The difference, by ear
Britpop came from adjacent scenes with the opposite instinct - swagger, scale and a mass audience.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 110 to 160 bpm. To hear the difference, play Belle and Sebastian next to Oasis. They share a root in alternative rock, and indie pop / twee came first, by seven years. United Kingdom appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Indie pop / twee
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Indie rock › Indie pop / twee
In short
Sweet melodies, shy vocals, clean guitars. The gentle reaction to rock machismo.
How it sounds
- Sweet melodies with major progressions and simple arrangements.
- Clean guitar, sometimes with glockenspiel, trumpet or discreet strings.
- Shy, thin vocals sung without any effort to impress.
Key acts
- Belle and Sebastian
- The Field Mice
- Camera Obscura
Start here
The pickBelle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister. Recorded in three days on a student budget.
Full page →Britpop
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Britpop
In short
Britain answers grunge with Beatles-and-Kinks melody and lyrics about ordinary English life.
How it sounds
- Beatles and Kinks melodic writing inside classic British pop structures.
- Clean or lightly distorted guitars, organ, occasionally strings.
- Deliberately marked British accents and lyrics about ordinary life.
Key acts
- Oasis
- Blur
- Pulp
- Suede
Start here
The pickPulp - Different Class. The decade's best lyrics, and it isn't close.
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