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The definition of twee is something "excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental," supposedly born from a childish mispronunciation of the word sweet. With the Twee movement's embrace of innocence and femininity, the genre has strong associations with feminism and queer activism.
- c. 1986, United Kingdom
Feb 11, 2022 · Historically, the term is meant to describe things that are whimsical, girly, innocent, or precious. There is even an inherent cuteness to the word “twee,” evoking the squeak...
- Beat Happening, “Beat Happening” It's impossible to discuss the history of twee pop without mentioning Beat Happening, the Olympia, Washington-based trio fronted by K Records founder Calvin Johnson.
- Talulah Gosh, “Backwash” While they never put out a proper full-length album during their two years together, English band Talulah Gosh were still able to establish a cult following that helped kick off the twee movement in the late '80s.
- Heavenly, “Heavenly vs. Satan” While K Records came to define the indie pop movement in the Pacific Northwest, the short-lived Bristol label Sarah Records was promoting the subgenre across the globe.
- Black Tambourine, “Black Tambourine” Another record label that was crucial to the early days of twee pop and indie rock was the Washington, D.C.- based Slumberland Records, whose co-founder Mile Schulman performed in Black Tambourine.
- Beat Happening. Perhaps the greatest proponent of twee pop. Formed in Olympia, Washington (a twee pop hub) in 1982 by Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis, and Bret Lunsford, the band are also a landmark in lo-fi music.
- Tiger Trap. High school friends Angela Loy, Rose Melberg, Heather Dunn, and Jen Braun, the foursome only released one titular album on K Records but that was enough to secure their future influence.
- Belle & Sebastian. Glasgow has a proud indie pop tradition and Belle & Sebastian are arguably the greatest exporters of the form from Scotland’s music capital.
- The Field Mice. A Sarah Records artist, the London group might have tried their hand at a number of genres, including dance and punk, but it was all delivered with a sincere wide-eyed naivety.
- Visuals
- Fashion
- Media
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- Home Decor
The Twee aesthetic largely involves a cheerful range of colors, often displayed by Wes Anderson's filmography. Saturated pastels, homey shades of tan and brown, and bright primary colors are some examples. These are color coordinated to an un-naturalistic extent, creating an idealized, perfect image. For example, a room made up of only cherry red, ...
Fashion is heavily influenced by the styles of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. On screen, twee fashion tends to be influenced by the "character uniforms" common in Wes Anderson's films, a practice which was influenced by the films of Jean-Luc Godard. A young school girl, for example, wears a white blouse, pleated skirt, knee socks, and Mary-Janes. Pat...
TV Shows
1. Adventures of Pete and Pete(1991-1996) 2. A Series of Unfortunate Events(2017-2019) 3. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency(2016-2017) 4. John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch(2019) 5. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood(1968-2001) 6. The Mysterious Benedict Society(2021) 7. Portlandia(2011) 8. Pushing Daisies(2007-2009) 9. New Girl(2011-2018) 10. Hilda(2018-)
Movies
Twee movies tend to be coming of age stories, where a character is caught between childhood and adulthood. The main character is often an unusually precocious child or an unusually childish adult who refuses to grow up. 1. Adult Life Skills(2016) 2. Because of Winn-Dixie(2005) 3. Elf(2003) 4. Elizabethtown(2005) 5. Flipped(2010) 6. Garden State(2004) 7. 500 Days of Summer(2009) 8. Gentlemen Broncos(2009) 9. God Help the Girl(2014) 10. Greenberg(2010) 11. Harold and Maude (1971) 12. Juno(2007)...
Books
Many children's book illustrations embody the twee aesthetic. 1. Harriet the Spyby Louise Fitzhugh 2. Curious George books by H.A. Rey 3. Doctor Seuss books 4. Roald Dahl books 5. Harold and the Purple Crayonby Crockett Johnson 6. My Father's Dragonseries by Ruth Stiles Gannett 7. Moominseries by Tove Jansson 8. Paddingtonbook series by Michael Bond 9. Madlenka and Madlenka's Dogby Peter Sis Books for adults 1. The Rosie Projectseries by Graeme Simsion 2. Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams,...
Twee Pop is a subgenre of indie pop that emerged in the 1980s and reached its peak in the 1990s. The music genre is characterized by its jangly guitars, catchy melodies, and often childlike lyrics. Twee Pop bands typically incorporate elements of nostalgia, DIY (do-it-yourself) ethos, and a rejection of mainstream music conventions and the lyrics o...
Twee home decor is a mixture of the old and antique, and the bright and "new" (in reality retro pieces from the 1960s-1980s) and heavily influenced by the Mid Century Modern design aesthetic. Retro technology like rotary dial phones, record players, and radios frequently appear. 1. Anthropologie 2. Janet Hill Studio 3. Luke Edward Hall 4. The Socie...
Victor Kidwell, Features EditorDecember 14, 2021. Twee pop is a genre that came into being roughly around the release of British music magazine NME’s C86 compilation. Many took notice of the fact that C86 prominently featured music with light, lilting harmonies, and jangly guitars, which formed the basis of the twee-pop genre.
Apr 13, 2021 · Initially used as an insult towards indie pop’s often cutesy, tenderfooted exterior, the word “twee” — like many of the best insults of history — was eventually reclaimed by the community it was used against. Indie pop of the late ’80s and ’90s embraced a sort of childlike wonder.
