Indie pop Christmas perfection from Scotland

The Cords
Favourite Time
(Heavenly Creature Records / Slumberland Records, Flexi, UK/US, 2024)

In early November 2024, Jim Goodwin from the excellent Christmas Underground blog brought to my attention a newly released Christmas flexi 7" that he thought I would like. It was by a band called The Cords and was a co-release between the Scottish label Heavenly Creatures and the American label Slumberland Records. I was unaware of Heavenly Creature, but Slumberland is regarded as one of the most prominent independent labels from the United States, with numerous releases that ultimately made it into my collection. The one-sided flexi was already sold out on Heavenly Creature' website, but I was lucky enough to pick up a copy from the Slumberland website just in time. The flexi had one song, 'Favourite Time', which I absolutely adored. 'Favourite Time' is the perfect pop song, with great melodies and harmonies, and full of punk energy. It reminded me of the C86 bands I love so much, such as Talulah Gosh, The Primitives, and The Flatmates.

'Favourite Time' became one of my favorite songs of the 2024 Christmas season and introduced me to The Cords, a band that proved with their self-titled 2025 debut album that the hype surrounding them was entirely justified. The Cords instantly became my favorite new band of the 2020s. The Cords is made up of two teenage sisters, Eva and Grace Tedeschi, from Inverkip, a village near Greenock, a small industrial town in Scotland not far from Glasgow. Eva plays guitar and sings, and Grace plays drums. They started performing in 2023, and since then, they've shared the stage with legendary Scottish C-86 bands like The Vaselines and BMX Bandits; Scottish indie superstars, Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura; Scottish singer-songwriter, Carla J. Easton; their idol, Rose Melberg from Tiger Trap; and San Francisco jangle-pop band, The Umbrellas. In May, Heavenly Creature released their debut single, a two-song cassette with the tracks 'Bo's New Haircut' and 'Rather Not Stay'. Jonny Scott and Simon Liddell, both members of the indie-folk band Olympic Swimmers, recorded the songs. Marc Riley of BBC 6 played the single on his radio program and invited the girls to do a live session. In an interview with the Greenock Telegraph, Eva told the reporter that all the support they receive "feels amazing but surreal".

It seems that The Cords want to try out as many formats as possible for releasing their music. To promote their upcoming album, they released a lathe-cut 7" and a CD single of the first track, 'Fabulist', which is another example of pop-punk perfection. The album was released in the US by Slumberland and in the UK by Skep Wax, a label run by C-86 legends Rob Pursey and Amelia Fletcher, founding members of Talulah Gosh and Heavenly, two of the most important bands of the C-86/twee pop scene. This is another illustration of how much the girls are loved by the bands that inspired their sound. The album was produced by Jonny Scott and Simon Liddell, who also played keyboards, as did Carla J. Easton. Guitarist Stuart Braithwaite of the post-rock band Mogwai lent the girls his "beautiful Jazzmaster", adding yet another legendary musician to the list of those supporting The Cords.

Now, let's return to The Cord's Christmas flexi. 'Favourite Time' was pressed on a red flexi and came in a sleeve with artwork by Marc Tedeschi. He is the manager and father of Eva and Grace. An amateur drummer himself who never made it into a band, he and the girls’ mother, Louise, were responsible for raising them around good music. The girls were encouraged to learn any instrument they wanted, starting around age five. Grace turned out to be a talented drummer. When she was 10 years old, her drum teacher, Lesley McClaren, shared videos of her drumming along with indie rock songs. Even at that young age, Grace was determined to eventually drum in a band. A dream that has now become true. 'Favourite Time' was recorded during the sessions for the album and explains what makes Christmas the favorite time of year for Eva and Grace: putting on their favorite clothes under the snowy sky, singing a Christmas lullaby, drinking ginger chai, and finding something in their shoes. Though, I could have misunderstood that last part. In Holland, it's a tradition to put presents in shoes instead of in socks, like in the US, although not for Christmas, but for the celebration of St. Nicholas in early December. Perhaps there is such a tradition in Scotland, too. 'Favourite Time' is upbeat and energetic. It even has church bells and sleigh bells! It's the perfect song to get you in the Christmas mood! While you're at it, don't forget to ask Santa Claus to bring you the band's debut album for Christmas. It'll become your new favorite record!

Listen to the song here:

A funky plea for peace by DeRobert & The Half-Truths

DeRobert & The Half-Truths
Peace On Earth / Peace On Earth (Instrumental)
(Ged Soul Records, GED-027, US, 2024)

When I think of Nashville, Tennessee, country music is the first thing that comes to mind. After all, the city is the world capital of country music. Every artist who wants a career in country music seems to have to move there to stand a chance of success. I have never been to Nashville, but I imagine you'd hear country music everywhere. Well, almost everywhere. Some people prefer other styles of music. People like Nick DeVan and Dave Singleton, for example. DeVan and Singleton prefer soul and funk. They especially like soul from the time when Bakersfield, California, not Nashville, had the biggest country stars. There were more people like DeVan and Singleton in Nashville. Some of them even played in bands. These bands like to record their music and share it with the world. For that, you need a record label. So, in 2007, Singleton and DeVan decided to start a label to release their own music and that of their friends' bands. They called their label G.E.D. Soul, and their mission was, in their own words: "Put out as much soulful music as humanly possible".

The first record released on the label was by their own project, The Grip, and came out on June 8, 2008. It was a 45 with two mostly instrumental tracks: 'Tennessee Strut' and 'Fancy Roll The classic soul and funk format is the 45 rpm 7" record, which is also what G.E.D. Soul focused on in the label's early years. The label's releases in this format reflected traditional soul and funk, as did the way DeVan and Singleton recorded the music they released on their label at their own "Poor Man Studios". They described their approach as "using a similar technical and aesthetic approach that celebrates the very best qualities of what made soul music great all those years ago" The 45s sounded like long-lost gems from the 1960s or early 1970s. The label designs of the 45s were inspired by obscure soul and funk labels from the '60s and '70s, and each new 45 came with a new design.

The label's second 7" was released in 2009 by a band called DeRobert & The Half-Truths. DeRobert Adams was the lead singer and the namesake of the group. Adams grew up in Covington, a small suburb of Memphis, where he sang in the church choir. In 2000, at age 19, he moved to Murfreesboro, a small university town southeast of Nashville, to attend Middle Tennessee State University. There, he met DeVan and Singleton, and the three men formed DeRobert & The Half-Truths. They were joined by experienced musicians from the Nashville soul and funk scene. The group released several 45s, played gigs, and, in 2010, G.E.D. Soul released the group’s first album, 'Soul In A Digital World'.

In 2012, G.E.D. Soul released the 'Super Soul Christmas EP', a five-song, 33-rpm, 7-inch record featuring Christmas songs by the five bands that were part of G.E.D. at the time: DeRobert & The Half-Truths, The Coolin' System, Sky Hi, Magic In Threes, and A.J. & The Jiggawatts. DeRobert & The Half-Truths opened the EP with 'Christmas Kisses', a mid-tempo soul song in which Adams explained that the only thing he wanted for Christmas was love. The Coolin' System and Magic In Threes performed instrumental versions of two Christmas classics, while the other two bands offered soulful originals. The EP was limited to 300 hand-numbered copies and came in a stylish, silkscreened sleeve.



DeRobert & The Half-Truths released their second album, 'I'm Trying', in 2014. G.E.D. Soul became less active after 2014, with no new releases between 2017 and 2020. In 2021, the label returned to its roots by releasing its first 45 in seven years, again by DeRobert & The Half-Truths, who were still active. In November 2024, G.E.D. Soul released its second Christmas record, the 45 'Peace On Earth', featuring the second Christmas song recorded by DeRobert & The Half-Truths. The group's line-up for the recording of 'Peace On Earth' consisted of DeRobert Adams on vocals and Nick DeVan, who also served as the engineer and producer for the record, handling everthing else: drums, bass, guitar, Rhodes organ, and percussion. They were joined by a small horn section comprising Roy Leierzapf and Joe Jordan on trumpet and Dave Eckman on alto saxophone. Unlike the group’s first Christmas song, the groove-laden, horn-heavy 'Peace On Earth' was clearly aimed at the dance floor. The song's lyrics mirrored the shifting times: the longing for Christmas kisses had given way to a more significant yearning, as expressed in the song's lyrics: "This Christmas / No gifts / Let's just give the gift / Of peace on Earth". The label sums it up best: "Perfect for those who'd rather trade in Christmas bells for blasting trumpets and a heartfelt plea for world peace. This one's pure funky goodness”. So there are no Christmas bells on 'Peace On Earth', nor gifts, trees, lights, toys, or sales — "just peace / peace on Earth". Unfortunately, one year later, we all still have to ask the same question: "Can we get some peace on Earth / Peace on Earth!".

The single is still available through the bandcamp of G.E.D. Soul Records.

Start of the 2025 Christmas Season: looking back on the 2024 Christmas Season

It's mid-October now, and pre-orders for this year's Snowflakes edition have started, so it's time to bring the Snowflakes Christmas Singles blog back to life. More information about the new Snowflakes singles by Bhopal’s Flowers, Jeanines, Silver Biplanes, and La Nouvelle Musique will be available soon. You can order them here.

However, since we are still early in the Christmas season—Halloween is still two weeks away—there aren't many new Christmas 45s announced yet. Those that have been announced are mainly re-releases of Christmas classics. Last year, I could not find the time to write for the blog, so I will talk about some 2024 Christmas singles that were worth checking out last Christmas and still are for the 2025 Christmas season. We'll start with 'Always Christmas Eve' by Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers.

Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers: Always Christmas Eve / Soul Clap - Radio Edit
(LRK Records, LRK-30, UK, 2024)

Carol Hatchett and Daniel Pearson are the two main artists behind Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers, a Los Angeles-based retro soul and funk group. Hatchett and Pearson are Chicago natives who had known each other for a long time before forming the group. In 2003, while still living in Chicago, they collaborated as Velvet Sundae on the album 'Live At The Mind'. Sheila E. produced the album and was featured on percussion. In the mid-2010s, the two worked together again in the deep house act The BareRoot. In addition to the Velvet Sundae album and The BareRoot project, Hatchett worked as a background vocalist and Pearson worked as a session bass player. They performed with diverse artists, including Eagles of Death Metal, Nick Waterhouse, and Jon Batiste (Hatchett), as well as Coolio, Iggy Pop, and Jennifer Lopez (Pearson). Hatchett also worked as a choreographer and actress. She appeared in films such as Legally Blonde and Ali. In Ali, she played a Pointer Sister. Additionally, she was one of the Harlettes, Bette Midler’s backup singers and dancers.

In Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers, Hatchett took on the guise of another vocalist: Bella Brown, the vocalist who bestowed the band with its moniker. Together with Pearson, she assembled a group of seasoned session musicians and began performing live and recording in the late 2010s. The group's music and image were heavily influenced by 1970s soul and funk, as well as by more recent acts like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Following in the footsteps of the more adventurous soul and funk groups of the 1970s, Bella Brown & The Jealous Lovers combined soul and funk with elements of jazz, reggae, and Afro-Caribbean influences. In 2018, the group released their debut five-song EP, 'Get Mine', followed by a second five-song EP, 'Rocket'. After signing with the UK label LRK Records, they released several 45s. In 2024, their first full-length album, Soul Clap, was released. The group's lyrics reflected the social consciousness of early 1970s soul and funk. They addressed issues such as gun culture ('Bang Bang Bang') and homelessness ('Lady Time'), and sang about the need for a better future ('What Will You Leave Behind').

The seven-minute-long title track proved to be the most popular song on the album, so the label and the band decided to release an edited version of it on a 45. When the single was announced, the song that would appear on the A-side was still shrouded in secrecy. It turned out to be a holiday-themed song titled 'Always Christmas Eve'. "Soul Clap" was an upbeat dance track, but "Always Christmas Eve" showcased a more introspective side of 1970s soul. It's a melancholic ballad that pays homage to the group's Chicago soul roots. The song features powerful vocals by Hatchett and prominent horns, giving it a strong, emotional impact. 'Always Christmas Eve' is not a Christmas song, despite sounding like one thanks to the sleigh and church bells. Rather, it is a song of hope for these troubled times: "Where you find there is trouble / There is good just the same / I see it every day". Hatchett recognizes the challenges and difficulties in the world, but he also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive outlook by acknowledging the presence of good in life. That is the choice Hatchett makes when she sings: "I believe there is hope. I believe because I've seen people love one another like it's always Christmas Eve" This 45 was one of the highlights of the 2024 Christmas season, in my opinion. Limited to 300 copies, it was pressed on gray vinyl and is still available through the label.

Listen to the single on Bandcamp (where you can also buy it):