Missed this post when it went up. Interesting read, thanks for pointing. 

<i>" Revivalist waves are more mysterious still: Why do clusters of young musicians and listeners gravitate to particular bygone sounds at particular times, and is there more to it than nostalgic arrested development? </i>
I've also wondered why an old sound suddenly starts to bubble up again as if from some unseen common pool .. Paul Janeway (St. Paul and the Broken Bones) and JD McPherson being two recent examples for me.  It intrigues me .. not only with respect to music, but also clothing fashions, home decor, even tastes in movies, TV shows, &amp; literature albeit to a less noticeable extent.  Is it nostalgia, a form of plagiarism, creativity lapses, laziness, or are there truly only so many ways to put notes, colors, words, and shapes together. 
And now that I've bored even myself, I'll shut up and wander back to my cave.