tchotchke - Playin' Dumb (2025)

Grimy, thinky (boring?) indie rock might be on the upswing, but some people still just wanna have fun and sing “la la la” and “shoop shoop shoop” at the top of their lungs during a big chorus. If you’re one of ‘em, Tchotchke is here for you. Happily lacking self-seriousness but not focus, this NYC three-piece take their cues from their regional forebears the Shangri-Las and contemporary sunshine pop enthusiasts like the Lemon Twigs (who produced Playin’ Dumb) to make cute-ass, kicky girlie group Baroque pop with cheek and attitude, perfect for people who love songs about boys and candy sung by girls but have enough self-respect to want to kick a wall in every time they’re forced to acknowledge the existence of Sabrina Carpenter. With the pitch-perfect 60s production courtesy of the D’Addario brothers and tight Ronettes-style harmonies, not to mention the matching outfits, Playin’ Dumb might at times skirt novelty—but that never stopped anyone from buying Shannon and the Clams records, did it?



Tracklist:
1-1 tchotchke - The Game [2:26]
1-2 tchotchke - Did You Hear? [2:48]
1-3 tchotchke - Kisses [3:02]
1-4 tchotchke - Poor Girl [3:10]
1-5 tchotchke - Davide [2:56]
1-6 tchotchke - Jealousy [3:03]
1-7 tchotchke - Now I Love You [2:00]
1-8 tchotchke - Skipping Around [2:35]
1-9 tchotchke - Other Boys [2:19]
1-10 tchotchke - Goodbye [3:01]
1-11 tchotchke - Playin' Dumb [2:36]