The Official Twee Apreciation / Discussion Thread!

[neckermanncj]

I've been venturing into this genre of music over this past year more and more and every band that i've heard i absolutely love. Being a sub-genre of Alternative Rock and even more precise a sub-genre of Indie Pop, this deserves its own thread. Not only because the music is great but because it has it's own style and ethic compared to other genre's of music.

What Is Twee?

Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s such as Orange Juice and Josef K and the dominant UK independent band of the mid eighties, The Smiths. While the term 'indie' had been used for some time to describe artists on independent labels (and the labels themselves), the key moment in the naming of the genre was the release of NME's C86 tape in 1986. Although featuring a wide range of bands including Primal Scream, Bogshed, Half Man Half Biscuit, and The Wedding Present, it over time became shorthand for a genre known by a variety of terms. Initially it was dubbed 'C86' (after the tape itself), the more ambiguous indie pop, Cutie or a term coined by John Peel: shambling bands. Retrospectively, especially in the United States, the terms twee and twee pop were used, initially ironically, due to what commentators called the "revolt into childhood" of its followers. Musically its key characteristics were jangling guitars, a love of sixties pop and often fey, innocent lyrics. The UK label Sarah Records and its most popular band The Field Mice, although more diverse than the label indicates, were probably its most typical proponents. It was also inspired by the DIY scene of punk and there was a thriving fanzine, label and club and gig circuit. Scenes later developed in the United States particularly around labels such as K Records. Genres such as Riot Grrrl and bands as diverse as Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers, and Belle and Sebastian have all acknowledged its influence.

In the mid to late 80s, indie pop was criticized for its tweeness and underachievement but many now argue that C86 and the birth of the genre was a pivotal moment for independent music in the UK. It continues to have a strong following and inspire musicians, not just in the UK but around the world with new labels, clubs and bands devoted to the sound.

Examples of Twee to see if you'd enjoy it:

• Heavenly - C is the Heavenly Option
• Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh
• Beat Happening - Midnight A Go-Go
• The Pastels - Crawl Babies

If you liked any of the above songs, you could ask in a post what to check out by that band or similar bands or if you just want to dive into the genre you can not go wrong with any of the following albums:

Classic Twee Recommendations:

• Beat Happening - Jamboree
• Beat Happening - Beat Happening
• Tiger Trap - Tiger Trap
• The Pastels - Up For A Bit With The Pastels
• The Pastels - Sittin' Pretty
• Talulah Gosh - Backwash
• Heavenly - Le Jardin de Heavenly
• Go Sailor - Go Sailor
• The Softies - Holiday In Rhode Island
• The Vaselines - The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History
• Another Sunny Day - London Weekend
• The Brilliant Corners - Somebody Up There Likes Me

Modern Twee Recommendations:

• Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
• Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
• I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends
• The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever
• The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
• Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...
• Architecture In Helsinki - Places Like This
• of Montreal - Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
• The Halo Benders - The Rebels Not In
• Math and Physics Club - Math and Physics Club
• Saturday Looks Good To Me - All Your Summer Songs

i would like to clarify just one thing:

all twee bands are Indie Pop, but not all Indie Pop bands are twee. (i.e. The Shins or Vampire Weekend are NOT Twee)

please discuss, be intrigued, explore this wonderful genre of music through this thread!

[Gowienczyk]

I don't see why we needed a separate thread for something that can be applied to the indie/alt thread... either way, I love a bit of the twee I've heard, especially TBLLT and IFB.

[TheCoolGuy]

I love this thread and love twee.

[neckermanncj]

I don't see why we needed a separate thread for something that can be applied to the indie/alt thread... either way, I love a bit of the twee I've heard, especially TBLT and IFB.

because ocb kept ignoring my request to add this single post to the relevant links

I love this thread and love twee.

woo-hoo! what are some of your favorite bands?!

[MrFruitLord]

I don't know that much, but the few bits I've heard I like.

[neckermanncj]

I don't know that much, but the few bits I've heard I like.

that's great, but i must say if you (anyone really) wanted to divulge into this genre it is one of the hardest to find music for, most of these albums are out of print and if you can track down a download link, you'd have to be accepting that it might be in lesser than adequate quality

[afterstasis]

especially TBLT and IFB.

aside from los campesinos those are the only bands mentioned in this thread that i don't like.

[Gowienczyk]

aside from los campesinos those are the only bands mentioned in this thread that i don't like.

That's a shame, considering TBLLT is damn great.

[40FootWolf]

I'd say that I enjoy twee, but I don't appreciate it, really.

[afterstasis]

by the way, i'm listening to comet gain now and they're pretty incredible and are the best indie band that never gets talked about around here.