In a pop music context, the term "twee" was originally used by British music journalists in the mid- to late 1980s as an abusive term for Indie Pop. It has since been 'reclaimed' by some indie pop fans and used in a neutral sense.
Musically its key characteristics are jangling guitars, a love of sixties pop and often fey, innocent lyrics. It is not at all uncommon to find hand claps, rubber bands or ukuleles in the background of these songs. A noticeable aspect of the music is a dearth of black music influences that precursors such as Orange Juice & Josef K displayed.
The influences are acts such as Girls At Our Best, The Monochrome Set & The Undertones. Scotland with the legacy of the independent Postcard Records is responsible most for the first wave of twee indie bands, such as Primal Scream, The Shop Assistants & The Pastels .
