The Origins Of Twee Culture
Calling something "indie" can be divisive, and categorizing a musician as "twee" can be an accusation. But veteran music writer Marc Spitz has happily compiled the ultimate guide to twee culture in his new book Twee. Spitz unites Walt Disney, Pitchfork, and the soft strums of Zoey Deschanel's ukulele as examples of a "gentle revolution" in his extensive history of twee music, books, and pop culture.
In a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, Spitz charts the long history of twee icons, stretching back to Walt Disney in the 1940s. He also parses out what distinguishes a thing as "twee" (think handmade, child-like, and sweet), and when twee culture reached a tipping point to become mainstream.
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Listen to Marc Spitz's ultimate twee playlist below:
