Teary Eyed Tuesdays: Twee!

Believe it or not emo boys and girls, there is a music subculture out there with just as much focus as fragility and heartbreak as your own, a genre that manages to fly in the face of self-assuredness and all the other trappings of a well adjusted life with all the force of your beloved Dashboards and Something Corporates while managing to (gasp) write really good music.

Emo kids, meet twee- the happiest little sad songs ever to come out of the United Kingdom.

Twee pop, more often than not, relies primarily on the juxtaposition of really depressing (or at the very least deeply introspective) lyrics about insecurity and the challenges of growing up with bright and happy childlike music to create a sound that sticks in your head and warms your heart all at the same time.

(What's that? Why yes, I DO feel physically ill for having written that last phrase. Twee can have that sickeningly sweet effect on people, but I love it anyways)

The current titans of the twee pop world are Belle and Sebastian. Granted, they have added a bit of an edge to their sound with The Life Pursuit, but the essential twee ingredients are still all there in mass quantity. Today I'm posting (from their previous album) what may well be the happiest sounding song about a breakup I've ever heard, which I can also guarantee will not leave your head for at least a week:

Belle and Sebastian- I'm A Cuckoo

If you want to know the future of twee, however, look no further than The Boy Least Likely To. In an unprecedented act of indie snobbery, I ordered their CD on import last summer because I heard good press and couldn’t wait for a state-side release. It was more than worth it, and I have a feeling that these guys are going to be HUGE stateside in a few months.

The Boy Least Likely To- Be Gentle With Me

BONUS! Disgustingly cute music video (link here)