I’ve been thinking about this term for so many months, wanting desperately to coin it. (I don’t even know what the process behind “coining” is, but blogging should do the trick in our modern times.)

Neo-Retro: a genre of music originating in the mid-2000s, consisting of new musical material created by young bands and artists of the time. The genre is characterized by utilization of the playing/singing techniques, orchestration/arrangement approaches or production methods from the 60s, 70s, or 80s. The result is new music that has an “old” or nostalgic sound. It should be noted that the bands and artists creating the trend most successfully arrive at the sound authentically, with no sense of irony.

Examples (listed w/the decade they sound like): The Rosewood Thieves (60s); The Mood Elevator (60s); A Band of Bees (60s, 70s); Jamie Lidell (60s, 70s, 80s); Little Barrie (60s, 70s); Kudu (80s); VHS or Beta (80s); Cut Copy (80s)

In case you were wondering, I love this sound.