Twee pop

"Twee", a baby-talk alteration of "sweet", was originally a British term for something that is daintily sweet or cute.

Twee pop is a type of indie pop that is known for simple, sweet melodies and lyrics, often combined with jangling guitars. The genre began in 1986, when New Musical Express released C86, a compilation of bands including the Pastels and Primal Scream; see 1986 in music.

The 1970s-1980s Post-Punk Band The Television Personalities are often cited as a major influence on the genre, along with Buzzcocks and The Ramones. This was more evident in the more punk-influenced bands, like Shonen Knife.

In the United Kingdom, where twee pop was most popular, Sarah Records was home to most of the bands in the field, including Heavenly, The Field Mice and the Orchids. In the United States, the movement was championed by K Records of Olympia, Washington and was headed by the band Beat Happening.

Although 'twee pop' is a widely accepted term for this style of music it did not come into use until the 1990s. In the 1980s 'twee' bands were simply described to as 'indie' or 'shambling', the latter term coined by DJ John Peel, who originally applied it to a session by the group Bogshed.

Though Belle & Sebastian have been described as a twee pop band, this is a description the band has rejected. However, some of their fans, particularly those who also appreciate the work of fellow Jeepster Records bands Camera Obscura and the Candle Records stable, have begun using "twee" to classify themselves, eg. "I'm not indie, I'm twee."

The term has been rejected and then adopted by many of the bands whose sound has been described this way. This has spawned inside jokes like the T-shirts that read "Twee as Fuck" or "Twee Fucker" and Tullycraft's song "Twee" which describes a girl who "wakes up every morning to the sound of Sarah Records".

A more punk-influenced, North American variant of twee pop is also sometimes referred to as cuddlecore and is exemplified by bands such as Cub and Go Sailor.

List of twee pop bands

Alternative rock

Alternative metal - Britpop - C86 - College rock - Dream pop - Gothic rock - Grebo - Grunge - Indie pop/Indie rock - Industrial rock - Lo-fi - Madchester - Math rock - Noise pop - Paisley Underground - Post-punk revival - Post-rock - Riot Grrrl - Sadcore - Shoegazing - Space rock - Twee pop

Other topics

Bands - College radio - History - Indie (music) - Lollapalooza

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