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''The article "twee" redirects here. For a definition of the word "twee", see its entry on wiktionary .'' Indie pop is a genre of ' had been used for some time to describe artists on independent labels (and the labels themselves), the mid-80s saw a steady increase in bands who had a pop sensibility but generally favoured a relatively simple guitar-based sound over the highly produced, synth-driven pop that was prevalent at the time on major record labels. The late 80s saw a shift in the UK independent scene towards a more 'rock' sound, with many bands evolving in this direction (e.g. Primal Scream and The Soup Dragons ). At the same time, a second wave of bands emerged who harked back to the more jangly guitar pop that was so popular in 1986, a particular influence being the more poppy/jangly bands on the NME 's C86 tape (e.g. The Pastels , and The Shop Assistants ), and there emerged a distinction between 'indie pop' and the more US-influenced ' Indie Rock '. The more jangly indie pop bands later came to be referred to as 'C86' (after the tape itself) or Cutie or Twee due to what commentators called the "revolt into childhood" of its followers, or a term coined by John Peel : shambling bands.
"Of course the "scene", like any scene, barely existed. Like squabbling Marxist factions, groups who had much in common built up petty rivalries. The June Brides and the Jasmine Minks were the biggest names at Alan McGee's Living Room Club and couldn't stand the sight of each other. Only when the Jesus and Mary Chain exploded and stole their two headed crown did they realise they were basically soulmates." Stanley, Bob Sleevenotes to CD86 , 2006 , http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1930836,00.html Influences Simon Reynolds talking about the political/cultural aspect of the scene referred to a "revolt into childhood". Style magazine I-D in an article from 1986 similarly concluded that the followers of the genre had an ingenuous devotion. "Childlike innocence and assumed naivety permeate the Cutie scene – their clothes are asexual, their haircuts are fringes, their colours are pastel. Cuties like Penguin modern classics, sweets, ginger beer, vegetables, and anoraks. Heroes include Christopher Robin … Buzzcocks and The Undertones .” as quoted in Steve Redhead, End-of-the-Century Party, Youth and Pop Towards 2000, p82, Manchester University Press, 1990 (Manchester) Rather more caustically, David Stubbs , in a derogatory Melody Maker review of the C86 tape, claimed that these were bands "for whom Camberwick Green is a sort of Palestine " Musically in his book ''Time Travel'', , Aztec Camera , The Fire Engines and Josef K (although those bands Soul / Funk / Disco influences were usually forgotten). Other influences were the DIY Punk Ethic represented by fanzines from the period such as The Legend!, Are You Scared To Get Happy? , Baby Honey, Simply Thrilled, Pure Popcorn and Hungry Beat! who often featured flexis of bands who then became associated with C86. The movement continued to hold sway into the 1990 s with many of the Riot Grrl bands citing C86 as an influence and finally reached a commercial peak with the success of Belle And Sebastian . The most significant Punk Rock influences are the Buzzcocks and The Ramones , who had catchy pop melodies in their songs. TWEEPOP AND INDIEPOP IN THE USA In the United States, a similar revolution in underground pop had been taking place in Olympia , Washington . Beat Happening , an indie band fronted by Calvin Johnson and Heather Lewis , who additionally started a record label called K Records , led this "revolution." Their aesthetic was quite similar to their British cohorts, with hand-drawn photocopied sleeves and stripped-down instrumentation playing pure pop gems that were well out of step with the then-current hardcore punk scene. The first Beat Happening record, on K, was released in 1985. Other labels sprang up across the country, including Bus Stop (Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, from 1987); Picturebook (Barrington, Illinois, from 1987), Harriet (Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1989) and Slumberland (Silver Spring, Maryland, from 1989, later California), bringing together the American sound of Beat Happening, which was a little rawer and more pared-down, with the British indie pop of Sarah and others, which was sometimes softer, more harmonious, and more twee. Important groups included Tiger Trap , Tullycraft and Honeybunch . In the USA indie pop is also commonly known as Twee or Twee Pop. 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".1 The origins of the word "twee" are disputed, but it is generally accepted that it is a corruption of the word "sweet", used to mean "affectedly dainty" {Link without Title} . International In addition to the United Kingdom and the United States, there has been a significant school of bands since 1985 in New Zealand, recording for Flying Nun Records , most notably the trio of The Bats , The Chills , and The Clean . Instantly recognizable for their insistent jangle-guitar strums and sweet, high male choirboy voices, these bands were the model for much of what followed in other countries. Not just English-speaking countries, either; France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Philippines, Greece, Spain, Canada and Mexico all have significant indie pop scenes. Elefant Records (Spain) and Summershine Records (Australia) are notable labels in the international development of indie pop. Today In claiming C86 and Sarah records as their inspiration. Rogers, Jude ''Stockholm Syndrome'' http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1872154,00.html SEE ALSO NOTES REFERENCES Articles and books
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