky Cauldron.

Loaned to us by the lovely Claire Johnson, a number of this week's tracks come from the album, denoted with an asterisk. Unfortunately, with our hour limit, we didn't get to all the songs, which are completely wizardly, wintery, and fantastic.

As you may or may not know, Jingle Spells is a charity effort put together by the Leaky Cauldron. You can buy it here. Proceeds go to the Harry Potter Alliance and other similarly fantastic organizations! Check it out, dear listeners.

WIZARD GOOD MUSIC and WIZARD GOOD DEEDS!

And this week's playlist:

"Money for Christmas" by the Gringotts Goblin Choir
"A Gift for Lucius" by Draco and the Malfoys *
"Drop the Needle, It's Christmas" by Dumbledore
"Have Yourself a Harry Little Christmas" by Gred and Forge *
"When Bellatrix Came Over for Christmas/WHAT?" by Harry and the Potters *
"The Unexpected Christmas Carol" by the Honeydukes Cellar Gang *
"My Wish List" by MC Kreacher
"Help Me Hagrid" by Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills *
"Yuletide Anthem" by Kwikspell *
"Seasonal Depression" by the Whomping Willows
"Christmas Poo" by the Moaning Myrtles
"Happy Christmas (A Journey)" by Undesirable #1 *
"Funky Xmas" by Solitary Snape *
"The Cold, Wild Yonder" by Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls *

P.S. This week's title comes from the fantastic song by The Remus Lupins, found on Jingle Spells 2.

P.P.S THIS IS THE EPISODE WHEREIN THE WITCHING HOUR DISCOVERS LIKEALITTLE. WE'RE SORRY, WHITMAN COLLEGE! WE'RE SORRY!

Happy Halloween!

Obviously, as witches, we love Halloween. So go nom on some candy and scare some little kids. Just avoid the big trolls and the evil two-faced professors.







Check back here for Tuesday's show, A Hogwarts Halloween, which is all about a charity album for the Harry Potter Alliance!

In the coming weeks, look for more details on the Weeks of Wizardry, as well as all the deets from our shows about Horcruxes and HP7 in general.

Don't forget to get your ticket to the midnight premiere, too!

Magical deeds are afoot!

Bad news, dear listeners. Very bad news. The program we use to convert our live broadcasts into podcasts FAILED this week! So that means, unfortunately, no podcast today. SO SO SORRY!

I am especially sorry to the beautiful and talented Caitlin Goldie, whose poem we read on air.

But that doesn't mean you should be deprived of the knowledge of what we played. We shared with our live listeners the Halloween charity album, A Hogwarts Halloween.

It's only $7!!! And all the proceeds go to the Harry Potter Alliance! So buy it anyways, k wizards?

In other news, the Witching Hour was interviewed for the Pio today, woo. Check it next Thursday around Whitman campus. It's an article about the Weeks of Wizardry OF COURSE.