The Indiepop/Twee Pop/C86 Appreciation Thread

SilverScreen · 06-07-2014 09:42PM #1

Because sometimes wimps make great music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfHxZRHsPy4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3QtS3OJnjA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn-njpBoVEE

Some essential albums:
Dolly Mixture - Demonstration Tapes
Various Artists - NME C86
The Flatmates - Potpourri (Hits, Mixes and Demos 85-89)
Talulah Gosh - Backwash
The Pastels - Sittin' Pretty
The Field Mice - Snowball
The Vaselines - The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History
Beat Happening - You Turn Me On
Tiger Trap - s/t
Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Camera Obscura - Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t
Allo Darlin' - s/t

Pighead · 06-07-2014 11:21PM

These guys were a bit twee I think. Wrote some great tunes over the years.

Dandelion6 · 07-07-2014 07:21AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M0asv_oe_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WHHDN-aYQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtmlfuEukMs

I could do this all day

seachto7 · 08-07-2014 01:22PM

Anything by Mice Parade!

Sacksian · 09-07-2014 02:06PM

For me, the essential album of the original era is The June Brides - There Are Eight Million Stories. But their immediate predecessors (and influences) are equally worth spending time on, particularly Television Personalities and Subway Sect.

I find a lot of the more modern/revivalist twee stuff to be basically pastiche - and often misses the politics of the original indiepop movement - but, if you do have a spare two weeks and you haven't already, you could do worse than immersing yourself in the noughties' output of Swedish labels like Labrador (esp. Radio Dept. + SKWBN), Hybris (esp. Montt Mardié) and Service (esp. Embassy + The Tough Alliance).

cranks · 11-07-2014 12:58PM

Sacksian wrote: »

For me, the essential album of the original era is The June Brides - There Are Eight Million Stories. But their immediate predecessors (and influences) are equally worth spending time on, particularly Television Personalities and Subway Sect.

I find a lot of the more modern/revivalist twee stuff to be basically pastiche - and often misses the politics of the original indiepop movement - but, if you do have a spare two weeks and you haven't already, you could do worse than immersing yourself in the noughties' output of Swedish labels like Labrador (esp. Radio Dept. + SKWBN), Hybris (esp. Montt Mardié) and Service (esp. Embassy + The Tough Alliance).

I'd forgotten The June Brides! - 'Every Converation' was a big favourite of mine. Just Youtubed it and it sounds as good as ever.

I wouldn't consider TV Personalities as twee but can see where you're coming from. A consistently stunningly brilliant band both lyrically and acoustically. They should be mandatory listening! It's almost an injustice to pick out one track but hey:

A couple of albums worth checking out that have a twee feel but don't really qualify. Probably helped spawn the genre in the same way as the TV personalities:

The Raincoats' 'Odyshape'
Young Marble Giants 'Colossal Youth'

Primal Scream up to and including 1st Album 'Sonic Flower Groove', a jangly twee fest if ever there was one. I couldn't figure out what the hell Bobby Gilespie was doing given his JAMC background. 'Velocity Girl' a highlight of that PS period.

iomega · 16-07-2014 10:58PM

Newish Jangle / twee guitar band. Weird Dreams. They put out their debut about 2 years ago. Really good record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ-KB1gqqMg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiELYz4jbMA

SilverScreen · 23-07-2014 11:21PM

Marine Girls were one of the earliest twee pop bands, featuring Tracy Thorn who would go on to front Everything But the Girl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWdqMQ3W-w

Something closer to home, Belfast's Language of Flowers. They only released one album called Songs About You in 2004 and it's great for some jangly twee goodness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb_Xe0HF7Y8

Dandelion6 · 24-07-2014 07:51AM

Tracey Thorn's solo album, A Distant Shore, was pretty amazing too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE2GLsoxOJE

pamello · 25-07-2014 11:47PM

Lesser Matters, by The Radio Dept. to me one of the best indie pop albums ever. from the same music label, also Sambassadeur. worth listening also Ballboy, Go Betweens, and Sodastream. last but not least, The Magnetic Fields

mosstin · 29-07-2014 03:35PM

pamello wrote: »

Lesser Matters, by The Radio Dept. to me one of the best indie pop albums ever. from the same music label, also Sambassadeur. worth listening also Ballboy, Go Betweens, and Sodastream. last but not least, The Magnetic Fields

You see here's where I have an issue with labelling like this. The Go-Betweens twee or indie pop? Bull****. Just because they didn't have commercial success does not mean that they should be lumped in with twee or indie pop or whatever. The Go Betweens were an epic band, a million miles removed from most of the crud that passes for twee pop. Yup, I am a fan!

pamello · 29-07-2014 04:52PM

the term 'indie pop' or 'indie rock' is associated with the Go-Betweens by a number of webzines, blogs, books, etc. i don't think it diminishes the value of the band. not sure why you think it's negative. can't they just be an epic indie pop band?

mosstin · 29-07-2014 05:52PM

pamello wrote: »

the term 'indie pop' or 'indie rock' is associated with the Go-Betweens by a number of webzines, blogs, books, etc. i don't think it diminishes the value of the band. not sure why you think it's negative. can't they just be an epic indie pop band?

I think the entire twee pop, C86 name etc is a really reductive term and doesn't apply to The Go-Betweens any more than it does The Cure. There are certain bands, some listed above who are twee pop to their cuticles, but The Go-Betweens are definitely not among that number.

The Indiepop/Twee Pop/C86 Appreciation Thread

Comments