Twee pop
| Twee pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | c. 1986, United Kingdom |
| Other topics | |
Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop[1] that is thought to originate from the 1986 NME compilation C86. Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy-girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about love. For many years, prominent independent record labels associated with twee pop were Sarah Records (in the UK) and K Records (in the US).[3]
Characteristics
The definition of twee is something "excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental," supposedly born from a childish mispronunciation of the word sweet. While the terms "twee" or "twee pop" are considered pejorative in the UK[citation needed], a retrospective fascination with the genre in the US saw Americans eagerly defining themselves as twee.[4] According to The A.V. Club's Paula Mejia:
The difference between “twee” and “indie pop” is slight but polarizing. Both styles of music transcended genre, became a tape-trading lifestyle, and have similar influences, drawing from the Ramones’ minimalist three-chord structures as much as The Jesus And Mary Chain’s salty pop harmonies. Everyone varies slightly on origins ... Twee itself began as a vast collection of sounds, gathering the threads where luminaries left off, and carving out divergent avenues in their wake.[2]
AllMusic says that twee pop is "perhaps best likened to bubblegum indie rock – it's music with a spirit of D.I.Y. defiance in the grand tradition of punk, but with a simplicity and innocence not seen or heard since the earliest days of rock & roll".[3] The author Marc Spitz suggests that the roots of twee stem from the post-war 1950s music.[5] While the culture categorized itself under the moniker of "indie" (short for independent), many major twee powerhouses gained mainstream critical acclaim for their contributions to the twee movement.[6]
Related movements
| Cuddlecore | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins |
|
| Cultural origins | Mid 1990s |
Cuddlecore is a movement that emerged as a consequence of twee pop[2] that was briefly prominent in the mid-1990s.[7] This label described a style marked by harmony vocals and pop melodies atop a punk-style musical backing.[8] Cuddlecore bands were usually, although not always, all-female and essentially represented a more pop-oriented variation on the contemporaneous riot grrrl scene.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Indie Pop". AllMusic.
- ^ a b c d Mejia, Paula (1 May 2014). "A wistful walk through the precious world of twee pop". The A.V. Club.
- ^ a b c d "Twee Pop". AllMusic.
- ^ "Twee; Paul Morley's Guide to Musical Genres", BBC Radio 2, 10 June 2008
- ^ Spitz, Marc (2014). Twee: The Gentle Revolution in Music, Books, Television, Fashion, and Film. It Books. p. abstract. ISBN 0062213040.
- ^ Abebe, Nitsuh (24 October 2005), "Twee as Fuck: The Story of Indie Pop", Pitchfork
- ^ a b "Cute. Real Cute : The Look Is Dainty, but Cuddle Core Followers Are Brashly Telling the World They'll Grow Up the Way They Please". Los Angeles Times, 28 June 1995.
- ^ Kaitlin Fontana, Fresh at Twenty: The Oral History of Mint Records. ECW Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1770900523.