I love pop music. Pop is so great, all those delicious melodies that sparkle and crackle and bounce around. Pop’s got a nasty reputation because of its association with boy bands and dime-a-dozen divas, but I really like it.
So I’m after some cute pop. Indie pop, not in the top40 mtv vein - not that there’s anything wrong with that: I think Destiny’s Child is pretty cool actually, and I don’t mind t.a.T.u’s Ya Soshla S Uma - but I’m after some nice, cute indie pop music.
I’ve been listening to things like Belle and Sebastian, that Mates of State song called Everyone Needs an Editor, Aberdeen, The Field Mice, Architecture in Helsinki and They Might Be Giants (I spose - they’re more geeky than cute, even though Birdhouse In Your Soul is kinda cute).
Heavenly is very cute, twee, indie-pop with a female British singer, for extra twee-ness. I would suggest “P.U.N.K Girl” as a very cute starting place.
It’s too bad Even As We Speak’s “Feral Pop Frenzy” isn’t in print. Once you’ve got The Field Mice and Heavenly you’ve pretty much exhausted the readily available twee Sarah Records stuff. Also have a look at Matineé Records (US) and Siesta Records (Spain).
Let’s see…
Camera Obscura’s “Biggest Blue Hi-Fi” in the B&S vein.
Alsace Lorraine’s “Through Small Windows” is lovely synthpop.
The Lucksmith’s “Staring at the Sky” EP and other albums.
Shoestring’s “Wishing on Planes” is certainly cute and has a Field Mice mood to it.
The Clean’s “Modern Rock” is charming and just a great album.
Scarlet’s Well will take your breath away; “Strange Letters” is the cutest.
Gauranteed to make you giggle while you dance. Kind of old (ca. late 70’s - mid 80’s), but worth the effort. Look for tunes like “Abominable Snowman in the Supermarket”, “Hey Little Insect”, “Here Come the Martian Martians”, “Chewing Gum Wrapper”.
Spiderbait is great indie Australian band with a sickly cute twist.
The singles “Buy Me A Pony”, “Shazam!”, “Calypso”, “Stevie” and “Arse-Huggin’ Pants” are a good start. Their albums Grand Slam and Ivy and the Big Apples are both a lot of fun.
Jonathan Richman is still producing music, and his stuff is just as cute as it was with the Modern Lovers. Go see him in concert if you ever get a chance. There’s nothing quite as fun as when he puts down the guitar to dance. I was smiling for a week after that show.
I second the vote for Pizzicato Five. They’re one of my favorite bands. Unabashedly goofy music that’s a hell of a lot of fun. The one that would probably most qualify as “cute” would be their last release, called Nonstop to Tokyo in Japan; I’m not sure if a US version was ever released.
I’ll second Spiderbait as cute indie pop from Australia, and add Cartman as another band worth a look in for the tracks Song for Absent Friends, Marriage and Drive (although they are still new-ish and therefore aren’t as recognised as the fantastic Spiderbait).