Ficticious Fridays: Pixie Pirate Mythpunk Folk Rock

Today's article is going to be a little preview of the next book review you will be getting. Stay tuned!

S. J. Tucker is one of my very favorite musicians. Everything about her is eclectic. The style of her music ranges from folk to rock to celtic and back again. The subjects of her songs can run the gambit. There's The Wendy Trilogy which is a trio of songs that explores what would have happened if Wendy had chosen to join Captain Hook as a Pirate. There's songs which will move you close to tears like The Dryad's Promise, a story of lost loves and the desire to let go. Then there's the just plain silly like Tough Titty Cupcakes, the raccoon mama who will do anything for her babies or Playing D&D which you will just have to listen to yourself!

She has two albums specifically which are story telling pieces. For the Girl in the Garden and Solace & Sorrow are inspired by The Orphan's Tales books by Catherynne Valente. Half of the tracks are readings from the books themselves and they are followed by songs S. J. has written for them. All of her albums are free to listen to on her website and you can listen to my favorite album here. I highly recommend listening to Eshkol and Seafaring Satyr, that's my favorite story. You should also check out Mischief, that's my favorite non-story album.

I hope listening to this fantastic music entertains you long enough for me to finish reading my current book. Just as a spoiler, I will let you know that it's already become my new favorite book.

As an extra bonus, to any of my friends in St. Louis, S. J. is going to be here this weekend for the St. Lou Fringe Festival! I will be there Saturday but she's performing all weekend <3

Ficticious Fridays: In Which Harry Potter Sings a Ditty

I still remember the first blissful notes of Wizard Rock (or wrock as it is more commonly referenced). I was about 12 years old so it had been two years since I'd discovered Harry Potter purely by accident one night when I was kicked out of my bed and slept under the living room bookshelf. My sister was going to art school in the city and getting to have a sleepover with her in her dorm. Oh the wonders of iTunes sharing, and my world was forever expanded!

There's no shortage of creativity inside the Harry Potter community. A simple google search will yield pages and pages of fanfiction (some of which should be read with caution), fan art, jewelry, clothing, poetry, films, costumes, furniture, and of course music. I've been a devoted HP fangirl since that initial reading (a self proclaimed Ravenclaw if you must know but sometiems I wish I was a Hufflepuff) and having gone to religious schools most of my life, I've spend a good deal of my time defending my passion. However, now that I'm older I realize it's not so much about the stoires themselves (though I'll always hold up the books as an example of great literature) but it's important because of the impact it had on its fans. It inspired us in so many ways and connected us together, one of the few books to create a true community.

So after all this rambling I should get back to my intended topic: wrock. Harry and the Potters were the ones that first taught me a book could be so much more than a book. They were the start of the whole movement, teaching us you don't really have to have a whole lot of musical talent to make unforgetable songs and inspiring a whole new group of musicians to pick up where they left off.

I'll post below a list of my favorite wrock bands. I hope my fellow HP fans among you will enjoy and get as inspirited as I have. Nox!

- Harry and the Potters
- The Remus Lupins
- Tom Riddle and Friends
- The Moaning Myrtles
- Gred and Forge
- The Whomping Willows
- The Quaffle Kids
- Ginny and the Heartbreakers