Indie pop
Stylistic origins	New Wave, Punk rock, Folk, Post-punk, pop
Cultural origins	early 1980s, United Kingdom
Typical instruments	Guitar - Bass - Drums - Keyboard
Mainstream popularity	1980s United Kingdom
Subgenres
C86 - Cuddlecore - Twee pop
Regional scenes
England - Scotland - Wales - Sweden - Ireland, United States, Australia
Other topics
Timeline of alternative rock

"Twee" redirects here. For a definition of the word, see its entry at wiktionary.

Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid '80s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s such as Orange Juice and Josef K and the dominant UK independent band of the mid eighties, The Smiths. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Postcard Recordings is a Glasgow -based Independent record label founded by Alan Horne in 1979 as a vehicle for Orange Juice and Josef K Orange juice is a Fruit juice obtained by squeezing pressing or otherwise crushing the interior of an orange. Josef K was a Scottish Post-punk band active in the early 1980s who released singles on record label Postcard Records. The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 ^[1] While the term 'indie' 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. In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous 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). Primal Scream are a Brit-nominated Scottish Alternative rock group formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie ( vocals The Soup Dragons were a Scottish Alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s named after a character in the 1970s children's TV 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. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been C86 is a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine New Musical Express (NME in 1986, featuring new bands licensed g. The Pastels, and The Shop Assistants), and there emerged a distinction between 'indie pop' and the more US-influenced 'indie rock'. The Pastels are a group from Glasgow, Scotland, UK. They have been described as an 'almost pop' group The Shop Assistants were an Indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984 initially as Buba & The Shop Assistants Indie rock is genre of Alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent Underground music scene The more jangly indie pop bands later came to be referred to as 'C86' (after the tape itself) or Cutie or Twee^[2] due to what commentators called the "revolt into childhood" of its followers, or a term coined by John Peel: shambling bands. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004 known professionally as John Peel, was an English Disc jockey, radio

Musically its key characteristics were jangling guitars, a love of sixties pop and often fey, innocent lyrics. The UK label Sarah Records and its most popular band The Field Mice, although more diverse than the label indicates, were probably its most typical proponents. Sarah Records was a UK Independent record label active between 1987 and 1995 best known for its recordings of twee pop, though the label always hated The Field Mice were the most popular band on the seminal cult indie label Sarah Records. Scenes also developed in the United States particularly around labels such as K Records. K Records is an Independent record label in Olympia Washington, co-founded owned and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Genres such as Riot Grrrl and bands as diverse as Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers, and Belle and Sebastian have all acknowledged its influence. Riot grrrl was an underground Feminist punk movement that started in the early 1990s and is often associated with Third-wave feminism (it Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as the " Manics " or " MSP " are a Welsh rock band consisting of James Belle and Sebastian are an Indie pop band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in January 1996 In the mid 80s, indie pop was criticised for its tweeness and underachievement but many now argue that its release and the birth of the genre was a pivotal moment for independent music in the UK. ^[3] It continues to have a strong following and inspire musicians, not just in the UK but around the world with new labels, clubs and bands devoted to the sound.

Contents 1 Roots 2 History 2.1 Influences 3 Twee pop and indie pop in the US 4 International 5 Today 6 See also 7 External links 8 Notes 9 References 9.1 Articles and books

Roots

The birth of indie pop can be traced back to the post-punk explosion in small photocopied fanzines, and small shop-based record labels, for example Glasgow's Postcard Records and London's Rough Trade Records. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Postcard Recordings is a Glasgow -based Independent record label founded by Alan Horne in 1979 as a vehicle for Orange Juice and Josef K London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Rough Trade Records began as an Independent record label, based in London, England. The publication in Record Business of the first weekly indie singles and album charts during the week ending January 19, 1980 and the adoption of such charts in the UK music press stimulated activity. The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) To reflect this, the British musical weekly New Musical Express released an era-defining compilation cassette called C81. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been This cassette featured a wide range of groups, reflecting the different approaches of the immediate post-punk era.

History

5 years on NME followed up C81 with C86. C86 is a cassette compilation released by the British music magazine New Musical Express (NME in 1986, featuring new bands licensed Similarly designed to reflect the new music scene of the time in the UK, it is now seen as the birth of "indie" in the UK. The UK music press, in this period, was extremely competitive with 4 weekly papers documenting new bands and trends and the grouping of bands, often artificially, with an overarching label to heighten interest or sell copies was commonplace. NME journalists of the period now agree that C86 was a typical example but also a by product of NME's "hip hop wars";^[4] a schism on the paper (and amongst readers) between enthusiasts of the contemporary progressive black music such as Public Enemy and Mantronix and the fans of traditional white rock. Public Enemy, also known as PE, is an influential hip hop group from Long Island New York, known for its politically charged Lyrics, criticism Mantronix was an innovative and influential 1980s Hip hop and electro funk music group founded by DJ Kurtis Mantronik ( Kurtis el Khaleel

Featuring key early bands of the genre such as The Pastels, The Shop Assistants and Primal Scream, the tape, despite its subsequent notoriety, also featured bands with a much harder punkier shambling sound featuring tracks from as many as 5 bands from the Ron Johnson label; Their loud quirkiness was completely at odds with the Byrdsy guitars and fey melodies of what came to be known as 'C86' bands. The Pastels are a group from Glasgow, Scotland, UK. They have been described as an 'almost pop' group The Shop Assistants were an Indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984 initially as Buba & The Shop Assistants Primal Scream are a Brit-nominated Scottish Alternative rock group formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie ( vocals Ron Johnson Records was an UK Independent record label operating between 1983 and 1988. The Byrds were a popular American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964

Over time the cassette became a shorthand for a movement within the British indie scene, often derided for its twee or "cuteness", jangly guitars, the bowl haircuts of its singers and asexual looks of its followers. In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous This was applied to bands whether they had been on the tape or not such as The June Brides and Biff Bang Pow!. The June Brides were an English Pop music group formed in London in 1983, by Phil Wilson and Simon Beesley of International Biff Bang Pow! were an Indie pop band from London, England, active between 1983 and 1991 centring around Creation Records boss Alan McGee Some later became associated with the sound but had yet to emerge such as Talulah Gosh, Razorcuts or the BMX Bandits who in 1990 released an album called C86. Talulah Gosh was a guitar-pop group from Oxford England and one of the leading bands of the Twee pop movement taking their name from the headline of an NME Razorcuts were an Indie pop band formed in 1985 in London The group centred around Gregory Webster and Tim Vass with various musicians including Peter Momtchiloff BMX Bandits are a Scottish 1960s-influenced guitar pop band who have been making music from 1986 to the present day Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The entire Sarah Records roster was dogged with associations with C86 and later as "Sarah bands" although the label's first release wasn't until 1987. Sarah Records was a UK Independent record label active between 1987 and 1995 best known for its recordings of twee pop, though the label always hated

A link between a genre and the C86 tape is often disputed by journalists and the bands on the tape. Everett True has argued that "C86 didn't actually exist as a sound, or style. I find it weird, bordering on surreal, that people are starting to use it as a description again". ^[5] Geoff Taylor from Age of Chance agreed. Age of Chance were an Alternative rock - dance crossover band from Leeds, England active from 1985 to 1991. "We never considered ourselves part of any scene. I’m not sure that the public at large did either, to be honest We were just an independent band around at that same time as the others. "^[6] Bob Stanley acknowledges that participants at the time reacted against lazy labelling but insists they shared an approach;

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. ^[7]

Nicky Wire remembers that it was the bands' very independence that gave the scene coherence; "People were doing everything themselves: making their own records, doing the artwork, gluing the sleeves together, releasing them and sending them out, writing fanzines because the music press lost interest really quickly. Nicholas Allen Jones, known as Nicky Wire, is the Lyricist, bassist and occasional Vocalist with the Welsh rock band "^[8]

Influences

Simon Reynolds talking about the political/cultural aspect of the scene referred to a "revolt into childhood". Simon Reynolds (born 1963 in London, England; raised in Hertfordshire) is an English Music critic who is well-known for his writings on Style magazine i-D in an article from 1986 similarly concluded that the followers of the genre had an ingenuous devotion. i-D is a British Magazine dedicated to Fashion, Music, Art and Youth culture.

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. Christopher Robin is a character created by A A Milne. After the rights were sold he has subsequently appeared in Disney cartoons Buzzcocks are an English Punk rock band formed in Manchester in 1975 The Undertones are a Northern Irish Punk rock / Power pop band formed in Derry in 1975 ^[9]

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, pop historian Jon Savage traced the origins of C86 and Indie Pop to the Velvet Underground's eponymous third album but perhaps a more obvious musical influence however was the pop side of post punk rock: bands such as The Television Personalities, the Swell Maps and Dolly Mixture and the quirky childlike lyrics of Jonathan Richman. David Stubbs is a British Journalist. He was born on September 13, 1962 in London, but grew up in Barwick-in-Elmet, Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper Camberwick Green (1966 is a British Children's television series, originally seen on BBC One, featuring Stop-motion Puppets Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Jon Savage (born 1953 real name Jonathon Sage is a Cambridge-educated Writer, broadcaster and Music journalist, best known for his award winning history "Twee" redirects here For a definition of the word see its entry at wiktionary. This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book The Velvet Underground is the third album by American rock group The Velvet Underground. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s The Television Personalities are an English group with a varying line up Swell Maps were an experimental English rock group of the 1970s from Birmingham, that foreshadowed the birth of Post-punk. Dolly mixture is a Scottish confection, consisting of a variety of multi-colored Fondant shapes such as Cubes and cylinders with subtle flavourings Jonathan Richman (born 16 May 1951) is an American singer songwriter and guitarist C86 was also rooted in the Scottish post-punk bands of the early 1980s on the independent Postcard label: Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, The Fire Engines and Josef K (although those bands soul/funk/disco influences were usually forgotten). Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels Postcard Recordings is a Glasgow -based Independent record label founded by Alan Horne in 1979 as a vehicle for Orange Juice and Josef K Orange juice is a Fruit juice obtained by squeezing pressing or otherwise crushing the interior of an orange. Aztec Camera was a Scottish New Wave music band from Glasgow. Fire Engines are a Post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland. The band was a part of the same literary art-punk scene as the Scars and their most Josef K was a Scottish Post-punk band active in the early 1980s who released singles on record label Postcard Records. The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define 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, Rox, Simply Thrilled, Pure Popcorn and Hungry Beat! who often featured flexis of bands who then became associated with C86. The DIY ethic ( Do it yourself ethic refers to the ethic of being self-reliant by completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are likely more experienced complete Are You Scared To Get Happy? was an influential music Fanzine published from Bristol, United Kingdom between 1985 and 1987 The movement continued to hold sway into the 1990s 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. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Riot grrrl was an underground Feminist punk movement that started in the early 1990s and is often associated with Third-wave feminism (it Belle and Sebastian are an Indie pop band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in January 1996 The most significant punk rock influences are the The Undertones, Buzzcocks and The Ramones, who had catchy pop melodies in their songs. The Undertones are a Northern Irish Punk rock / Power pop band formed in Derry in 1975 Buzzcocks are an English Punk rock band formed in Manchester in 1975 The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group

Twee pop and indie pop in the US

In the United States, a similar revolution in underground pop had been taking place in Olympia, Washington. Olympia is the Capital of Washington and is the County seat of Thurston County. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Beat Happening, an indie band fronted by Calvin Johnson and Heather Lewis, who additionally started a record label called K Records, led this "revolution. Beat Happening is an American Indie rock band formed in Olympia Washington in 1982 Calvin Johnson (born November 1, 1962) is an American Guitarist, Vocalist, Songwriter, Music producer, and Disc jockey K Records is an Independent record label in Olympia Washington, co-founded owned and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool " 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. Harriet is a female Name. The name is an English version of the French Henriette, a female form of Henri. Slumberland Records is a United States independent record label formed in 1989 in Washington D Important groups included Tiger Trap and Honeybunch. Tiger Trap was an all-female Twee-pop foursome composed of high school friends Angela Loy and Rose Melberg, with Heather Dunn and Jen Braun

A punk-influenced variant of indie pop, prominent in the mid-1990s, was dubbed "cuddlecore". The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Led by bands such as cub, Bunnygrunt and Maow, cuddlecore was marked by harmony vocals and pop melodies atop a punk-style musical backing. cub was an Indie rock band from Vancouver British Columbia which formed in 1992 and disbanded in 1997. Bunnygrunt are an American Indie pop band from St Louis Missouri comprised of Guitarist / Vocalist Matt Harnish and Maow was a Canadian Indie rock band from Vancouver British Columbia. Cuddlecore bands were usually, although not always, all-female and essentially represented a more pop-oriented variation on the then-current riot grrrl scene. Riot grrrl was an underground Feminist punk movement that started in the early 1990s and is often associated with Third-wave feminism (it

In the United States 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". ^[10] In 2002 Tullycraft recorded the track "Twee," featuring the line "Fuck me, I'm twee. Tullycraft is an American Twee pop band that formed in 1995. The original line-up was Jeff Fell (drums Sean Tollefson (bass/vocals "

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. Flying Nun Records is a formerly independent record label in New Zealand. The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean (bass Malcolm Grant The Chills are a guitar and keyboard-based rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. The Clean were an influential first-wave punk band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1978 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, Peru 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 2004 the UK focused Rough Trade Shops compilation Indiepop Vol 1 effectively documented the history of the sound acknowledging that it pre- and post-dated 1986. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Labels such as Matinee, Shelflife Records, Siesta and websites like Indiepages, Twee.net and Indie-MP3: Keeping C86 Alive continue to be influenced by the C86/indie pop sound. Shelflife Records is a Portland and San Francisco based independent record label run by Ed Mazzucco and Matthew Bice and has produced such bands As well as releasing or showcasing tracks from new bands, they have reissued and repackaged much of the material produced at the time. British clubs such as How Does it Feel to be Loved?^[11] continue to air tracks from the tape and is dedicated to indiepop from 20 years ago and today. It is Sweden, however, where the sound has most taken hold with a raft of labels and new bands such as I'm from Barcelona claiming C86 and Sarah records as their inspiration. I'm from Barcelona is a pop group from Jönköping, Sweden, best known for its 30 band members and eclectic mix of instruments such as clarinets saxophones ^[12]

See also

• List of indie pop artists
• Riot Grrrl
• DIY punk ethic
• Fanzine
• Indie rock
• Sarah Records
• Northern Soul

External links

• Radio Indie - Indie radio
• C86 Profile - Indie C86 Archives Blog
• Rough Trade - Indiepop Vol1 Tracklisting
• Creation Records - Indie History 1983-2000
• Pitchfork Media - Article archiving the history of Indie Pop

Notes

References

Articles and books

• Bladh, Krister Everything went Pop!, C86 and more, A wave and its rise and wake (pdf) 2005
• Cavanagh, David The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize (Virgin Books, 2000) ISBN 1-85227-775-0
• "Fire Escape Talking","Anoraky in the UK,C86, the punk that refuses to die" ("Fire Escape Talking blog", July 7, 2006)
• Fitchett, Alastair, C86 (Tangents Blog, July 25, 2005)
• Hann, Michael Fey City Rollers (The Guardian, 13th October 2004)
• Hasted, Nick "How an NME cassette launched indie music" ("The Independent", October 27, 2006)
• Pearce, Kevin A Different Story; The Ballad of the June Brides(Tangents, March 2001)
• Reynolds, Simon Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 (Faber and Faber, 2005) ISBN 0-571-21569-6
• Reynolds, Simon The C86 Indie Scene is back (Time Out, Oct 23 2006)
• Rogers, Jude Smells like Indie Spirit (The Observer, July 8, 2007)
• Stanley, Bob, Where were you in C86? (The Times October 20, 2006)
• True, Everett C86 Q&A(Plan B Blog July 22, 2005)
• Wire, Nicky The Birth of Uncool(The Guardian, October 25, 2006)

Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

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