The Whomping Willows (Blog) @thewhompingwillows-blog - Tumblr Blog

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Helloooo! I’ll be emerging from my extended recording hiatus to contribute a song to this awesome comp, which is only available through the HPA’s Friends of the Apparating Library fundraiser -- which, incidentally, ends TODAY. There are way more amazing contributors than can fit on this album cover, so please make sure you grab a copy before it disapparates at 11:59pm PST tonight!

PS. You can also get this amazing design on a t-shirt through the same fundraiser, and there’s a package deal for folks who want both!

#harry potter alliance #feminism #patriarchy #wizard rock #harry potter

Paul and Joe had an amazing idea and it grew into a community that included 750 bands and tens of thousands of fans at its peak. Dozens of musicians have built careers with wizard rock as their springboard, and a few of those folks are represented on the HPA’s brand new Harry and the Potters tribute comp -- available only through HPA10!

Curated by yours truly and Brian Ross from Draco and the Malfoys, this comp will feature covers of Harry and the Potters songs performed by several veteran wizard rockers -- Lauren Fairweather, Swish & Flick, Tonks and the Aurors, The Blibbering Humdingers, Madame Pince and the Librarians, Hawthorn & Holly, Kwikspell, and Neville’s Diary -- as well as an array of YouTube-oriented musicians who’ve written plenty of wizard rock themselves -- Hank Green, Kirstyn Hippe, and Hannah Moroz. Other contributors include Potter Puppet Pals, Tianna and the Cliffhangers, Andrew Huang, Gio Navas, and newcomers The D.A. Oh, and the curators of the comp will be contributing too!

All proceeds benefit the Harry Potter Alliance, the history and legacy of which is closely intertwined with Harry and the Potters. Head on over to HPA10 for more details on this comp and many other incredible perks offered through the HPA’s 10th anniversary fundraiser.

#hpa10 #wizard rock #harry and the potters #harry potter alliance

Last Chance to Help Kickstart The Whomping Willows: 1975!

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING:

While the success of my Kickstarter project is hardly a bellwether for the entire wizard rock scene, I do find it heartening that 111 people have donated an average of $28 each to the funding of a new wizard rock album's production and distribution. When taken into consideration alongside another very successful wizard rock Kickstarter that funded Tonks and the Aurors, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Kirstyn Hippe's upcoming tour, and the fact that Harry and the Potters are about to embark on their own summer tour, I can't help but feel optimistic about the state of wizard rock in 2013.

I am SO EXCITED to get going on this new album, and I am thrilled that wizard rock fans have thrown their support behind this project -- so much support, in fact, that I can confirm the following:

*I will be able to hire Dan Brennan to mix and master this album. He's the same guy who mixed and mastered When I Was Your Age and he also mastered Wizard Party Forever!!!. He is amazing.

*I will be offering a physical component to this release, although it won't be the traditional compact disc format. In fact, it'll be way cooler than that: I'm thinking something like a frameable wall art version of the album cover, with liner notes and a digital download code on the back.

It's incredibly unlikely that I'll hit my next stretch goal, which is that if I reach $5,000 I will book a record release tour. Regardless, I'm feeling so awesome about this entire ordeal that such a concept isn't totally outside the realm of possibility.

Regardless, there is still time to contribute to my Kickstarter campaign! By doing so, you're not just helping out one wizard rocker with the creation of a new album. You're joining a chorus of wizard rock fans who refuse to believe that wizard rock is over!

Your support is very much appreciated!

Love, Matt

The Whomping Willows: 1975 (Album Restoration)

HUGE NEWS: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry recently invited me to the opening of a time capsule that was originally assembled and hidden away in 1975. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall had received a tip from the Whomping Willow that the time capsule contained something that might interest me. So, I went to Hogwarts. And it was awesome.

The opening of the time capsule revealed an incredible surprise: A demo tape in a shoddy case, labeled "Whomping Willows Demos - 1975"! After some light prodding, the sneaky magical tree revealed that the demo tape was in fact a full album, revolving around Marauders-era events and recorded in 1975!

After an emotional meeting, the Whomping Willow granted me permission to restore the album, convert it to contemporary digital format, and release it on my DIY record label, Cheap Rent Records. But in order to do this, I NEED YOUR HELP!

This entire process will be very expensive, so I need to raise funds to cover the costs. I've created a series of amazing rewards that you'll receive in exchange for your donation! Please check them out over at the project's Kickstarter page!

Love, Matt

Everything's On Sale Sale!

Hello friends!

It's my birthday next week, and as usual I am celebrating it (and the new year!) with an awesome sale on my wizard merch! I'm offering shirts for as low as $6 and CDs for $8! No crazy discount codes required. No complicated package deals. Just pick whatever you want and save some money! Easy peasy!

Check it out here!

Love,

Matt

From now until December 14 at 10pm EST, I am offering BUY ONE GET ONE FREE t-shirts and albums, as well as FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50! Also, I'm offering three awesome package deals! 1) My entire discography -- that's five full-length albums -- for just $30! 2) The ALL STAR PACK, which is a collection of the best my online store has to offer -- the I Believe In Nargles t-shirt plus the Wizard Party Forever!!! and Demons at the Helm albums --- for just $28! 3) The Whompy's Choice deal -- for $18, you get a t-shirt and an album of MY choosing! It's kinda like receiving a holiday present, except... you have to pay for it. Sorry. :D

House of Awesome Headquarters Is Relocating!

Friends! Lauren and I will be moving out of Woonsocket and (hopefully) to our desired neighborhood of Edgewood in Cranston, RI. We're hoping the fresh and friendly surroundings of an artistically inclined community like Edgewood will inspire us to write better songs, film better vlogs, and live a better life overall.

First, we have to worry about the process of moving. We have a TON of stuff to move, and as a result we're planning to donate a lot of clothes to the Salvation Army, sell off some musical equipment and other valuables that we no longer need, and (hopefully!) unload some wizard merch via our Relocation Sale!

Lauren and I both have decided to offer a 20% discount on our entire merch lineup. Here is a link to my store. And here is a link to Lauren's store. When checking out, click on the little link that says "enter discount code" and enter 'moving' into the discount code field. Super easy!

As always, we truly appreciate your support -- not only will your purchase help reduce our moving load, but it'll also help us pay the rent! :D

Love, Matt (and Lauren)

Sushi Tacos!

The other day Lauren and I were chatting about how we love both sushi and tacos, and then Lauren was like, "OMG SUSHI TACOS," and I was like, "Holy balls, I am going to make that tomorrow." So I did. And it was amazing. Recipe: This basically involves preparing a few things separately and then wrapping them together in a flour tortilla. This recipe makes six generously-stuffed soft tacos. I ate three of them -- a fairly large meal -- and the calorie total was a reasonable 625. Spicy Salmon and Nori Salad Ingredients: 8 ounces salmon, preferably king and wild caught 2 tablespoons vegan mayo 3 teaspoons sriracha 1 sheet of nori Cook the salmon in a bit of oil (I use smart balance omega blend). You basically want to steam it in the pan without searing it too much, as you'll eventually be making a salad of it, so keep it at about 4/10 heat. Transfer the salmon to a bowl, let it chill for a bit, then break it up with a fork. Add vegan mayo and sriracha and mix it up until it's all nice and creamy. Taste it; you know you can't resist. Take a sheet of nori and crumble it with your fingers. Add it to the salmon salad and stir it all up. It'll seem like too much but it's not. Just do it. Cucumber Salsa Ingredients: 1 cucumber, seeded and diced Roughly 1.5 tablespoons of sushi vinegar (which is basically just rice vinegar with salt and sugar added) Half a tablespoon of Joyce Chen garlic and ginger oil. Directions: Mix it all up in a bowl. Let it sit while you do other stuff and stir occasionally. You'll note that the vinegar will have a nice pickling effect on the cucumbers after 15 minutes or so. Brown Rice Prepare brown rice according to the directions on the package. We made four servings worth but only used like a third of it in the tacos. Other Ingredients: Stonewall brand wasabi mustard -- amazing stuff Reduced sodium soy sauce LaTortilla Factory white whole wheat flour tortillas (they say mini on the package but they're actually a bit bigger than a normal soft taco shell) Assembling Your Taco: Lay the tortilla flat on a plate. Take about 1/8 of a cup of rice and spread it out in the middle of the tortilla. Take about one sixth of the spicy salmon salad and portion it out over the rice.Next, spoon a similar amount of the cucumber salsa over that. Use a fork to distribute a liberal amount of the wasabi mustard on top, roughly a teaspoon per taco. Finally, apply some soy sauce as you see fit. Fold it up and stuff your face with it! Repeat.

I apologize in advance for this Ask. This has no baring on anything, ever, but I ran "Matthew Maggiacomo" through an anagram generator and came up with "I AM WET, MACHO MAGGOT." With Matt instead of Matthew it comes up with "TO MAGIC TO GAMMA." Uh, yep, that's pretty much the only reason I'm here. Oh! I love When I Was Your Age. (And your other albums, but this is getting long.)

Thanks for the kind words about my new album! Also, if I ever run for public office, "I AM WET, MACHO MAGGOT" will be my campaign slogan.

Hi, Matt! I love the new album. Could you give us a little background for the song Oh, Brother?

Thanks! Oh, Brother is a song about my relationship with my brother when we were teenagers. It wasn't a very good relationship, as my brother suffered from numerous psychological issues and had violent tendencies. Given that my brother passed away about a decade later, it was really challenging to go back and write a song about the worst part of our relationship when he was still alive. That said, I couldn't write an album about my high school years without including a song about my brother. I won't get into it much more than that, as it's obviously very personal.

House of Awesome - Five Year Anniversary!!

I can't believe it's been five years since I released Welcome to the House of Awesome! This album is by far my best-selling and most-loved album of all time, so much so that I sometimes find myself wondering why people like it as much as they do. When I insist that Demons at the Helm and Wizard Party Forever!!! are better, people just shake their heads and tell me to stop talking. I guess I can't argue with the people!

In any case, I AM very proud of how successful this album has become, and I've decided to honor its five-year anniversary with an incredible deal: I've created a limited edition, 22-track version of the album that I will be selling in the form of a homemade CDR. This will allow me to keep costs low and offer House of Awesome enthusiasts a chance to own every version of these songs that I currently have in my possession! Specifically, the CDR will include the entire original album, as well as the Rock n' Roll Redux EP and five exclusive live tracks! Most of the live tracks come from my legendary full-band performance at Wrockstock '08 -- the one that was threatened by tornado warnings, and the one that many fellow wizard rock bands cited as their inspiration for assembling full bands at major events. There is also a live track from a house party in Providence RI, during which my cousin Erin chews me out for being a "manwhore" and using Wizard Rock Heart Throb as a means of gaining sympathy from adoring female fans. Winky face! Warning: that live track contains explicit language due to my cousin's potty mouth! Finally, I will be hand-decorating each of these CDRs with goofy doodles and bedazzling them with stickers, just like in the old days!

If this all sounds good to you, feel free to bop on over to my online store and get yourself a copy before they sell out! It's only $12 plus shipping for 22 tracks of awesomeness!

Love,

Matt

SUMMER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED!

Hey folks!

I've been booking my summer tour since November, and I'm happy to say that it's been going extremely well! I have a crazy schedule planned for June, July, AND August -- specifically, I'll be going on THREE separate tours, all with unique lineups! The first tour is the most ambitious tour I've ever planned: a six-band, rolling wizard rock festival that includes several veterans of the wizard rock scene: The Whomping Willows (that's me!), Lauren Fairweather, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Tonks and the Aurors, Snidget, and I Speak Tree. This is a first-class lineup and we are committed to offering you a festival-like atmosphere and show quality for FREE or VERY CHEAP. All shows will cost no more than $10, and most will be free!

In order to pull off this crazy plan, we need your help! We'll be traveling in a large tour van and our expenses will be two to three times what they are for a normal tour. As you're probably aware, the economy is in rough shape and many public libraries have lost their funding for programming like ours. As a result, we're not getting the usual level of support from our venues to cover expenses (in fact, we're getting about 25% of what we normally get, which is bad considering our expenses have tripled!). SO, with that in mind, we have launched an amazing Kickstarter campaign for this tour. Check it out HERE. We're offering some incredible rewards that you simply will not find anywhere else!

I'll be following up that insane tour with two more traditional trips in July and August. You can check out my complete summer tour schedule HERE.

Please note: Even if you don't live where we're playing in June and can't make one of those shows, your donation will help us have the security to continue touring into the future. We believe so strongly in the wizard rock community, and that's why we haven't totally moved on to other pursuits. We want to keep rocking the library and promoting literacy and other charities, but we can't do that without the dedication and support of our wonderful fans. If you want to keep the wizard rock dream alive, please consider donating to our Kickstarter! :D

Love, Matt

Brand new music video for From Ginny To Luna! Pass it around! :D

Amazing new I Believe In Nargles t-shirt, redesigned by Lauren Fairweather! Click here to check it out and pre-order! Shirts will ship on/around February 20. :)

From Ginny To Luna (New Single!)

Happy New Year, wizard kids!

A few weeks ago I wrote a new song, entitled From Ginny To Luna. The inspiration for this song came directly from recent live performances of Draco and Harry, in which I'd substitute "Ginny and Luna" for Draco and Harry during the last chorus as a means of demonstrating that Ginny is badass enough to find her own happiness and not just pine over Harry when he's distracted by other romantic pursuits. My plan for this song was to make a music video and hopefully release it in late January or early February.

However, as the New Year approached, I decided I wanted to make a statement to open up 2012: Since a few people have expressed concern that my new side project, Matt Maggiacomo, would become my sole musical focus at the expense of The Whomping Willows, I wanted to begin 2012 with the release of a new wizard rock song to reassure people that I'm still very much invested in the wizarding world!

And so I decided to release the song now on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp and worry about the music video later. This kicks off one of my new year resolutions: I plan to write and record at least two new songs per month, release them all as digital singles, and maybe eventually compile them onto a CD (likely in time for summer tour). I think this will keep me in a creative mindset and it'll also give Whomping Willows fans something to look forward to every month between now and June!

Here are the various places where you can get From Ginny To Luna:

iTunes

Amazon

Bandcamp

Love, Matt

Q. Will The Whomping Willow Ever Release A Solo Album?

A. I received this question via twitter from @loveofstrings, and I have to admit that it threw me for a loop. My immediate reaction was "Yeah, he's released like 8 of them already," and then I remembered that The Whomping Willows is actually a collab between the Whomping Willow and the human he possesses (me). Before striking this deal to possess my body for live shows and recording purposes, the Whomping Willow performed music for Hogwarts students using the most powerful form of magic: music itself. Specifically, the music simply emanated from the Whomping Willow's body. There were no instruments, no PA systems, just the tree and his music and a very limited audience (Hagrid, and mostly just when he was drunk). The Whomping Willow had no plans to release any albums -- UNTIL he created a Myspace account and discovered Harry and the Potters. Hearing that Harry had started a band with himself inspired Whompy to take his music more seriously, and he knew that the only way to start a true career was to utilize muggle technology like musical instruments, computers, and compact discs.

In any case, it's impossible for the Whomping Willow to release a solo album because he needs a human host through which to operate. And ultimately it's impossible for any non-Hogwarts student to hear what Whompy truly sounds like, because Whompy is limited somewhat by the existing sound of his muggle host's voice (and arguably also limited by his muggle host's instrumental talent, as there is only so much Whompy can do with Matt's pudgy fingers on guitar). The only thing Whompy has control over is the songwriting, and even that has been compromised by his host's overbearing desire for creative control (see: Demons at the Helm).

In all seriousness, the real answer to this question is that all Whomping Willows albums and Matt Maggiacomo albums are coming from the same brain. If you support one, it behooves you to support the other. After all, if you do not wish to support a Matt Maggiacomo album based on the fact that it's not wizard rock, then that kinda makes you a Death Eater who discriminates against muggles. Think about it. And then buy my album here. ;)

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