Category Archives: Music

The Harry Potter Soundtracks

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I love the Harry Potter soundtracks, and can’t believe I haven’t devoted a whole post to them!  I don’t have all of the soundtracks, just the ones from the first couple movies, plus the Deathly Hollows part one soundtrack.  I just love the music and it makes me think of how much I love the books!  On a random sidenote, I definitely need to re-read the books and watch the movies before Deathly Hallows part 2 comes out.  At the very least, I need to watch the movies plus read deathly hallows. 

Back to the soundtracks.  I love, love, love Harry’s Wondrous World.  It’s so magical, and everytime I hear it, I am automatically reminded of the sense of wonder I felt when I read the series for the very first time.

I don’t listen to the Chamber of Secrets soundtrack very often- if I do, it’s usually the Chamber of Secrets version of Harry’s Wondrous World, but other then that, I don’t tend to listen to it too often.  I do recommend Fawkes Is Reborn though. 

From the Philospher’s Stone, I really like Harry’s Wondrous World, like I said earlier, but Entry Into The Great Hall/The Banquet is good, as is Christmas At Hogwarts, Leaving Hogwarts, and of course, Hedwig’s Theme. 

As for Deathly Hallows, Part One, Obliviate is my absolute favorite song on the whole soundtrack.  It brings it so many emotions- it’s the song they play at the very beginning of the movie, and in combination with Hermione erasing her parents’ memories of her, it really brings to life the gravity of what’s happening and what’s at stake.  Snape To Malfoy Manor is another favorite, along with Farewell To Dobby.  I also like Sky Battle and At The Burrow. 

The soundtracks are definitely some of my favorites to listen to.  There’s no words, so I can’t get distracted by singing along, and there are some memories that I have attached to certain songs.

Here’s A Random Music List

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a music post, so I thought I’d share some of the music I’ve been listening to.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Oliver Boyd, but here’s some other songs/artists:

  • Living On The Highwire from the Lemonade Mouth soundtrack- very catchy song.  I have no problem admitting that I still watch the Disney Channel, and while I have seen the whole movie, I’ve seen a good chunk of it. 
  • Break My Heart by Sara Ramirez- I love this song!  I’m not sure what genre it would fall into, but iTunes says it’s singer/songwriter…whatever that means.  It’s kind of a mix of jazz and blues…but I’m probably wrong about that since I don’t know anything about genres, and the distinction between the two.  It’s a pretty happy song, actually, because it’s about a person who’s looking for a reason to miss someone. 
  • Push by Fill The Silence- I heard this song on Greetings From Nowhere, and decided to go looking for it.  I like it- it speaks to me, althought I don’t know why it does.  It’s the only song they have on iTunes right now, so hopefully they have something else soon!  I’m curious about what else they’ll come up with.
  • The NCIS Soundtrack- I know there’s 2 different ones, but I have the first one.  Most of the songs are album only, so chances are, you’ll have to buy the whole album for most of the songs.  Well, on iTunes anyway.  I actually didn’t mind, because most of the songs are some of my favorites.  Right now, I Don’t Want To Be On TV by The Toxic Airbone Event, Fear by Stop Making Friends, After All by Saving Abel, and No Matter What by Jakob Dylan are my favorites.
  • Mariah Carey- For some reason, I’ve been listening to a lot of her lately, namely Honey, We Belong Together, Against All Odds, and Vision Of Love.  I wish I could sing like that.  Actually, I wish I could sing period…and if I could sing like Mariah, that’d be an added bonus.  🙂
  • Parachute- they’re one of my favorites.  The songs getting the most playing time are Back Again, She Is Love, Blame It On Me, and Something To Believe In.  They have really catchy songs, and I find myself wanting to sing along.  I’m always in a good mood after listening to them. 

Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls

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I came across Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls when I was listening to Accio-Potter Wizard Radio, and he’s become one of my all-time favorite wrock bands.

I only have the Bare Bones EP and the Open At The Close single, but I’m currently trying to hunt down the cd which has We Are The DA and Dumbledore’s Song, because those two are my favorites.

The songs are really catchy and great pop songs.  I could definitely see them being played on the radio if the lyrics were slightly different.  Plus, whenever I listen to any of his songs, I’m reminded of why I fell in love with the series, and he captures the books so well.  I can’t quite put my finger on why I get so emotional whenever I listen to his music, but I start feeling all nostagic when I listen to him.  Maybe that’s what it is, nostalgia.  It’s the same feeling I get when I listen to the Gin Blossoms.

I’ve decided that my theme song is Just A Hufflepuff, because that’s the house I’d be in if Iwere to attend Hogwarts.  I’m still waiting for my Hogwarts Letter.  Failing that, I’ll go to Pigfarts.  I just need to find a rocketship to Mars.

Anyway, I love the Bare Bones EP, and it’s really hard to pick a favorite off it, but I think I’d have to go with Just A Hufflepuff.  Flight of The Prince, Flash Bang Done, Train To Nowhere, and Lupin’s Tale are also on it, and I think that would be the order if I had to rank them.

Open At The Close is a pretty good too, but for some reason, I haven’t listened to it as much as the others.

His songs seem to be a pretty good mix of catchy songs and slow songs.  The first time I heard Dumbledore’s Song, I started crying because he captured Harry’s feelings so well.  And We Are The DA is such a good anthem- it captures the spirit of the DA so well.

He has a few other EP’s on iTunes, but unfortunately, none of them have Dumbledore’s song or We Are The DA.  I’m pretty sure I’ll like those too.

Carrie Underwood

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Carrie Underwood is one of my favorite singers ever!  Carrie is one of the American Idol winners, back when I used to watch American Idol. 

It’s hard to rank her albums, but if I did, I’d say Some Hearts is my favorite, followed by Play On and Carnival Ride.  I always feel better after listening to her music, so her music is something I listen to when I’m feeling depressed and want to feel better.  Or even when I’m in a good mood, and want something upbeat, she’s someone I can listen to.

As for favorite songs by Carrie, I really like So Small, Just A Dream, and Crazy Dreams off Carnival Ride, Temporary Home, Undo It, and Play On off of Play One, and Don’t Forget To Remember Me, Some Hearts, Jesus, Take The Wheel and Starts With Goodbye from Some Hearts. 

Anytime I listen to her music, or see her on tv, I tend to think about my grandpa, because we used to watch Americal Idol together, and he really liked her.  She seems very gracious, and has no problem returning to American Idol- it seems like she’s always thankful for her time on the show, which I haven’t seen from a lot of the other contestants.  At least from what I’ve seen.

I think that wraps up this post, so have a great day everyone!

Harry and the Potters

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With my Harry Potter obsession, and my growing obsession with wizard rock, it’s rather surprising that I’ve never devoted a whole post to any specific wizard rock bands. 

Harry and the Potters were my introduction to wizard rock (henceforth known as wrock), and they are one of my favorite bands.  They were the only band I had ever heard of, as far as wizard rock goes, and they’re definitely a great place to start. 

One of the things I love about wrock (besides the band names) are the song titles.  Based on the song titles alone, I’d say some of my favorite songs are Hermione Screws Up The Polyjuice Potion, Never Going To The Bathroom Again, Smoochy Smoochy Pukey Pukey, We Save Ron’s Life, Part 8, the Hogwarts Tonsil Hockey Team and the Human Hosepipe. 

Other favorite songs include Bertie Botts, I Am A Wizard, Phoenix Tears, and Harry Potter.  As for my favorite album, I honestly can’t pick because they’re all good, but The Enchanted Ceiling is probably the one I’d start out with. 

They’re pretty creative, because all of the songs are from the perspective of Harry Potter, and they’re all about Harry Potter.  Anything that can inspire a whole genre is pretty awesome in my book.  If all of the different bands can do music in character, there’s no reason why I can’t write a harry potter fanfic. 

Hopefully they’ll come out with something new soon, since I’m always looking for new wrock.  I may have to start taking a look at the multitude of compilation albums.

Black Stone Cherry

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I can’t remember how I heard about them, but I love them.  They only have a couple albums out but both are 2 of my favorites. I can listen to them without skipping any songs…and for me, that is a rare feat because I tend to skip ahead to random songs. It’s why I never put my iPod on shuffle. So when I can listen to someone straight through, it’s a sign they’re good.    

I like Folklore and Superstition better than their self-titled album.  I can’t remember how I heard about them- it was either Pandora, which I’ve mentioned so many times you’re probably tired of hearing about it, or they popped up in the recommendations thingy on iTunes. For some reason, iTunes seems much more likely.  

Some of my favorite songs include Blind Man, Please Come In, and Soul Creek from their Folklore and Superstition album.  Some other good songs are Lonely Train, Big City Lights, and Hell and High Water from their self-titled album. 

They do have a cd coming out sometime this year, and I’m excited, mostly because their last cd came out a few years ago.  I only found out about them a few months ago, so it’s not like I had to wait a really long time or anything, but it’ll be nice to see what they come up with for their new cd.

I listened to them quite a bit during November, because they are one of Kiora’s favorite bands.  I never mentioned it in her profile, but I can see her listening to them, since their music has a country feel to it, and Kiora does love country music.

I think they’re a great band, and definitely one that has been some inspiration for writing.

Sometimes My Music Scares Me

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I feel like the music I have on my iPod/on iTunes is sometimes scary.  I definitely need to get a new iPod, simply because I’m slowly running out of room.  However, a new one is out of the question for the moment because I can’t afford a new one.  And besides, there’s a bunch of stuff I don’t listen to, so I can leave that off until I can wrangle up enough money to actually get a new iPod.

But back to the music.  It’s an odd assortment, with Frank Sinatra, Metallica and the Backstreet Boys, among others.  But today is completely devoted to the…more interesting songs that should embarrass me…but really doesn’t.

  • Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus: it’s a really catchy song!  It’s the only song I have by her.  My only defense (if you can even call it that) is that she has some very catchy songs.  Very weak, I know, but we all have our guilty pleasures, and one of mine just happens to be teen popstars.
  • pretty much any Hannah Montana song: again, my only defense is that there are some very catchy songs from the t.v. show (and yes, I’ve watched it, for anyone who’s wondering).
  • MMMBop by Hanson: I really love the chorus!  Plus, it’s a fun, upbeat song, and I can’t help but sing along.
  • Cupid Shuffle by Cupid: At some point, I felt the need to download this song.  It makes want to do…the cupid shuffle!  Even I can do it, which should tell you something given my history of klutziness.  Mainly how easy it is, because I’m not all that coordinated (plus injury prone- they go hand in hand really).  I would check out the video over at YouTube.
  • 16 Chickens and A Tambourine by the VW Boys: I heard it on the Jeff and Jer Showgram once, for one of their segments, and felt the need to download it myself.  They also have a video over at YouTube, if you have the time to check it out.  And I have to say that I miss cracky.  That was seriously one of the funniest things ever.  I’m so glad they’re back on the air.
  • Barbie Girl by Aqua: I also have a weakness for 90’s music, so when KyXy had one a few weekends ago, I was super happy!  I have no idea why I like this song, I really don’t.  Maybe the nostalgia factor?

So, that’s just a small sample of some of the odd things I have in my music collection.  It is nice to have some random stuff though, especially because I tend to gravitate towards characters that are quirky and random.  Plus, listening to random songs sometimes helps when I’m writing fun scenes.

Can’t Stop The (Wizard) Rock

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I love wizard rock.  It’s totally awesome!

I’m still pretty new to wizard rock (some people call it wrock!), so I only know of a few bands- Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, The Whomping Willows and Gred and Forge are currently the bands I have.  But there are so many more bands out there that I don’t know if I can ever keep up!

Wrock is pretty creative, considering everything is based off of Harry Potter.  Plus, some songs (like those by Harry and the Potters,  Draco and the Malfoys and Gred and Forge) are told from the perspective of a character- usually the character mentioned in the band name.

The song titles alone are great (and often hilarious):

  • My Ear Is Not Here
  • Our Fireworks Say Poo
  • It Sucked When Dad Was Bitten By Nagini 
  • Hermione Screws Up The Polyjuice Potion
  • Never Going To The Bathroom Again
  • Save Ginny Weasley From Dean Thomas 
  • 99 Death Eaters
  • Party Like You’re Evil
  • Mother, Stop Being Ridiculous

And I could keep going with the great song titles, but that list is long enough as it is, so I’ll probably end up doing individual posts on the different wrock bands.  And anything that involves harry potter is awesome in my book. 

 The songs are really creative as well, like The House of Awesome by The Whomping Willows.  Or Potions Yesterday by Draco and the Malfoys.  Bertie Botts by Harry and the Potters is absolutely hysterical, as is The #1 Reason To Be Nice To House Elves by Gred and Forge. 

Wrock is pretty good background music for when I actually write because I tend to not be distracted by it.  I don’t feel the need to start singing or dancing, like I tend to do with everything else.  It really is a shame I don’t listen to it as often as I should.

New Books!

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The last thing I need are some new books, but I did stop at Barnes and Noble and got a few books.

  • The Bell Jar: I’ve always been meaning to read this book, so I finally picked up.  I’m really excited about it.
  • A Tree Grows In Brooklyn: I can’t remember if I’ve read this book or not, but either way, I’m really excited about this one too.
  • The Witch of Portobello: I loved the Alchemist, and happened to see it at the same table as the other two books.  I think I’ll like this one too.
  • In The President’s Secret Service: I came across this book in my research, and have been meaning to get it.  I managed to find it (I believe it was one of a few copies left on the shelf) and looked through it, and I think it’ll be really helpful.

On another note, I also downloaded some new music.  A few random songs, plus the NCIS soundtrack.  There’s a few song that I just love on it, and I was trying really hard to not start singing along and dancing when I was at the living room on saturday.  I think After All by Saving Abel is my favorite song so far.

Reba

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I love her, I really do.  She’s not only one of my favorite singers overall, but also my favorite country singer ever!

I remember listening to her a lot when I was little.  Sadly, I don’t listen to her very much anymore, but I will once in a while.  I’ve only seen a few episodes of her tv show (before it was cancelled a few years ago), but she’s a pretty good actress too, which is impressive.

She has so many good songs, it’s really hard to pick which ones are my favorites.  Little Rock, You Lie, Fancy, For My Broken Heart, The Night The Lights When Out In Georgia, The Heart Won’t Lie, and Does He Love You are only a few of my favorite songs.  What’s interesting to note is that most of my favorite songs are from 1990 to 1996. 

Also hard to pick are my favorite albums.  I’d have to say that Rumor Has It, For My Broken Heart, It’s Your Call, Read My Mind, and Starting Over are all tied for my favorites.  Seriously, I can’t pick which one I like best. 

I think a lot of the problem in trying to pick favorite songs and albums of Reba’s is that she has such a long career.  25 studio albums, 91 singles, and 40 #1 singles, 33 of which were in the U.S, starting with her first album back in 1977.  Which is about 9 years before I was even born! 

It’s definitely inspiring, and even if I never publish, I hope her music continues to inspires me.  Plus, she’s multi-talented, and that’s pretty inspiring too.