The Christmas spirit has inspired The Lemon Twigs, the vintage band par excellence, to pay tribute, more than ever, to The Beach Boys. They are not alone on the occasion, recruiting the New York group Tchotchke, also lovers of all the music of the 60s and 70s. In addition, they have inspired the name of the song. ‘Tchotchkes’ is the Song of the Day.
A tchotchke is a word used to describe a goal whose sole function is to decorate, as it usually has no monetary value. It is the same as a trinket, a souvenir or the typical magnets that are bought on vacation. This is just what Tchotchke, made up of Anastasia Sanchez, Eva Chambers and Emily Tooraen, ask for in the chorus: “Cute little tchotchkes / With personalities / That match my style,” they sing.
From the melodies to the most minute production details, the clear inspiration for The Lemon Twigs’ Christmas carol is the Californian band behind classics like ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ and ‘Sloop John B’. In fact, the first voice that appears in the song directly recalls that of the young Brian Wilson, who died in 2025.
The falsettos and additional percussion typical of the Beach Boys are in ‘Tchotchkes’, but what the American duo recreates best is the construction of a satisfying and charming song, without becoming a clear copy of any song. It is certainly one of the best Christmas songs in recent years.
