D E S I G N /// ck

Apparently my favorite genre is called "Baroque Pop". I knew there was common thread through all this music, but I didn't know it was so defined. It's a style that "with clear indie-rock inclinations, uses additional members in the band to create a fuller-bodied, more orchestral sound. The writing style of the genre often has a distinct narrative quality to it and often makes references to history, literature, philosophy, and folklore." It's interesting they've revived the word "baroque", a term I'm more used to seeing in architectural descriptions. But if you've ever seen a jumbled, multi-layered, self-referential baroque palace, then you know that this is an apt term. It seems that architecture and music often swap references.

Look at the list in the Wikipedia article; it's a who's who of all the stuff that I've been obsessed with the past few years, plus old stuff like The Association that I've always loved.

Check out some "Baroque Pop":

Sufjan Stevens

Andrew Bird

Vampire Weekend

Panda Bear

Beruit

and of course, Of Montreal

[Disclaimer: this post is aimed at everyone but Jason, who manages to stay light years ahead of me in music awareness. Go ahead and laugh that I'm still catching up with 2007, you hipster scumbag]