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Beat Happening - “Indian Summer”

Let’s set aside for a moment all the baggage and connotations of the term “twee” and just listen to “Indian Summer”. Musically, the song consists of a simple drumbeat, a few guitar notes and Calvin’s distinctive booming voice. This kind of pop earnestness is a hallmark of twee’s anyone-can-play ethos. The song is about the final days of a perfect pastoral summer. The lyrics play a highlight reel of idyllic delights—motorbike to cemetery, picnic on wild berries, French toast with molasses—but it’s advanced nostalgia. “We’ll come back for Indian Summer,” Calvin confidently pronounces, echoing a million unfulfilled summer-camp pacts.

The simple, unfussy instruments and Calvin’s affecting vocals perfectly suit the song—and perhaps it’s personal: What’s at stake in the song is not a place-and-time but innocence itself as the summer gives way to the cold complexities and the work and worry of the Real World. That “Indian Summer” is twee’s greatest hit is no surprise; it dramatizes the genre’s greatest anxiety: The moment when the earnest musical escape ends and we have to grow up and go our separate ways.

BTW I’m presently counting down the top songs of the 80’s on my regular music tumblr, and this is number 17.

tristn posted this on Aug 28 2009. it has 65 notes and 1,580 plays Tagged: #beat happening

Notes

  1. aseablackwithink reblogged this from hexproof
  2. hexproof reblogged this from veeka and added:
    beat happening - indian summer great song
  3. blondesnotbombs reblogged this from matthewedwards and added:
    Re-blog Beat Happening? Always. veeka:postpunk:
  4. matthewedwards reblogged this from veeka and added:
    Not enough Beat Haps on tumblr.
  5. veeka reblogged this from postpunk
  6. ncvlzd reblogged this from postpunk
  7. crypticmessagesaboutleaves reblogged this from postpunk
  8. bohemianrapsody reblogged this from postpunk
  9. underscoredom reblogged this from postpunk
  10. dani-tra reblogged this from tuneage
  11. thekeri reblogged this from bethlehems and added:
    Word that pisses me off o’ the day: twee. Song I fucking love: this. postpunk is doing a damn good job with this list.
  12. migue-e reblogged this from velveteenrabbit and added:
    Beat Happening is such an underrated band… They’re so fucking beautiful.
  13. velveteenrabbit reblogged this from postpunk and added:
    so fucking much.
  14. irenejoy reblogged this from connur and added:
    this might be my favorite beat happening song!
  15. newspeedwayboogie reblogged this from postpunk and added:
    well (at least today) postpunk:
  16. connur reblogged this from tuneage
  17. theidiotsheet reblogged this from postpunk
  18. dontcookbilly reblogged this from halffiction
  19. bethlehems reblogged this from postpunk and added:
    Jesus fucking Christ. I have shit...I really don’t.
  20. ghostlikeswazy reblogged this from tuneage
  21. yuckytuna reblogged this from postpunk
  22. thesweetestnoise reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    Indian Summer by
  23. halffiction reblogged this from postpunk and added:
    love love love beat happening.
  24. jazziimassacre reblogged this from postpunk and added:
    Love for Beat Happening. :D
  25. postpunk reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    The Top 35 Or So Songs of the 80’s #17:...[This post originally appeared
  26. getmetacos reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    (slightly) more uplifting vibe than...Velvet Underground.
  27. tuneage posted this