Conor Oberst -- Indie? Folkie? Bloggie?

Not to be confused with Def Leppard’s Pyromania, The Who’s Quadrophenia or The Kinks’ paranoia (“Destroyer,” properly).

We have noticed the recent origin and increasing use of the phrase “blog rock” on the web.  Enquiring minds want to know.

Given the passing this September of America’s preeminent etymologist, William Safire, we’re going to take it on ourselves to parse this new term.

Blog rock is the music that gets featured at Brooklyn Vegan, gorilla vs. bear, Daytrotter and the rest. But you knew that.

Is it anything new?  Isn’t it just indie rock in disguise, which was alternative rock in disguise, which was punk rock in disguise, which was rock and roll in disguise?

And who cares, anyway, other than rock bloggers, who probably don’t even exist, since they live in a parallel, virtual cyberspace where no actual rocker would ever venture?