Twee pop - Definition and Overview

Twee (or Twee pop) is a type of indie rock that is known for simple, sweet melodies and lyrics, often with jangling guitars. The genre began in 1986, when New Musical Express released C86, a compilation of bands including the Pastels and Primal Scream; C86 became an entire genre that soon gave way to twee pop (see 1986 in music).

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

"Twee", a baby-talk alteration of "sweet", is a British English term for something that is overly sweet or knowingly cute.

The more punk-influenced variants of twee pop are also sometimes referred to as cuddlecore.

Twee bands

• All Girl Summer Fun Band
• Another Sunny Day
• Apples in Stereo
• Architecture in Helsinki
• Beat Happening
• Belle & Sebastian
• BMX Bandits
• Boyracer
• Oliver Brown
• Bunnygrunt
• Captain Cocoa
• Cannanes
• Camera Obscura
• The Cardigans
• The Cat's Miaow
• Cub
• The Darling Buds
• Dennis Driscoll
• The Field Mice
• Flatmates
• Heavenly
• Lois
• The Lucksmiths
• Maow
• The Orchids
• The Pastels
• The Primitives
• The Razorcuts
• St. Christopher
• Shoestrings
• Shonen Knife
• Shop Assistants
• The Softies
• The Steinbecks
• The Sundays
• The Sugar Gliders
• Talulah Gosh
• Tiger Trap
• Tullycraft
• The Vaselines
• Wolfie