Veirs + Twee v Fey

I have a weakness for female singer-songerwriters. I love - I love - Beth Orton, Mary Lou Lord, Stacey Earle, Thalia Zedek, Edith Frost, Rosie Thomas (mp3)- - - (and Beth Orton has a new album! out in about a month - you can hear a cut at the link).....

Laura Veirs doesn't break new ground, but she does till familiar fields in remarkable ways. You can hear four of her songs by clicking the launch the player prompt and following directions. I think "Galaxies" terrific.

I had a conversation with a friend about slowcore and emo and shoegazer, and we were debating the difference between "fey" and "twee." I think of Belle and Sebastian as being fey, Mazzy Star of being twee. She thinks of Belle and Sebastian as twee, Mazzy Star as fey. I don't like Belle and Sebastian. I really like Mazzy Star.

I think of twee as unintentional, fey as intentional. Twee as natural, fey as calculation. Twee as shy, fey as slyly, immodestly, falsely shy. Twee as innate, fey as affected. Twee because you're born twee, fey because you aren't twee but try to be anyway. Laura Veirs is twee.