balustrade

Now that's what I call Balustrade

2007-09-18T16:43:00.001+01:00

After what seems like months of graft, The Rockhall Files is finally complete! (I say months, it's actually only been a few weeks and this ranks as being on of the easiest recording sessions we have had so far. It even sounds remarkably impressive, even if we do say so ourselves. )

As 10.00 came and went on this past Monday, we were able to export the finished versions to iTunes, upload them to my swanky new iPod Classic and plug it into the hi-fi. An eager silence filled the room as the first complete listen through of The Rockhall Files was initiated and the good news was... it wasn't awful!

In fact it was pretty darn good. A real genre defying, melting pot of musical influences and funky drumloops. There are pianos, kazoos, recorders, accordians, laser guns and even the odd guitar or two! All in all it is probably the best music we have recorded so far and we can't wait to hear what the fans think!

My current fave song is probably Snow In Mexico with it's Automatic For The People-era REM sound. Although I am also loving Mojave Streamline with it's Maximo Park meets Belle and Sebastian keyboard vibe. And then who can forget Pitchfoork Rebellion with it's strange medieval-ness and historically accurate lyrics or Fear of Falling which is the closest to being a 'proper' Balustrade song. There's also Rain Brigade (which we thought would be the best song on the EP, but has actually been usurped by the other songs) and El Cartino's Blues #7 - which is possibly the bleakest song we have ever recorded and will have Carter's friends and family adding the Samaritans to his speed dial as soon as they hear it!.

Now all we have to do is craft our album artwork and it will be well and truly ready for distribution. So fear not Strade fans, you will be getting your September dose of Balustrade action very soon and then we have to get started rehearsing for our gig in November!!

Beef up the bass with some overdrive you tart!

2007-09-11T21:14:00.000+01:00

Some notes from the pen of Matt C

Just a quick little blog this evening to keep you all informed on how the recording process is going for the mighty-fine new Balustrade EP wot we av decided to call The Rockhall Files. Following a sweaty evening of mixing, remixing and mixing once more for luck, we have now completely finished, ticked off and generally put to bed three of the tracks for the EP. Rain Brigade, Fear Of Falling and The Snow In Mexico have all been beefed up and given the special Balustrade pixie dust treatment. And we like them. Work continues on the other three tracks - El Cartino's Blues #5, Mojave Streamline and The Pitchfork Rebellion, but I for one am confident that by this time next week it's just the artwork that we're squabbling over.

It had always been our intention to finish four tracks tonight, but when we got round to Mojave Streamline there was a nasty surprise waiting for us - we had totally forgotten to record a proper vocal track, instead making do with a very ropey demo track that had more noise disturbance than your average family from the sink estate. We'd recorded it on Lexington's venerable (by which I mean really really really old) eMac which has seen better days and is wheezier than Darth Vader in a particularly dusty antique shop. Hence, the vocal line is filled with all kinds of scratched, splutters and rasps emanating from the poor old machine. So that has to wait for next week.

Sorry that this particular installment wasn't as wryly amusing, witty or whimsical as usual, but I really can't be bothered tonight. I'd got better things to do with my time - like write a new song. I have decided to take a leaf out of The Klaxons - recent Mercury Music Prize winners (and rightly so, if you ask me) and name a song after a J.G.Ballard novel - their album Myths Of The Near Future is names after one, so if it's good enough for them it's good enough for me. Right now it's a toss up between Vermilion Sands (which is a bit too Mercury Rev), The Kindness of Women (which I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to write) and Rushing to Paradise - which I think would be yet another song about travelling to Twerton Park... So get yourself a Facebook account, fins The Official Balustrade Fanclub, join up, and tell us what you think. Nice things only, please!! Oh, and send us some weird stuff too. Random lines that we'll try to incorporate into the song...

Oh, one more thing... Balustrade will be playing a few live open-mic nights at a Porter near you in October... more details once we've planned it a bit better, but it'd be cool to get people along - and tell us what songs you want to hear live!

That'll do now. I'm rambling.

Why do tigers sometimes get lost?

2007-08-14T20:49:00.000+01:00

Because the jungleismassive!!

In the spirit of all things Bristol and early 90s, we decided to experiment with the sound of the Rockhall Files this week and ended up coming up with, what can only be described as, alt.westcountry drum 'n' bass. With this new sound still lingering in our ears, Carts has gone off to Knowle to get his teeth painted gold and try to become the new Tricky. So in the meantime, why not check out this freakish abomination of musical mischief by clicking HERE

The Rockhall Tapes

2007-08-06T21:51:00.000+01:00

It's been a quiet week in the world of Balustrade as Carter is off helpng his folks move house. As such I have been able to spend the evening out in the Rockhall Cottages Estate, enjoying the late summer sun, rather than couped up inside working on the EP.

Speaking of which, work has continued apace this week with Mojave Streamline (now back to it's old title) coming along well, while another new-ish song, Room Full Of Paintings is getting a final polish. It's beginning to develop a slightly strange vibe to it. It's part Spainish, Ibiza chill-out anthem. Part Grade One guitar piece played by a pre-teen with his fingers glued together. Either way, it's coming together and may well end up part of an early draft of the EP.

In other news, Alt.WestCountry is about to undergo the remix treatment thanks to mysterious Chinese Funk DJ, Daddy Vegas. A big Balustrade fan, this elusive Oriental master of the decks has decided he would like to give the 'Strade a dose of his signature sound - the monkey funk - and so we'll keep you posted as to how this progresses.

Last but by no means least, if you haven't joined the Balustrade Fan CLub on Facebook yet, then what's stopping you?! There's exclusive 'Strade news on there as well as the oppurtunity to discuss the greatness of Balustrade with other 'Strade fans, and if that doesn't make you want to join up then nothing will!

Flange Yer Claps

2007-07-30T22:33:00.000+01:00

Another Monday, another couple of hours hard slog in the studio for Lex and I this evening. I’d spent the previous week laying sown some guitar bits and jazzy drums to a track called Fear of Falling for the new EP and then this evening Lex, crazed with some kind of potato-induced high bellowed “We needs them handy-claps on there ‘ere song, and we needs to run’em threw me flanger…” I grinned and nodded and we did what he suggested. For the results, well, you’ll have to wait until The Rockhall Files (the new name for the EP/mini-album) hits the streets.
In other news this week, Balustrade has been watching England being outclassed at cricket; listened to some very bad music by people who should know better; and that’s about it. Life here in Baaaaath is of a leisurely pace, and so not much happens from week to week. To be honest, it’s a bit of a high-point if a light bulb goes at the moment. But I’ve got a couple of news songs brewing (one might be called The End Of The Line, the other probably won’t be) but that really is it for now. This is general Carter, signing off on behalf of Balustrade. Keep reading the blog, keep visiting the facebook fanclub, and keep doing whatever you do that you like doing.

Fools with kazoos

2007-07-23T21:32:00.000+01:00

With Rain Brigade taking shape nicely, recording continued apace this week on the 'Fall Is Not a Season' EP. However, roving once again that the 'Strade are nothing, if not, consumate multi-instrumentalists, Carter came armed with a secret weapon - kazoos!! Just what our new, Belle and Sebastian meets Snow Patrol meets some-dodgy-covers-band-from-an-O'Neals sound needs! Look out Spinto Band, Balustrade are coming to claim your crown as kings of the kazoo!

Fall Is Not A Season (it's Autumn for people who don't know better)

2007-07-09T21:39:00.000+01:00

And with that we can exclusively reveal the title of the new Balustrade EP!

You may have noticed things have been a bit quiet on the blog front the last few weeks, but Carter and I have actually been quite busy doing non-Baluistrade things (shocking, I know!). As many of you may know I've been doing a Film Studies A-Level this year and so I had revision to do (the joys of French new wave - just a load of twaddly nonsense if you ask me!). Meanwhile, Carter has been completing his scrapbook entitled, 'Champions: The Bath City 2006/7 season' and so has not been able to play his guitar for the last two weeks as he had picture of Scotty Partridge and Jimm Rollo prit-sticked to his fingers. However, those have been washed away, we've wrestled the safety scissors and glitter away from him and work has begun in earnest on the next Balustrade masterpiece, tentatively scheduled for an Autumn release.

Current tracklisting is looking like it will be as follows;

1. Rain Brigade - our homage to the mighty Gary Lightbody and co.
2. Mojave Sunset - an oldie that has been tweaked and sped up to give it a Belle and Sebastian vibe
3. Fear of Falling - A new Carter song that has an air of Malcy about it.
4. Snow in Mexico - A remant from the Tuesday night singing group which has been resurrected despite Carter asserting that it was 'a load of old sh**e' for the last 6 months.

This of course may all change in the coming weeks and months, but for now, that is what your next Balustrade CD will look like. Keep those fingers crossed 'Strade fans!

Life is like a bowl of Choco flakes

2007-05-22T13:06:00.000+01:00

I was standing in the queue at the Tesco Express in Combe Down last night when I had a moment of inspiration. I was on my way back from practice and had stopped off to pick up some milk and bread for breakfast and I had the sudden urge to buy myself a pack of Kelloggs variety cereal - don't worry folks, there is a point in here somewhere!

So there I was stood in the queue, looking down at my collection of over-priced minature snacks and I realized, that in many ways, Balustrade is a bit like a box of Kelloggs variety cereal. No, we're not corporately branded and unneccssarily packaged, rather we offer the music fan a diversity that you can't always get by sticking to one genre (or in this case cereal). For those who want the sugary sweetness of Coco Pops, we have the poppy-ness of Walking or Say It Again. While for those who want something a little more mature we have the Crunchy Nut Cornflakes that is Dream the Dream or Love Songs for Travellers. I have no idea where this would leave WestCountry Blues or In the Westcountry, however safe to say it is most likely to be in the bin along with the Special K.

What promoted me to be so philosophical while standing in that queue was the fact that we had just finished arranging a new Balustrade song which I can exclusively reveal is called 'The Pitchfork Rebellion'. TPR (to give it it's young and trendy abbreviated name) is a really nice traditional folk song which Carter claims he overheard heard in a pub near Norton St Phillip while he was off on a cider tour of the Somerset lowlands when he was 15. So we decided to dust if off and give it the Balustrade treatment and what a great little song it is too. Not only is it a wonderfully up-lifting story of class struggle against the might of an over-bearing papist monarch, but it's also a historically accurate tale of local uprising and it's always nice to know that the many years we spent at univeristy looking at old manuscrpts isn't completely wasted.

There's no news yet on when (or if) TPR will ever hear the light of day, however keep those pitchforks sharpened as you never know when the next West Country revolution might strike!

Congratulations to Bath City!

2007-05-18T22:03:00.000+01:00

A big 'well done' from all at Balustrade HQ to the mighty Bath City Football Club for winning the biggest trophy in English Football, the Southern Premier League. These photo's show (L-R): Matt and his Dad looking forward to the last game of the season; Captain Jim Rollo and the living deity that is Scott Partridge lifting the massive shield; Lex being silly with a flag.

More Balustrade news will follow shortly... honest!

Gig etiquette....

2007-03-02T12:37:00.000Z

Below, if you can stand to look, is a photo of one of Britain's greatest singers and songwriters... standing next to Malcolm Middleton (arf, arf, oh the jokes never end etc etc.) No, last night (Thursday 1st March) the aforementioned Malcy was lucky enough to meet half of Balustrade. The other half was elsewhere... more of which later... Anyway, I'd like to just say: STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. GET UP. GO OUTSIDE. GO TO A RECORD SHOP. PICK UP A COPY OF A BRIGHTER BEAT BY MALCOLM MIDDLETON. BUY IT. LISTEN TO IT. LISTEN TO IT AGAIN. LEARN. Top, top, top, top, top, top, top, top, top, album. Balustarde will both be going to a Malcy gig later this month... stay tuned for full reports.

Last night however, I had to miss Malcy at Fopp in Bath as I was with former Balustrade manager and muse Neil Hairy Son, witnessing Kristin "She's alright for her age" (said Neil) hersh in concert at the Thekla in Bristol. And it was cracking. First night of the European tour, with ropey sound, petty-precious-pedantic-but-ultimately-correct heckling of the soundman by an obnoxious bloke (but thye levels got sorted, so cheers!) BUT
BUT
BUT
BUT
BUT
If you are going to spend lots of money on a ticket to see an artist, please don't stand right behind me talking UPPER GUBBINS all the way through and IGNORING THE ARTIST. You are horrible horrible people, and.... and... grrr. I've said it before and I'll say it again... the gig-going audience of Bristol is, on the whole, the worst I've ever encountered. Posh arrogant winkers. HAVE SOME CHUFFING RESPECT YOU FOOLS.

Anyway, must calm down. Gig itself was great. Now, go and look at picture of lex'n'malcy again.

CARTS.

Lex meets Malcolm

2007-03-01T21:20:00.000Z

Infinite Sadness

2007-02-12T22:07:00.001Z

Whenever we have a practice session – as we try to do every Monday, work and other commitments permitting – it is the sorrowful duty of one of us to “blog”, which is a horrible verb, and a horrible activity. No-one reads this toss, but we do it anyway. I suppose that, over the year, we have built up a beguiling collection of diary entries, which may or may not give future generations an insight into not only the work of Balustrade, but also the contemporary cultural mores of the day. As I say, they may or may nor provide this. I know which way I’m leaning. So, dear reader (singular), why the melancholy? Well, this fair evening – Monday 12th February 2007, we went all nostalgic and sang a few songs that we haven’t sung for a few years. El Mariachi, Mojave Streamline, Walking, The Troubadours Lament… they all had an airing and they were all dreadful. So, wallowing in this feted pit of nostalgia, I think it’s fair to say that this evening’s practice wasn’t the best. It also suddenly dawned upon us that 2008 (which isn’t as far away as it was yesterday…) will be THE TENTH ANNIVERSAY OF BALUSTRADE. Chuffing bikes! Whose fault is that?? Ten bloody years… Arab Strap did ten years and about seven albums of staggering genius and heartbreaking beauty. We’ve done a couple of ropey EPs, a frankly baffling Christmas single that I don’t think even we understand fully, and ONE…. JUST ONE… album. But it’s a good album, so that’s alright. So, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Plans for the future… we’ve got those… 2007 will see a single (at this stage we’re thinking Rain Brigade as the lead track, with a couple of b’s that have yet to be written) and maybe… just maybe… a little bit more.

On to other matters. We’re only about seven/eight weeks into 2007 and there have already been a few decent albums released: Kristin Hersh’s “Learn To Sing Like A Star” is better than expected, and Bloc Party’s new album has actually made me stagger. It’s very very, very rare that I listen to an album four times straight through, but I did with this… I approached with severe caution, but it’s a beautiful,. Beautiful item. As is L.Pierre’s “Dip” Released this very morning, it’s Aidan Moffat (Arab Strap) ‘s solo project and it’s about as touching and warming as instrumental neo-classical avant-weirdness can get. Lovely.

Matthew J. Carter

Return to a room full of paintings

2007-01-30T21:41:00.000Z

It was a dark and windy night as Balustrade returned to the room full of paintings. Some say it was to conduct dark and mysterious rituals which would see both Lex and Carts dig deep into their soul and experience only the darkest elements of the human experience. While some would say that they met to have a cup of tea, chat about Bath City and continue work on their new songs. Some would further say that those things are one and the same!

Anyhoo, you'll be pleased to know that we managed to make Balustrade practice for two weeks in a row this week (no exams, deadlines, colds or sporting contests to distract us this time around) and so we continued to work on new song 'A Room Full Of Paintings'. After much deliberation we came to the conclusion that this is in fact two songs masquerading as one and so our homework for this week is to extract these siamese songs and hopeully come out with two new tunes at the end of that. Either that or we'll end up with a load of musical offal that will need to be sent to the creative incinerator round the back of Carter;s dad's studio.

In other news I wanted to wish a quick note of good luck to Damien (of Katie and Damien fame) who is apprently running the Brighton Half Marathon with a tiger (or for some tiger charity, I'm not sure, I never read my emails properly!) however good luck to him and I hope he doesn't get mauled too badly.

Also while I'm typing away I thought I would tell you what is entertaining me musically on my headphones at the moment and that would be the new Klaxons album which is very good indeed. As is the new Shins album and the debut record by The View. So until next week (or until someting monumental happens in the meantime!) stay safe kids and see you soon!

An evening with Lanegan and Campbell

2007-01-26T00:00:00.000Z

Greetings Balustrade fans. It must be quite a monumentous week this week to warrant 2 blog posting from us, however I just thought I would post a few thoughts having got back from a very peculair evening's gig-going.

I went and saw Isobel Campbell (of Belle and Sebastian fame) and Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Tress fame) play some songs from their fantastic album Ballad of Broekn Seas. Now as you'll all know having read my albums of the year post, I was rather fond this particular record and so was looking forward to seeing the two of them perform it live very much. Alas, I was flying solo as Cart's could not get a Visa cleared for him to leave Bath and quite what he would have made of the evening I do now know.

It all started off harmlessly enough with the support band, r rather support singer who went by the name of William Something or other. A combination of Tom Waits and Sufjan Stevens he sang some rather fantastic redncekc songs about moonshine and marrying your sister and as a reward for being quite so good I bought some badges and CD from him.

Alas, the featured act of the evening was not to be quite so rewarding an experience (for fan or badn!). Now, delicate flower Isobel Campbell has something of a reputation for being 'a bit precious' at the best of times. But on this evening's perforamce it is hard to imagine why she bothered going on stage at all. Whether she was singing out of tune, giggling at the rest of her band because she forgot the words or generally magaing to shake a shaker in time to a song this was a long way from being a polished performance from the wee lass. Perhas she had had too much whiskey celebrating Burns night or seomthing?! Thanks goodness then for the treacle voiced Mark Lanegan who sounded like he had been gargling creosote (credit to Neil for that remakr!). When he was onstage everything seemd OK, but when he skulked off things seemed to go to pot - however not even his prescence could prevent a very ill-advised stylophone solo that sounded like something from a vintage Black Sabbath show.

In the end though, the disappeared with as much gusto as they arrived (in other words, none at all) and left us feeling a sense of bewildered confusion and slight annoyance at having paid for the priviledge of watching this spectacle. All of a sudden a Balustrdae gig doesn't looks so bad when compared with these so called 'professional' musicians!

Blooshed!

2007-01-22T22:05:00.000Z

January 22nd 2007, and Balustrade have only just finished their first practice session of the new year. The overlong delay was caused by Lexington having to revise for his exams because he’s… well, I don’t really know why… Anyway, iot emerged this evening that we can’t really remember most of our old songs. So, we played our newest composition – Rain Brigade – and followed this up by getting the raw bones of a BRAND NEW SONG down on paper. It started as a Gomezy-bluesy thing, but soon got a wee bit darker / more Arab Strappy…. We’ve called it “Room Full Of Paintings” as we wrote it in a room full of paintings and I’m going to be very interested to see how how it evolves. Can’t really write for long this evening as I’ve got to (a) translate my scrawl into something intelligible so that we can sing the song we wrote again and (b) got to find some cheap Kingsbury Manx albums on t’net. Until I see youze all again, this is captain cartino signing out.

Record of the year

2006-12-15T12:12:00.000Z

With another year slowly drawing to a close, it's about this time that Cart's and I begin to stroke our metaphorical beards (and this year Carter can stroke his actual beard) and we begin to ponder about the state of music from this calendar year. Unlike last year which saw some great release from the likes of Malcolm Middleton and Idlewild that found a place in our unanimous top 10, this year it has been a bit more of a struggle. Partly, I think it is because everything in the world of popular music pales into insignificance when played next to the magnus opus that is 'alt.westcountry vol.1', however it's perhaps also because there just haven't been many good albums this year. Several big names have released lacklustre follow-ups to cracking debuts (Magic Numbers for example) while other more established stars have certainly failed to get prove they are anything more than one-album wondewrs (Badly Drawn Boy this means you!).

However after much deliberation, cogitation and irritation, here is my list of my 10 favourite album of 2006. I know Carter will heartily disagree with most of them, but here for now are my choices.

1. Balustrade - Alt.WestCountry Vol. 1 (obviously!)
2. Roddy Woomble - Secret is My Silence
3. Razorlight - Razorlight
4. Seth Lakeman - Freedom Fields
5. Albert Hammond Jr. - Yours to keep
6. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
7. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever I say I am, I'm not
8. Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
9. Thom Yorke - Eraser
10. The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams

Get Back!

2006-11-20T21:56:00.000Z

On the day that George Martin released that Beatles remixed / remastered thing that I don’t quite understand, we here at Balustrade towers were also revisiting the past. At tonight’s training session, we dug out a couple of classics from “alt.wescountry volume 1” and played them all the way through from beginning to end for the first time in about six months. Both Zaire and Play It Again were dusted down and belted out like they never went away. Any rather good we thought they were too. As well as that, we also planned our special Christmas message to the nation, that we will be recording next Monday at The Batch studios in Batheaston.

So, what else has been tickling the ribs of Balustrade this week… well… not a lot as far as I’m concerned. This is largely because my iPod broke, and my whole being centres around music, so that’s that. Oh, and I went to a mates gig on Saturday night, which was cool, and was even forced to go to a live rugby match. Never, ever, ever, ever again. The good thing was Bath lost (hooray!), which, when combined with Bath City winning and Chippenham losing in the football, I had an entertaining sporting weekend.
I have also be starting to compile my “top 10 albums of 2006 list” (because High Fidelity is right and blokes like lists) and it’s been worrying me… Has 2006 been one of the thinnest vintages of new music for a while or what? More on this when I regain the will to care, and can hear music on the move again… where’s my iPod??........

Fat indie band love their fat indie fans!

2006-11-16T17:17:00.000Z

As many of you are no doubt aware, neither Carter nor myself would ever turn down a good pie (although even we draw the line at Fray Bentos). Although this doesn't mean we shop at 'Fat Lads R Us' just yet, it does pose a certain problem when purchasing t-shirts at indie-type gig venues. Far too often a n extra large fits like a large and a large is only suitable for an anorexic stick insect with silly hair. Over the years, this has led Carter and myself to formulate the the 'Fat Indie Fans' list. A list of bands whose t-shirts are not likely to restrict your breathing when you buy the wrong size and who are not going to mean you have to put said over-priced souvenir on ebay before the ringing in your ears from the previous evening's musical delights have subsided.

Currently on the good list are Ash, the Kings of Leon and the Lostprophets.

Currently on the naughty list are; The Mighty Boosh, Belle and Sebastian, Ryan [not Bryan] Adams, and Idlewild.

The reason I thought I would share this with you is that last night I went and saw the marvellous Magic Numbers gig in the always nasty Bristol Academy. Seeing as this was the first time I was to see them, I thought I would be take the risk of buying some of their over-priced merchandise - especially when it turns out that it's actually really nice. However, this meant I would have to risk the over-priced merchandie table and run the gauntlet of the bloke behind the table who holds up a t-short and akes you guess if you'll fit inside it! Fortunately this time I was succesful and got myself a rather nice t-shirt and a couple of badges. As for the gig itself, well, they were rather fantastic. The new material from their rather lacklustre second album did not jar too offensively with the stuff from their excellent debut and even though they aren't the most chatty band in the world, they made up for it with some cool songs and a well-fitting t-shirt!

Enough Trinny and Susannah style fashions tips. For those of you curious about what is going on in the world of Balustrade this week, well work continues towards our objective of putting out a Christmas podcast. We learnt some very surprising new covers as well as resurrecting an old favourite or two, so keep tuned for more info.

Getting lost in a maze

2006-11-06T22:01:00.000Z

We’ve been too busy to practice recently, and tonight’s session was the first time for about a month that Balustrade have picked us their (that is to say, our) guitars in anger. And anger was the predominant emotion as we moaned about the weather and other things which escape me know. Given the fog that currently engulfs Bath like a big… load… of… erm… fog, young Lexington was lucky to manage the long and arduous drive from Batheaston to Claremont without encountering any zombie pirates. It’s a growing concern this side of the river and no mistake. Some taxi drivers refuse to go north of the Avon when it’s a bit murky for fear of the wee beasties.

Anyway, why the break, I hear you bellowing at your computer screens, and herein lies the tale. As the more culturally savvy amongst you might know, Bath is home to an annual film festival, and last Monday evening I was watching some artsy French monochrome futuristic animation thing instead of singing songs. Renaissance was the film and it was quite good, really. However, we Balustrade boys had a right treat on Saturday night when we were invited along to a special preview screening of Guillermo Del Toro’s latest Spanish language film Pan’s Labyrinth. It was only due to our newfound status as local celebrities (thanks to the success of the alt.westcountry volume one album) that the Major of Bath herself invites us along as VIPs where we were treated to comfy seats and all the Haribo and Jelly Babies we can eat. Which, as I’m sure you’ll be aware, in a heck of a lot of sugary goodness. Indeed, Lex brought a small truck with him and walked away at the end with nearly seven hundred quids worth of cola bottles. He was cock of the walk, I can tell you…

Anyway, the film itself was just bloody amazing – beautiful, poignant, harrowing, words cannot really describe its majesty. I urge to go see it when it gets a proper release later in November. However, this film will only really appeal to less than half of our fan-base as it’s all in a language called “foreign”, necessitating the use of subtitles, so you have to actually be able to read to understand it.

Anyway, last night (Sunday 5th) was bonfire night, and as I was downloading the rather excellent photographs of fireworks looking all blurry and crap in the sky, I came across this never-before-seen picture from the album recording sessions. I think it’s doing the world a disservice to deny its majesty. The slippers are my favourite bit about it. Alex Thomas: a man who knows how to relax in his own home whilst clubbing a load of pans and pans with wooden spoons. What a man!

That’s all from me for now,

Toodle-pip

Matty Del Carter IV

Balustrade meet the Raconteurs

2006-10-23T19:11:00.000+01:00

When I say meet, it's more in a spirtual sense than it is an actual physical sesne. Although we were in the same room as them. However we were sat in the very back row at the Colston Hall and they were at the front on stage. But, the principle is still there. At the end of the day, we shared the same space as them and isn't that what counts! (Although I doubt they were sat in traffic for half an hour trying to get out of the car park!).

On a more positive note, they were fantastic though and probably the best gig I have been to see al year. They didn't let the fact that they only have a 30 minute album stop them and proceded to noodle and wig-out their way to a quality hour and a half long set! Highlights swere a fantastic version of Steady As She Goes and a very cool cover of Nancy Sinatra's 'Bang, Bang' which they blended with Broken Boy Soldiers in a 20+ minute prog-odyssey! Support was from bonkers Norwegian 70s rockers Big Bang who appeared to have the offsring of Sarumon and the girl from the muppets on drums, but were really good nonetheless. Next up it's Billy Bragg in December - can't wait!!

Back in the studio

2006-10-16T23:54:00.000+01:00

That's right folks, we were back in the studio this week, although not the recording one. We were back to practicing away with our geetars in the glorious surroundings of Mr Carter Sr's palatial artists studio (where we are locked away far enough from civillized folk that we don't disturb their supper or their watching of documentaries on BBC 4). As you can see from the pictures below, we didn't let our soft, callous-free fingers prevent us from creating yet more Balustrade magic and we even managed to start work on a new song (tentatively titled The Rain Brigade).

...on your stereo, maybe...

2006-10-07T15:55:00.000+01:00

Bert jansch?
Not round my gaff squire!

Actually, I heard The Black Swan for the first time this morning, and I have to say that - on first listen - it's... deeply ordinary. Not rubbish, not brilliant, boring, plodding, dour... just... ordinary. I have to say that I expected better things.

Now, unlike Lex, I can't be bothered with all this putting-up-of-pictures nonsene (especially pics that are subject to copywrite control... :-) ) so I'll just have to write what's being doing on my stereo in recent days...

(1) Bonnie Billy - The Letting Go... fair enough, I'll give you that one squire
(2) Sparklehorse - the new one, with moutains in the title... It's bloody great, exp. the 10 minute last track which is pure delicate art-noise bliss
(3) Shearwater - their new one... again, I can't remember the title... but it's good and odd... weird voice, total disregard for conventional song structure. At times it's a bit like a Lloyd-Webber musical being played by Wilco - but mostly it;s good

Can't think of 'owt else now. I'm only posting during half time in the Chesunt v Bath City game...

On the Balustrade Stereo

2006-10-05T20:21:00.000+01:00

This week, Balustrade have mostly been listening to...

Black Swan by Bert Jansch
Guest starring Beth Orton on several tracks, it means this album is a lot more than just a mediocre folk album with lots of good guitar work. Because of the prescence of Ms Orton it means it's basically a Beth Orton album that isn't and definitely a lot better than the sum of it's parts. If you're looking for something nice and relaxed and also quite interesting, then this is the album for you.

The Letting Go - Bonnie Price Billy.
Will Oldham is as ugly as he is talented, however he has a tendancy to put out more albums that is really neccessary (not to mention doing it under 3 different names). As such, his back catalogue is something of a minefield when wanting to get into his work. That being said, his new album is probably his most accessible since the 'Greatest Hits of Palace Music' - which was a covers album of his own earlier work. Therefore, if you're looking to get into the wonderful world of big bearded alt.country wierdos then this is definitely well worth checking out.

Alt.WestCountry Volume 1 REVEALED!

2006-09-21T20:17:00.000+01:00

After months of blood, sweat and even a few tears (mostly from Lex when he didn't get his way!) the Balustrade album is finally finished! Carter took shipment of the inlay cards this week and now we can exclusively reveal to you, the loyal Balustrade fans, just what 'Alt.Westcountry Volume One' is going to look like.

To find out what it sounds like you'll just have to wait a few more days, however we can exclusively reveal to you here on the Balustrade blog, the tracklisting for this mighty opus. After many a heated word and the odd bout of fisticuffs, the final running order for Alt.Westcountry Vol.1 is as follows;

1. In The West Country
2. West Country Blues
3. Play It Again (some other day)
4. The World The Way It Shouldn't Be
5. Dream the Dream
6. Medieval Town Planners
7. Swampman
8. Foolin'
9. Summer Days
10. Harvest Song
11. Love Songs for Travellers (Part Two)
12. Zaire

Keep checking back for more Balustrade info as the boys will return to regular practice next week and attempt to pick up their guitars for the first time in 3 months - it could be interesting (but not if you're one of Carts or Lex's neighbours!!)

REVEALED: Just where Balustrade have been!

2006-09-12T21:30:00.000+01:00

Greetings Balustrade fans. Have you been wondering where your favourite alt.country twosome have been the last 6 months? Well perhaps these pictures will reveal the truth about their whereabouts. It seems the boys haven't been off discovering themselves or working on their album. It turns out they've been presenting a poor quality television show channel 4 on friday nights.

It's no surprise really that people didn't notice, because how many people actually watch the Friday Night Project anyway!!

No, this time we really ARE back!

2006-09-11T21:21:00.000+01:00

Like true renegade masters, Balustrade are back once again: after a summer in which Lex found himself in Goa and I found myself in the gutter, the recording, remixing, tinkering and basically arsing about sessions began again in earnest. And now it’s over. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been three years in the making but we’re ready to unleash our freak-child of an album on the unsuspecting world.

Taking exclusively to me this evening as we sat in the Camden studios, Lex expressed his astonishment at having finally finished the album with a series of inane grunts and whistles, along with a few expletives along the lines of “I can’t F*”$^&g believe it!”

It’s taken a long time, but hopefully you guys will think it’s worth it. I can only speak for myself on this, but I was thinking that if I heard this band for the first time now – particularly a track like Foolin’ or Dream The Dream – then I’d quite like them. I can say not much more than that. Now, about that Mercury music prize nomination…

In the wider world, all in well in the world of Balustrade as we struggle to come to terms with having to pick up over guitars in anger again. New covers need to be learnt, new chords (maybe) and new instruments (ukulele a-go-go) are all in the pipeline. We’re going to perform live again at some point soon, and we’re going to sit back and wait for the confusion to hit the fan – if that’s not mixing my metaphors a bit too much.

So, I’ll keep this short as I’ve got to but the finishing touches to the album artwork before getting it to the printers, thank you, our patient and most wonderous fans. You are about to be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. Alt.westcountry Volume One is about to hit you right between your eyes and/or in your knackers… you have been warned!

Carts

We're back baby!

2006-06-06T21:06:00.000+01:00

As Paul Newman says at the end of Colour of Money 'I'm baaaaaaaack!!'

As a result of several technical issues with the new Balustrade site, combined with the general rubbishness of the Balustrade boys themselves, we've decided to return to our spiritual blogging home and restart the original Balustrade Web log. So we caught up with Lex and found out just what the Balustrade boys have been up to.

"Well, seeing as the weather has improved I've been spending even more time than usual inside in darkened rooms. Us sun-dodging carrot tops don't like the summer, unless we spend all my time rubbing on factor 50 Ambre Solaire and taking industrial strength anti-hystemins.

However staying inside hasn't been such a bad thing as it has meant we've got on with loads of stuff for the balustrade album. Thanks to the recent bank holidays we've taken a couple of days in the studio and managed to get quite a lot of work done. We currently have 10 out of the 12 songs for alt.westcountry vol.1 and half a dozen of those are pretty much finished. It's all sounding really interesting and we've been trying out a lot of new stuff (such as playing in time) and the Balustrade sound is really fleshing out. We're hoping to get it done by the end of the summer, however we have the 3 most difficult songs to do and so hopefully we'll get that them done before Xmas and finally finish this beast and move on to new things.

I also got to see Balustrade's spiritual godfathers, the mighty Gomez at Bristol Academy last night. They were fantastic, although they still look like students, just slightly porkier than usual!"

And with that, the delicate tones of whining cartoon frog eminated from his pocket and Lex was dragged away by important phone call from home - so I'm guessing his dinner was ready. Hopefully we'll catch up with Carter sometime soon and we can hear all about the other side of all things alt.westcountry.

So keep tuned Balustrade fans, and hopefully we'll have lots of news on the album as well as a few pictures from the recording sessions that are apparently floating around in cyberspace.

You Thought Shyness Was To Blame...

2006-02-20T22:17:00.000Z

Hello everybody. Carts here, with a tear welling in my eye. I’m very sorry indeed to have to announce that this is the very last Balustrade blog entry on this site. No more will the world be able to visit www.balustrade.blogspot.com and read all about their favourite alt.westcountry blues/folk/popsters. No more can they read sagas of our lifetime friend, mentor, idol, guru and all-round role model, Nigel “Pound” Yorkie. No more weekly-ish updates on new songs, new covers, live exploits. No more fish. No more ‘hilarious’ jokes about me and what I get up to with woodland creatures (which is my own business, thank you very much. I don’t need anyone sticking their nose in. Besides, there isn’t room…fnr…fnr…). No more tales from Thomas Acres, Lexington’s weekend pad in south Dorset. No more strange references to non-league football. No more bitterness.

Not here, at least.

Somewhere else.

Yes.

Somewhere else.

I don’t know where and I don’t know what, but the rotting cadaver that is the Balustrade blog is about to be given a great bit kiss of life-type thingy, thanks to Lex and his overactive computer glands. I’m under oath not to reveal too much now, but watch this space. Or rather not this space but a different space altogether. I’ve said too much already! Gah!

There only remains time for me to say: Arctic Monkeys: We salute you! Regina Spektor, I salute you (Can’t speak for my tangerine-headed band-chum on this one)
Lost: I’ve finally waded through the entire first series on DVD, and whilst this makes for much better viewing than it did on the ad-strewn TV broadcasts, I still want to slap them all silly until they tell me what’s going on. Or, as I strongly suspect, are they a bit like the Bath City back-four: They might pretend they know the plan, but look a little deeper and you can see the fear and doubts in their eyes as they hurtle down the abyss.

Ummm… Oh yeah, we’ve just finished writing our new song (Swamp Man), which is a blooze-fuelled stomper than does exactly what it says on the tin.

So then, until our technical bods sort out the future, I shall bid you ‘adieu’, but this is no goodbye. Oh, and if you get the chance, listen to the mighty fine new album by Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan. Beautigrowl is my new favourite genre.

So, for the Balustrade Blog, this is goodbye. But keep your eyes peeled for further developments on this front.

From Balustrade to Lambridge to...Mexico?!

2006-01-23T15:38:00.000Z

Another week, another practice at The Batch. Alas I (Lex) wasn't allowed to drive to Carter's for some unknown crime of a domestic nature (probably weeing on the loo seat! - Carts) and so we once again set about appeasing the Goldfish JukeBox Jury and Carter was forced to take the bus from out to the mighty Batch.

After last weeks succesful return to form it was back to the song-writing this week with a need to get the album underway. Therefore we decided to continue work on 'In The West Country' as well as write a new song for the yet to be named, Tuesday Splinter Group (which wouldn't be a half bad name at all!).

After perfecting 'In the West Country' to a suitably dirgy country blues swamp song, (until we record it and add some percussion) we decided to try and pen a quick country song. Using everyone's favourite chords (G, C and D - but no capo this time) we soon created a little ditty about taking the train through America to Mexico and in true British fashion we can still find time to grumble about the weather. We also managed to squeeze in Michale Stipe-esque litereary reference to Lex's most recent read Jack Kerouac's On The Road - a good job he wasn't reading Bog Bodies for Beginners or who knows how the subject matter would have changed.

Anyhow, Joe and Leo (the other goldfish) both seemed impressed with the new song and so we will have to wait and see how this new Balustrade epic will continue to develop. Perhaps we will have to develop our regional accents and become the West Country's answer to the Arctic Monkeys - I bet that you look good at the barn dance!!

Fishin' For Compliments

2006-01-09T22:20:00.000Z

Ah, 2006 – and Balustrade are back! The Batch at Batheaston was the venue for the first Balustrade practice session of the new year, and the lads had their own critical audience this evening as they prepared for the up-coming recording sessions for the debut album. Two belligerent fish (named Joe and … I forget… they’re not my fish…) were witnesses to this momentous occasion.

In the annals of music history, it has been well documented that fish have played a massive role in shaping modern music – indeed, who can forget the notorious story about Elvis Presley’s first version of In The Ghetto, which was a seventeen-part opera sung entirely in Flemish until The Colonels faithful fishy Fred told Elvis exactly what kind of Christmas the poor kids would be getting if he released that pile of rancid guff… the rest, as they say, is history!

Anyway, the two fish who were witnesses to Balustrade this evening are most certainly discerning types who’ve got the blues in their blood. “Foolin”m “In The West Country” and “West Country Blues” all went down very well indeed, and found the watery twosome chasing each other round their tank and generally having a whale of a time. Indeed, when I flopped out my organ (mouth organ, that is) they positively tried to leap out of the tank and howl at the moon. Which is a good thing!

However, during the embryonic future b-side “Song For A Sixth Form Poet”, both fish hid behind their bridge. Fair enough. Neither did they like the folksy/whimsical “Love Songs For Travelers” or Idlewild cover “Goodbye”. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

Suffice to say that it’s good to be back, and we promise to keep our blog a little bit more up to date from not on…. Chack back regularly and make sure you read our separate “Albums Of The Year” colums which we posted over Christmas… honest…

Carts Gonzales.

CHRISTMAS DAY POSTING!!

2005-12-25T08:30:00.000Z

It’s Christmas, a time to let Jesus into your lif…. Actually, it’s a time to get belligerent, grumpy, play ******g Monopoly and eat dates. Dates are the devil’s turds, folks. Best not to put them in your mouth. Unless demon-crap is one of your favourite foods, that is…

It’s a time of reflection down here on Balustrade Acres, my personal winter retreat on the Scilly Isles, as I’ve got nobody to talk too and I’m all alone. So, what better a thing to do that let you all in on my favourite albums of 2005. Here’s a top…few… in no particular order…

Alasdair Roberts – No Earthly Man
Malcolm Middleton – Into The Woods
Fog – 10th Avenue Freakout
The Dead 60s – The Dead 60s
Fursaxa – Lepidoptera

There must be loads more, but I really con’t think of them. However, when I get a new album in 2006 I’ll be sure to let you all know. But back to these meager offerings: I promise you that you’ll love ‘em, so go buy ‘em. And if you don’t love ‘em, take ‘em back to the shop where you got ‘em, and tell ‘em I sent you and they’ll be bound to give you your money back, along with a free copy of the new Girls Aloud album/single (there must be one due. I can hardly wait. Oh rapture.)

Plus, 2005 was the year I discovered Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is great, and loads of other stuff was good too. The Jose Gonzales album I got this year was just the best thing ever ever ever ever ever evr, but it’s not technically a 2005 album… 2003 or 2004 or something like that.

Gotta go know, the turkey won’t baste itself, even though it said self-basting on the label when I got it in the deliberately non-organic, non-pc non-gm-free, non-turkey pouns shop next to BHS in Bath. Mmmmmm. Injected stuff….

Carts

Wishing you a Balustrade Xmas (part 1)

2005-12-24T00:01:00.000Z

Greetings Balustrade fans and a Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you. Lex here, hack in the Dorset homestead and seeing as Ma and Pa Lexington have fallen asleep in front of 'It's A Wonderful Life' after having one too many sherries, I thought I would let you, the fans, get an insight into the festive period for the Balustrade boys. No doubt Carter will take a break from his non-denominational, organic winter festvial celebrations at some point and add some of his thoughts (as long as he hasn't had too much mead) and we can give you some 'Strade content to brighten these cold winter nights.

It's been a pretty good year for the mighty Balustrade. We've recorded a second EP which has been met with critical acclaim. We've played live live at least once. And although we haven't finished the album as promised, we've gone a long way towards finalising the line-up and with any luck in 2006 we will finally complete the long awaited masterpiece that is Alt.WestCountry vol1 ( as well as continue to play live - we hope!!)

As is traditional at this time of the year, I thought I would maybe post a retrospect of a few of my favourite things from 2005 - after all if Channel 4 can fill it's schedule with the 'Top 100 TV reminiscences of 1984 featuring Kate Thornton and some pop star you've never heard' then surely we at Balustrade can also fill the blog with such low-rent blogging - alas we won't have comments from Miss Thornton or other luminaries such Jamie Theakston or The Blazing Sqaud, so you'll just have to make do with our own witty insights instead!

In terms of albums I would have to go with the following;

1. Malcolm Middleton - Into the Woods
(dour Scottish song-smith writes fantastically up beat songs with the most miserable lyrics going - pure genius and the best openeing lyrics toa song ever in 'Autumn')

2. Idlewild - Warnings/Promises
(Securing top slot as Lex's favourite band, the dandy Scottish rockers have moved away from their angry rock past and produced a much more melancholy, folk-tinged album with some cracking songs to boot. I saw them 4 times this year as well with their acoustic gig at St Peter's Hall in Bristol being one of my top 3 gigs ever!!)

3. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
(He may have a silly floppy fringe ands be far too talented for someone of his age, but Conor Oberst's alt.country masterpiece has been a huge influence on Balustrade this year and this effort is much better than his silly electronic album!)

4. Magic Numbers - Magic Numbers
(Proof that fat lads and lasses can be popstars too! (not counting Michelle McPopIdol and the fat bloke who was on Popstars) Fantastic sugary pop songs that will forever be the soundtrack to Summer 2005.)

5. John Legend - Get Lifted
(After much thought and deliberation, this manages to sneak into the top 5, mostly based on the fact that Ordinary People was such a great song. Alas it meant he knocked fellow piano-based troubadour Ben Folds out, whose 'Songs For Silverman' fetured my favourite single of the year, 'Landed')

Other honorayy mentions go to The Subways, Common, Martha Wainwright and bonkers Armenian rockers System of a Down for their 'Mesmerize' album. No doubt Carter will wax-lyrically about some obscure bearded folkies in his list, however this is secretly covering up the fact that Will Young and Girls Aloud have been dominating his CD player for months and he tries to hide it.

In terms of other media, Sin City was my film of the year as I struggled to think of anything else on a par (although Star Wars was ace and I have yet to see King King which looks superb!!). While on the small screen, Lost was disappointing, X-Factor and all that reality dancing nonsense was bobbins and even Extra's proved that Ricky Gervais was just an annoying fat bloke rather than a comedy genius (however his podcasts on Guardian Unlimted has since changed my outlook on that!). So in teh end, the hands down winner was Curb Your Enthusiasm. Without a shadow of a doubt the funniest and most painfully embarassing show ever created! Televisual gold and such a shame it is only shown on channel 4's freeview channel which no-one watches!!

And with that I think it's time I drew this epic post to a conclusion. I can hear the old folks stirring downstairs and no doubt it'll not be long before they start making fake sooty boot prints up the stairs and leaving a bag of presents outside the door (I don't have the heart to remind them that i'm 27! Besides, they ruined Santa for me 20 years ago when they revealed that the man in the shop, not Father Christmas, had given them the wrong batteries for my Transormers walkie-talkies!!)

So have a Merry Xmas all and we'll see you in the New Year!!

BREAKING NEWS - BALUSTRADE SPLIT SHOCKER

2005-12-16T15:10:00.000Z

Just like Penny Lane was sold to Humble Pie for 50 dollars and a case of Heineken in the film Almost Famous, so Balustrade have also parted ways with regular member of the Balustrade extended family. Tascam US-122 or 'The MagicBox' as it was affectionately known, has been a regular fixture on the Balustrade blogs and was an integral member of early studio recordings such as Stalisfield and Balustrade Xmas. However, due to a long running feud with studio supremo Eddie 'the E' Mac, it was decided that Tascam would leave the band after a troubled period during the recording of Balustrade's 4 Seasons EP. The split emanated from the introduction of Eddie's tiger which he attempted to bring into the studio early in 2004. However due to Tascam's inability to co-operate with the beast (as well as some cost-cutting' at Balustrade HQ) it was decided Tascam should pursue other creative avenues. We wish Tascam all the best in it's future endeavours and in the meantime a search for a cheaper more co-operative alternative to it's technical wizardry will begin in the new year.

Balustrade have broken up...

2005-12-12T14:48:00.000Z

... for Christmas!!

After their triumphant live performance last week, the boys have decided to call it a day for the festive period. Instead of the usual fevered practice and fine-tuning of their musical masterpieces, Carter brought over Kerplunk and Lex got out his Buckaroo! Both boys are looking forward to a nice long break over Christmas. Lex is planning on returning to the deepest darkest depths of Dorset on the hayseed express. While Carts will be remaining in sunny Bath for the annual Carter family druid dance and pipe smoking festival.

This is it now for the Balustrade boys until the new year, so we here at Balustrade HQ would like to take the oppurtunity to wish you and the boys a very Merry Xmas and we will see you all again in the New Year!!

Been a long time

2005-10-10T13:39:00.000+01:00

A lot has happened since I last took up my keyboard to write. Bath City have been knocked out of the FA Cup at the hands of Weymouth, for example. I'm sure other things have happened too. Oh yeah, Balustrade have written a couple of stonking new tracks. Foolin' is a Carter-penned Blues shuffle in the style of the recent BRMC album, and 'Untitled' is a collaborative effort and an exercise in delighful miserablism. It probably does have a title, but I just can't remember it.

Other news in the world of Balustrade is the fact that we've decided that practicing between 8 and 10 in the evenings is a wee bit too late, esp. as both the lads start work earlier these days (Carts at 8.30ish and Lex at... i dunno... about midday...). With this in mind, a shock decision was made to meet at 7.30, have a cup of tea, then practice until bored. Crackin!

Anyway, there'll be another update from Balustrade Towers soon - hopefully with news of a concret, definate "tour" dates (well, a gig in Widcombe, Bath) and maybe some exciting tabloid revelations.

In the meantime, enjoy TheFourSeasons and think how much better your life has been since you heard it. Think. Think think think. Thinky winky. Think. Oh, alright then.

I wasn’t going to write this but…

2005-09-05T22:39:00.000+01:00

… I know it's still early (relatively speaking) but I’d decided that I wasn’t going to update the Balustrade blog this evening, opting instead for an early night with The Vikings, staring Kirk Douglas and E.Borgnine. On DVD, not in a strange norse-sixities-throughback-menage-a-tois-esque-thing. But I am/have have written this instead… yeah… because on the way home from the Alpine Studios this evening I had the very great pleasure of Balustrade coming in my ears! That’s right folks… (a) I’ve been watching too much Phoenix Nights recently (Can you get too much Phoenix Nights?) and (b) Four Seasons – the new EP by Balustrade – is FINISHED!! We’ve managed to get it sorted and it’s top.

So, How do I get my filthy, filthy hands on a copy? Well well well, it’s very simple really. SEND US SOME STUFF YOU THINK WE’LL LIKE. Lex and I like lots of things. Send us something cool, unique or cash-based and we’ll send you a copy of the ep in return. Two fifty-pence pieces sellotaped to a bit of card would be great, as would a nice hand-made card with a genuine £50 note, or something that will make us laugh. We’re not fussy.

We’ll leave it up to your imaginations. NB: No, Neil. We don’t want that. We know what you’re thinking but it isn’t funny. It smells.

PS: This is actually a good record. We both like it and it doesn’t suck.

Carts

frolicking like new born baa-lambs in the clover (will that do?)

2005-08-22T22:32:00.000+01:00

Hello chums.
Having finished Winter Nights last week, I’ve spent most of the last week worrying. ‘It’s a big pile of guff’, I found myself waking up and saying last Thursday. But, having heard the track again this evening through proper speakers, Lex was able to put my mind at rest. It’s only a small pile of guff, so – cool, that’ll do for now. One of the benefits of living in a recording studio is that you get to reassure yourself of these things without panic, so Lex doesn’t have to worry about stuff like that. His only problem is having to put up with sweaty roadies being sick on his pillow.

This evening we wrote a new song. The bones were but in place by lex and his box of tricks over the week, but we fleshed this out with words amd structure and stuff. It’s all about those crazy days in spring when it snows, and it will replace The Troubadour’s Lament on the 4Seasons EP. This isn’t difficult, and is a bit like putting anybody else I goal instead of David James. I think y’l’all be surprised when you hear the new direction… think spandex… think face paint… think ZZ Top beards… think driving your chevy to the levy, only to find that the said levy is dry… then think again. We’re not going to tell you what it sounds like, that’ll spoil the fun. You’ll have to wait. Not long now.

Oh, we also sorted out some drummage for Summer Days: it’s currently got hi-hat and bass drum… the rest is on its way… somewhere. Anyway, I’m off to Yate tomorrow for the football, so I’d better get to bed.

Until we meet again… I’ve been Carts and you’ve been wasting your life.

Bongo, Mugs and Scissors

2005-08-08T22:37:00.000+01:00

Legal advice. If you ever need it, ask a clown. That’s probably the best bit of advice my Dad ever gave me. Ask a clown. And so, when Balustrade got into a spot of legal bother this week, they turned to former Moscow State Circus clowns Bongo, Mugs and Scissors. It all started last Thursday when Lex, high on the joys of summer of other things, came up with an idea for a new middle8 for The Harvest Song. Unfortunately, ElCartino had already written an identical middle8 for a different song. So he sued Lex in a thinly-veiled attempt to get his increasingly greasy mits on Lex’s enviable collection of imported Region 1 DVDs and photographs of monkeys and lemurs doing hilarious/unspeakable things with boomerangs and air pumps. Luckily, Messers Bongo (representing Lex) and Mugs (Representing ElCartino) managed to force an out of court settlement, with both parties paying the other’s lawyer £15. Mister Scissors, meanwhile, didn’t have a lot to say as he can’t speak. He’s a pair of scissors, and his legal qualifications look like they’ve been photocopied.

However, he did come in useful as an instrument of percussion/torture juts this very evening when he was called to add his dulcet tones to the now almost-complete Harvest Song. Listen out for his old friends Bongo and Mugs, too, as well as Tam Bourine, a frightening cliché of an eighteenth-century Irish navy busy digging the Kennet and Avon canal… erm. Yeah.

Anyway, we’re both dead chuffed with the progress that we’ve made on The Harvest Song this evening. Listening back to the demos we made a few months ago, what one a steaming pile of fresh cow manure is now something so pure, glistening and fruity that you could slap it in a bikini and sell the photos to Nuts. If you really wanted.

Anyway, the plan is for us to re-do Winter Nights next week, so I’ve got to strengthen my jaw for all those ten-minute harmonica solos and I come over all Bob Dylan / Badly Drawn Boy. I can’t wait… can you?

Summer Days are here again

2005-08-01T20:25:00.000+01:00

Like a particularly pungent fart after a good chilli, you just can't get rid of Balustrade! After an exciting and enterprising summer the boys returned to Alpine Studio this week to finish work on their new masterpiece, the 4 Seasons EP.

In typical Balustrade fashion, Matthew turned up complete with neatly pressed slacks, polished shoes and a brand Action Man pencil case from the Big W. Dropped to the door by his Mum who couldn;t resist wiping a small speck of dirt from his rosey cheek, he entered the studio laiden down by his lunch box which was brimming with cheese and chutney sandwiches, a pack of Frazzles and a Muller light.

Lex on the other hadn looked as if he had slep in a shed the night before. Arriving as he did with no tie, an un-ironed shirt, last term's shoes and a badly bruised banana. It's a good job he had done the unthinable and actually done his summer holiday homework and so arrived carrying a new version of Summer Days in his satchel.

Needless to say the boys vanished into the Alpine Studios mixing booth from which much chuckling and cooing was heard (although that could have been the collection of old Mojo's that Lex found in his Dad's shed over the summer) and exited 2 hours later with an almost finished version of the EP's lead track.

After such fevered activity a break was called for and so they speny the rest of the day trying to go all the way over the top on the swings in the Alpine Park playing fields - all becasue Lex's mate Tim's brother's friend from the north once said he had!

We're all going on a Summer holiday

2005-07-08T20:50:00.000+01:00

After an unnsuccesful attempt to finish the 4 Seasons EP Cart's and Lex have decided to go holiday. The demos they recorded were OK, but felt a bit boring when played back. Therefore in order to attempt to recharge their creative batteries the boys have decided to take a bit of a break for the summer.

As the more adventurous one, Lex has decided to return to his home land of Dorset to study the lost musical art of Myxolodian. Locking himself away in a secret monastry just outside Cerne Abbas, he will be subjected to daily lessons on musical theory, advanced noodling and anything up 7 hours a day of praactising his chordal arts. Once night has fallen he will be forced to listen to Pat Metheny albums until his ears bleed and his fingers somehow manage to comprehend this most complicated of musical mehtodology. After that he might pop in and see his Mum and Dad if he gets time.

Carts, on the hand, is something more of a traditionalist and so has decided to join his parents on a tour of the east Somerset Cider and folk festivals. Packing his mandolin, a neckerchief and an extra big flaggon of home brew cider he has claimed it will be a mixture of Summer Holiday, the Partridge Family and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - let's just hope that doesn't mean he comes back wearing very tight shorts, loving our lord Jesus Christ and, worse of, all liking tennis!

The boys have decided to reconvene in August where, not only will they continue work on the 4 Seasons EP, but must also present an essay (of at least 2 pages) to the each other, entitled, 'What I did over the Summer (and why I mustn't do it again)'.

We're coming back. we were always coming back

2005-06-10T18:23:00.000+01:00

Hello ladies and gentlemen. Carter here, attempting to breathe a little bit of life into this blig, which is starting to hum a bit like that thing at the back of your fridge that you can’t identify. You know the thing. It might have been cheese once, but now it’s got its own language and complicated rituals for electing popes and stuff.
So then, Balustrade. Balustrade, Balustrade, Balustrade. What have the boys been up to?
Basically, they spend all of Bank Holiday Monday (30th or 31st May, I can’t remember) trying to record four tracks for the summer single. Things didn’t go well. In fact, when we slapped it on a CD to listen to at leisure, we decided that it was largely a great big bag of monkey-gizzards. Some of it is salvageable, most of it isn’t.

We did try to put things right the following Monday, but software problems (on a Mac! I can’t believe it!) meant that nothing happened. In light of these recent set-backs the boys have also decided to call of the playing live activities for a while. For the life of me I can’t remember why, but I’m sure it was the right decision at the time.

As that’s all there is to report Balustrade-wise, I guess I’d better check out. Mind you, I will make passing reference to the new Coldplay album (Hmmmm…. It had better be a grower… sounded better this morning on random play through very big headphones very loud, but…), the new White Stripes album (Erm… barking.) and the second series of Curb Your Enthusiasm. (I USED to think that The Office made for painful through-the-fingers comedy but I was wrong. Larry David is a bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter genius. It takes one to know one. A bitter bloke, not a genius.)

Anyway, take care, be cool, get out in the sun before it withers away to autumn, listen to Carnival of Light by Ride (top Summer album) and, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, don’t get any rubbish henna tattoos. Jojoba is the future.

Bloggone!

2005-05-25T17:52:00.000+01:00

Erm... Hello?? Wossgoin' on? I wrote a really funny blog entry here last week. It was all about pheasants and football and demoing songs or something. But It's not here and I've lost the will to live. Nearly. Anyway, I'd better go as Lex is due to write something really funny and not-at-all pointless about last nights practice soon. Bye bye. Carts!

The World the way it shouldn't be.

2005-05-10T11:34:00.000+01:00

Not only a cunning reference to Balustrade's stonking new indie-rock anthem, but also the state of affairs that our intrepid balladeers found themselves in at practice last night. The world certainly wasn't the way it was suppsoed to be as, when arriving for practice, disaster hit the Alpine Studios and the kettle broke! How would the creative juices flow without suitable lubrication?!

Quick to blame it on the other tennants at Alpine Towers, the crisis was soon averted when Lex's Irish Pixie man-servant charged to the rescue and, placating the diva-ish tendancy of Cart's (who was gearing up for a full-on creative strop) managed to save the day by 'putting a pot on'. Whatever he did, this miraculously produced 2 mugs of fine brown music-juice, although the boys were forced to slum it with ordinary 'builders' tea instead of the usual 'lapdance-poo-pong' that Cart's has developed quite the taste for in recent months However the boys battled through the hardships, and without even the luxury of a chocolate biscuit, proceeded to finish work on the titular indie rock masterpiece as well as giving a good buffing to newly re-discovered classic track, the Troubadour's Lament.

To prevent any more unpleasant outbursts next week from the sensitive artistes that comprise the mighty Balustrade, we here at UKB records are setting up a new charity, Tea Aid. Any donations of tea making equipment will be welcomingly recieved, as will cash donations, (made payable to 'Lex' at the usual address). Please help these dry mouthed musicians, and make the world a better place, not only for the children of the world, but our children's children, and their children's children and even their children's cousins' family friends that they call family even though they aren't.

Please give generously and until next time,

Nigel

It's All Over...

2005-05-03T22:13:00.000+01:00

That’s it. The song-writing process is over. Whilst watching a Northern God-botherer win the Smokin’N’Snooker Cup on the telly, Balustrade last night released a press release to the effect that they can’t be bothered to write any more songs and may as well just record what they’ve got and bloomin’ well get on with it…
The lads have two releases planned. The first fruits of their recent labours will be realized in the form of FourSeasons, an EP type thing featuring four tracks, hopefully out in the summer or thereabouts.
1. Summer Days
2. The Troubadours Lament
3. The Harvest Song
4. Winter Nights

All four of these songs will also feature on the debut album, alt.westcountry volume one, apart from The Troubadours Lament which won’t. Got that?
Summer Days is the lead track, with The Troubadour's Lament represneting Spring, The Harvest Song representing Autumn and Winter Nights bigging it up for... erm... Winter

Alt.westcountry volume one (which is starting to look like a bit of a dodgy title) has been tentatively penciled in for a very late 2005 release (more likely March 2006…) and will feature 12 tracks. Here, for the very first time, we can exclusively reveal the songs that have made the cut and the likely order that they’ll appear on the album…

1. PROLOGUE
2. WEST COUNTRY BLUES
3. SUMMER DAYS (The lead track on the next single)
4. DREAM THE DREAM
5. THE WORLD THE WAY IT SHOULDN’T BE
6. THE HARVEST SONG
7. SHE SMILES (If Lex ever gets round to finishing it…)
8. WE’LL PLAY IT AGAIN (SOME OTHER DAY)
9. THE WOLF
10. WINTER NIGHTS
11. LOVE SONGS FOR TRAVELLERS
12. ZAIRE

Speaking at pretentious length to nobody in particular, Master Matthew J. Carter (the J is an affectation and stands for nothing) said:
“Of all the songs that we’ve written, there is only one for which there are no current plans. Mojave Steamline was the first track written for the album but, and I think we both feel this, sits kinda awkwardly within the rather pastoral ‘English’ alt.westcountry sound that we’ve forged. We can only hope that the songs sound as good recorded as they do in our heads. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve already put a hell of a lot more work into these songs that we have for either The Stalisfield EP or Balustrade Christmas, and when it comes to recording we ain’t gonna rush it through to ensure a quick release. Make your own jokes.
Stay tuned cats, and we’ll let you know how the live stuff and the recording goes…
Carty von Carts.”

So. There you have it. Bet you can't wait, can you???

Down on the farm

2005-04-19T07:53:00.000+01:00

Hello everybody. Matty C here, fresh from another hugely successful Balustrade band practice. We’ve had a pretty unusual week, folks, and I thought that I’d envelope the world in a metaphorical hug and let you in on the secrets of our day.

We’ve spent the last seven days living on a farm. Honest. No, seriously, we have. Really. We’ve had a go at milking the cows (Lex is hopeless with udders), making cheese, setting land aside for serious cash, chewing straw in the corners of our mouths, fondling potatoes and wearing dungarees. We even went along to a good ole’ fashioned barn-raising. What up!

The result of our endeavors is a beautiful pastoral song which – dagnabit – has to be the best song we wrote this evening! And that’s saying something! It’s called The Harvest Song and is full to bursting with the joys of life in the country.

Luckily, during our sojourn in the country, Lex has lost most of his dandyish tendencies which he developed after spending too much time breathing the same air as that pasty-faced chap from Iddly-widdly. However, he has now become alarmingly obsessed with the Wiltshire tradition of shoving ferrets down his pants and giggling like a St Trinian’s schoolgirl. For money. If you would like to help elevate the poor fella from his horrific fate which has left it almost impossible for him to sit down, please send me a tenner and a packet of Thai Sweet Chili Walkers Sensations.

Carts out – it’s getting late and the Bath City forum can’t read itself.

Lex the Lanky Haired Dandy

2005-04-13T10:48:00.000+01:00

The behaviour of Balustrader Lex has caused some concern this week. Having been to see Scot's indie-rockers the Idlewild on Sunday Lex turned up for practice decked out in cord slacks and brogues having failed to comb his hair for 48 hours and muttering something about being a highly strung poet and needing to be treated as such, all in a very poor Scottish accent!

With any luck this is just a phase, but for the short term Balustrade may be taking a bit of a new direction until Cart's can sort the young lad out. Apparently new tracks will be written about the struggle for West Country separatism with new track 'Yeovil go home' (which is all about Lex's new campaign to get Yeovil annexed from the United Kingdom and set up as a seperate country and then getting the UK government to set up trade emabargoes with them) and also a track about the plight of the greater pipistrel bat in the Blandford which is tentatively titled 'Bearded bastards of the night'.

With any luck this is just a phase and a strong talking too from Carts's (and if needs be Lex's mum!) will soon sort out this pseudo-adolescent strop and we will back to business as usual in the world of alt.westcountry!

It all began one rainy night on Yeovil...

2005-03-23T11:14:00.000Z

One stormy night on Yeovil moor,
As the thunder clapped and the rain did pour,
Two men from the west on a hill did meet,
And they talked of alt.westcountry
The one from the south had a guitar in his hand,
While the one from the north had talk of a band,
With his pocket full of poems and songs he had made,
Twas that fateful day they formed Balustrade

GO GO GADGET CAPO...

2005-02-21T22:41:00.000Z

Like a dodgy non-league left-back feigning injury in the last minute in order to waste time when 1-0 up away with thirty seconds to play, Balustrade have made a miraculous recovery to announce another live outing. Once again it’s nothing more than an open mic night, but the boys don’t care.

Monday 28 February is the date, the Porter Cellar bar the intended venue, Ramshackle the name of the open mic night and the lads will turn up at about 8.15ish and take it from there. If you’re in the Bath area on the day, come along and do your best to pretend that they were better than some of the other acts…

This time last week it was looking touch and go as Carts suddenly started to lose his voice during a rather passionate version of We’ll Play It Again (Some Other Day) but the larynx has recovered and all should be well, as long as the lads remember to turn their chords. And don’t forget the words.

So, I don’t care how you get there, just get there if you can… and if you can’t there will be TWO full reports put up next week: one from Lex’s and one from Cart’s perspective.

Until then, my chums, stay cool and – in a vague attempt to return a favour – why not visit the website of our dear Darfordian friends Thelonelyband at www.thelonelyband.com They won’t bite.

carts

Ridin’ thru tha country

2005-02-08T19:44:00.000Z

What is it about Mondays?
For the second week running, the ‘Strade have holed themselves up in one of the deepest crevices of the Alpine Studio’s cavernous rehearsal rooms and studio complex and emerged with a perfectly honed slice of country-rock cake, drippin’ with sweet honey and glowing with something toxic that they’d rather not talk about…
Having completed work on Zaire in less than – ooh – twenty minutes or so last week, the new song ‘We’ll Play It Again (Some Other Day)’ was a slightly tougher nut to crack, but it’s a good’un. I’ve (Carter) been toyed with the lyrics to this particular song for months, yet without any kind of structure or chord pattern screaming at me. Until last night, when Lex came up with a simple chord progression and the song flowed out of like we’d just eaten raw chicken.
What’s it about? Well… I’m not going to tell you. It’s about whatever you want it to be about. But, to paraphrase David Frost (something I’ve been wanting to do for ages) listen carefully, because… the… clues… are… there… Loyd… it’s… over... to… … … … you

So, where is the muse coming from? Could it have anything at all to do with the fact that the ‘Strade boys have been listening to a lot of Willy Mason, Matt Sweeney & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Bright Eyes, Six Organs of Admittance, Mojave 3 and Girls Aloud (that’s Lex’s favourite BTW – along with the solo stuff by that bloke from Busted (ask him – he can’t deny it.))

Until I can next be bothered to put fingers to keyboard, this is Carts signing off. I’ve got to polish my spurs and get ready for the Hoe Down.
Yeeeeeee Hawwwwww

Love songs for Travellers

2005-01-31T23:06:00.000Z

One interesting thing that you may not know about the Balustrade boys is that neither of them has a car! Part of this is because they live in Bath and so have no need for a big motor as there is no where to park it! But the main reason is because they live in Bath and so cannot afford to get one as they spend all their money on council tax and looking after the listed Georgian townhouses they live in and so cost ridiculous sums of money to look after because Jane Austen may once have rustled a corset near it at one time or another. The upside to this though is that both lads have thighs like tree trunks from hiking up the many hills of Bath as well as having an encyclopedic knowledge of the British Transport system (both are proud holders of Young Person's Railcard despite neither being able to be accurately described as young!).

Which brings us indirectly to the prupose and title of this post. As a result of their love of all things transport (combined with Mr Carter's slightly confused love of all things Mojave 3-based) the lads have set about a song writing challenge this week. Taking the title of this potential new song from a slip of the tongue by Mr Carter when referring to the aforemnetioned acoustic indie threesome's album 'Excuses for Travellers' both fellas have embarked on a mission to write a new song for the album. Initial results were promising as Mr Carter produced an 99% complete masterpiece of jangly indie goodness all about firelight tales and memorable angles, while Lex turned in a particularly alt.country song about travelling to Bristol and staring at wierdos on the train!

We'll keep you posted on how the competition progresses, however for now, Love Songs for Travellers Parts One and Two have been pencilled on to the initial track list for the album which now includes the final track, Zaire, a plinky plonky acoustic number which will nicely close the album out (OK, so we know that for an A to Z of the West Country it is a bit of a cop out to have the final song called Zaire, but the only other Z we could think of was Zoo as in Bristol Zoo and that isn't a particularly cool name for a song - especially after Welsh chav-rappers Goldie Looking Chain have already name-checked the West Country's penguin purveyors on their novelty hit, Guns don't kill people wappers do!).

Tsunami

2005-01-18T23:07:00.000Z

After the devastating events in the south pacific, Balustrade joined forces with a number of local Bath-based bands this past Monday to raise money for the Tsunami relief effort. A star-studded line up at Bath's premier indie club Moles was headlined by Balustrade's close personal friends (and Mr Carter's former sewing buddies) X is Loaded. First-rate support was leant to the X-ers and this great cause by local battle of the bands winners, A Doubtful Guest; a blues rock country band who, in 6 months time, wil be viewed as borrowing heavily from the Balustrade-style (but for now made the lads heads nod in redneck unison); and The Girls, who were a bit pants to be honest! Last but not least were Balustrade who provided more than admiral support for the X-ers by even going so far as to pay for their own tickets - a first at X is Loaded gigs! At least it was all for a good cause and meant the boys were out past midnight on a school night (another rarity!!)

Back to school

2005-01-12T23:24:00.000Z

After the excitement of Christmas, New Year and local derbies, it was back to business as usual for the Balustrade boys this week. Arriving for the new term, Matthew was all spick and span with his neatly pressed shirt, pencil case brimming with all new pens and pencils (including a very shiny new protractor) and his name tags sewn into his gym kit. Lex on the other hand was frantically trying to get the last of his christmas homework done and was still scribbling song lyrics on the back of his new McFly ring binder right up to the very last minute all the while trying not to get ink on his new stripy christmas jumper and failing miserably!

With the unsuccessful attempts by the boys to play live before Xmas behind them, it was with renewed vigour that they revisited the set for the first run through of the new year. As well as playing through the old favourites, some even older favourites, such as The Wolf and Rivers were brought out of deep storage, dusted off and given a new lease of life and will soon be finding a place on the album alongside new smash-hit, West Country Blues - a song Lex worked on while making his way back from Dorchester and took shape during a particualry long lay over at Westbury for the trains from London-village to make their way through this sleepy little junction. Whether these songs will feature the musical plinking and plonkings of Carter's rather spiffing new mandolin is a surprise that you 'Strade fans will just have to wait to hear the album to find out - however for now we can scotch all rumours that the boys will be looking to do an alt.westcountry version of Maggie May any time soon!!

HAPPY NEW THINGY!

2005-01-01T13:00:00.000Z

Hello 'straders!
Carter here, to wish you a Happy New Year from myself and the other one...
I hope you all had a Balustrade Christmas. I know I did.

So, as we enter a new year, what do we have to look forward to from the alt.westcountry pioneers in 2005?

Well, new songs, new instruments, a new album (maybe), new clothes, new haircuts, new and interesting facial hair, and all kinds of exciting goodies!

January is going to be a month of song-writing. I've got a few ideas going through my mind, and as soon as they form into somehting more concrete, you'll be the first to know.

Until then, I take my leave of you: Team Bath v Bath City in the ultimate Townies v Students battle to end all battles. Dirty student filth. If City win, expect the Balustrade album to be filled with beautiful madrigals and rainbow-tinged melodies. If we loose, it's a load more murder-ballads I'm afraid. Grrhhnnnhhal.

Official press release from UKB Records

2004-12-19T13:06:00.000Z

Dear Balustrade fan,

Following in the footsteps of The Darkness, Roy Wood (of Wizzard fame) and the man once known as Harry Webb, UKB records are proud to announce the arrival of a seasonal masterpiece from the men they call Balustrade.

Released in a collector friendly ‘non-enhanced, CD only’ format, Balustrade Christmas is another tour de force from the West Country’s finest balladeering duo.

The inspirationally titled, Balustrade Xmas, is a continuation of the fine lyrical tradition demonstrated on the Stalisfield EP. The usual collection of insightful punning and witty couplets make this another fine addition to the Balustrade cannon.

Backed up by 2 reworkings of classic seasonal tunes, Balustrade have been inspired by Neil Young’s seminal work, Winterlong, and taken it gently in hand caressing and cajoling it’s melodic meaning into a shape that is was pure alt.westcountry. Last but by no means least, we get an exclusive insight into the studio environment that helps craft the Balustrade sound, thanks to the live rendition of Jingle Bells, (imaginatively re-titled as Jingley bells after legal consultation) which allows you the listener inside Balustrade’s inner ring, which, once you have entered, you will never be quite the same again.

Met with universal acclaim, Balustrade Christmas has been described as;

“Like Band Aid, but without the charity (or Dido!)” Gram Wilco, Uncut magazine

“The West country’s answer to Tenacious D have done it again. What ever talent they have, they should bottle and sell it in shops!” Gareth Sixtoe, Trowbridge Gazette

For more information on future UKB releases please form a band and send us your tape – we’ll publish anything, we even publish Balustrade!

To keep up to date with all the latest the continuing adventures of the Somerset’s finest songsters keep checking out http://balustrade.blogspot.com or email the boys directly at balustrade@hotmail.com They will endeavour to reply to each and every email they receive unless you are those people offering them a fake degree or an enhanced manhood in which case the cheque is already in the mail.

Happy listening,

Nigel “Pound” Yorkie
(Head of Talent Relations, UKB records)

Do YOU know it's Balustrade Christmas?

2004-12-12T08:00:00.000Z

We've Finished!

The single is ready, has received a final mix and, as I write, is being pressed by a small team of marmasets forced into slavery when Lex managed to smuggle them out of Bristol Zoo last weekend. Marvelous.
Featuring Paul McCartney on Kazoo, Joss Stone on annoying warbling, Bob Gandalf on self-richeous pulpit, the whole thing was recorded with Lex and Carts be-decked in some hand-me-down Justin-from-the-Darkness Hawkins patented Spandex T**t Suits. Mmm.

"But Carter, my old friend, my old buddy, how, oh how can I gte my grubby little hands on this 'special' festive recording" I hear you cry

Fret not, my children, fret not. All of those considered 'special' enough by myself and Lex can wait for the CD to drop miraculously into their arms... (that means, if we've got your address, you're getting it...)

So, if you think we don't have your address - or that we've lost it after only vaguely remember having been given it whilst too busy losing all bodily control at a wedding - send a quick email to balustrade@hotmail.com giving me your address and I'll sort it out in a matter of moments.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

BREAKING NEWS

2004-12-03T21:21:00.000Z

With the triumphant completion of the Balustrade xmas single still fresh in their minds, our mighty troubadours have been hit by a disaster that may affect the very future of the band itself. Like Jack White and Ryan Adams before him in 2004, Balustrade plucking supremo, El Cartino has suffered a debilitating finger injury (losing an argument with a particualry testy kitchen drawer) that has seen the cancellation of their christmas live dates.

Word is vague at the moment with only brief descriptions coming from the bed-ridden Mr Carter. All we know for sure that it is'icky' and that there is 'puss' involved. A squeamish Lex was asked to give comment when the news broke, but was only able to shudder and mutter incomprehensibly before passing out at the very mention of it. However when we caught up with him the following day day, he had this to say;

"We are not sure where this leaves Balustrade at the moment. Our first priority is to finish the final mix of the single and approve the artwork which we shot recently. However, there is a very real chance that he may never shape an F major 7th again which will mean we may have to learn a new one if we are intending to finish our debut album in 2005!"

Here at balustrade HQ we want to wish Matthew the best of luck in his recovery and hope that his plucking pinky is back to full working order soon. With a hectic Xmas festive season ahead we hope that this does not overshadow the imminent arrival of new balustrade material which, according to the boys, should be hitting the shops soon and is well worth the wait.

Balustrade Xmas

2004-11-18T19:48:00.000Z

Channeling the Reindeer

2004-11-11T22:23:00.000Z

For those of you who are worried that your favourite West Country troubadours had disappeared off the face of the earth, worry not! After their triumphant live debut at the Porter last month, the two balustrader's decided to take some 'personal time' to develop side projects for fear of burning out the balustrade experience prematurely. Cart's took the time to go off and learn Esperanto while developing his post graduate studies in Flemish weaving from the 19th century (developing a rivetting 90 page thesis on the famous mitten collection of Archduke Willfred IV of the Lowlands). Meanwhile, Lex has taken up weasel breeding and has spent his time trying to cross breed a greater spotted stoat with the Great British house weasal to create a new species of super-weasel that he believes can become a real contender for weasel of the year at Weaselmania 2005 in Trowbridge later this year.

Amazingly, with such successful side projects going on, the balustrade boys decided this week that the time was finally right to return to their creative mecca, the Alpine Studios of Bath and begin work on some new material. So with the festive season just around the corner, what better way to celebrate the birth of our lord Jesus Christ than with some brand new balustrade material?!

So here it is, revealed exclusively to you, the readers of the balustrade weblog, the tracklisting for the new balustrade Xmas single (not available in any shop)

1. BALUSTRADE XMAS
2. WINTERLONG
3. JINGLEY BELLS (live at Alpine Studios)

We hope to catch up with the boys in the coming days to find out just exactly what is involved, but according to balustrade HQ it will be 'another tour de force, continuing where Stalisfield left of, featuring the same dynamic and innovatiove prodcution as well as the catchy sing along hooks that you expect from the alt.westcountry pioneers'.

Sounds intriguing, so keep tuned for more exciting info!

Balustrade in Oils

2004-10-18T19:53:00.000+01:00

LIT'S ALIVE!!!!!

2004-10-11T23:07:00.000+01:00

Hello. El Cartino here. Things have been quiet on this blog for a while. I blame our former manager / HQ Co-ordinator bloke Nigel. We had to sack him. So, you’re left with Lexington and I, and now, at long long last, I’ve got something to say.

As I write it’s 11pm on Monday 11th October 2004. Remember the date. In ten years it will be the answer to a question of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, or summat. “On what date did Balustrade make their live debut as a duo?”

That’s right, kids. Balustrade are now a LIVE ACT. Coming to a stage near you. Maybe.

It has to be said that the live debut was made in erm, inauspicious surroundings: as part of the Porter’s (Bath pub) Open Mic Night.

Hosted by the one and only Ben Hill (Not the Ben Hill who gets chased round trees by nurses.), we played two sets. Technical difficulties (such as only having one guitar between us) meant that the first set was rather ramshackle, but the second set was… well… we didn’t disgrace ourselves. First up, we played a strange version of Walking which Lex sang alone, followed by Mellow Doubt (Fannies cover), and finished off with Mojave Streamline, which you’ll be able to hear on the forthcoming album.

For the more complete set later on, we opened with El Cartino’s Blues # 4, moved on to another new one – Dream The Dream (sung by Lex), then finished with a much better, two guitar, duet version of Walking. Which disturbed people as much as it amused.

Anyway, we’ll be back at the Porter in a couple of weeks… if you’re in the area come along and give us a wave. We need all the help we can get.

Carts. XXX

WARNING: Balustrade are TOO sexy

2004-09-01T18:04:00.000+01:00

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to September.
Today is Wednesday September 1st 2004, and as I write, I’ve just received word that Balustrade are to meet this evening for a practice session. I caught up with Lord Lexington of Tinkerville on the phone just ten minutes ago to get all the latest news from the lads.

Balustrade HQ: Hello? Hello? Can I speak to Lex please?
Angry Woman: Leave me alone!
BHQ:… Sorry… wrong number…
(dials 118 118)
Bored Geordie: What number?
BHQ: I need the number for Balustrade, please.
BG: Balustrade? The pioneering masters of alt.westcountry, savious of the music industry?
BHQ: Yes, the very same
BG: That number is 01225 ******** (the guys don’t want to be inundated)
BHQ: Ta
(dials 01225 ******)
Lex: Hello
BHQ: Ah! At last! Lexington! How the devil are you?
Lex: Oh. It’s you. Not bad. Is this going to take long?
BHQ: Song brewing?
Lex: No. Neighbours is on.
BHQ: I won’t keep you long then. You guys have been pretty quiet over recent weeks. Anything goingon?
Lex: Well, we’ve just got back from the V festival in Chelmsford, and it certainly was an inspiring event.
BHQ: WTF?? You ain’t going to go down a turgid lad-rock vein like Athlete, Snow Patrol or the devil’s own Keane are you?
Lex: No! Carts is turning into Black Francis from Pixies…
BHQ: On a diet, is he?
Lex:… and I’ve decided to follow the fashion advice of Pink. I’m sitting here now, in front of the telly in tight black hotpants, a push-up bra and a funky pair of earings. Oh, and I’m also sporting a fine pair of slag-wellies make from purest chav-skin. Would you like to come over and rub my-
{ENDS}

At this point I remembered I had something urgent to attend to and had to hang up. I suggest you all go for a cold shower… I find that thinking of dead puppies always rids my mind when I’ve got terrible images to wipe. Guhhhahahahha. Dead puppies. Dead puppies.

Nigel, BHQ

Time for Streamline

2004-08-18T22:57:00.000+01:00

Fear not Balustraders, your favourite west country collective have not disappeared into the deppest darkest depths of some horrific abyss (also known as Trowbridge) and neither have they given up their West Country roots and moved to the big city of Norwich after making it big with the release of Stalisfield. If only!!

Instead they've been having a bit of a break from the fearsome and hectic world that is alt.westcountry and recharging their batteries. They've even started work on new material so with all the excitement that greeted a return to Alpine Studios this week, we caught up with the man Carter who was trying to sneak a quick cup of herbal tea while Lex was tuning his guitar out the back.

BHQ: So how's tricks Carter? I hear you've been working on new material?

C: Indeed we have. There are 2 new song doing the rounds, Mojave Streamline and The Girl Who'll Never Know My Name

BHQ: Mojave Stremaline, what the hell's that? Anything to do with the Mojave 3?

C: As if?! What kind of derivative unoriginal goons do you think we are...

BHQ: Well...

C: Hush! Mojave Streamline is a work of unparalleled genius. I was visited by the spirit of Clive Dunn in a dream, who appeared to me in a desert naked except for a small papoose and a burberry sporren. He told me how the world was like a bric-a-brac shop and that the people in the world are like broken tricycles, action men with only one foot and jigsaws without pieces and that it was my job to find those missing pieces and fix those twisted spokes with the power of song. I wasn't sure what he meant byt this and so I asked, "Oh mighty Clive, share with me your wisdom so that I might know the power of this place. Where are we?" And the one word he said to me before diappearing into a trail of smoke that smelt faintly of stale wee was "Mojave". Hence, Mojave Steam-line

BHQ: But I thought you said it was called Mojave Streamline

C: I know, Lex still can't type when he writes up the lyrics. And how can you argue with that it's like destiny or something?

BHQ: Quite, so it's a song about that bloke from Dad's Army in the desert in the buff?

C: Well, in a roundabout sort of way I guess so yes! Fortunately he didn't expose his doubt to me, cos there is no need for that kind of sight when dealing with deceased British character actors! Whatever next, Richard Briers rusty sherrif's badge?

BHQ: And what about the other song, The Girl Who Never Knew The Time or whatever it's called?

C; Well, that's more of Lex's area of expertise as it is one of his songs really?

BHQ: Who'd have thought that?

C: Tell me about it!

BHQ: All the nice girls still hate him?

C: But of course. It's summer, the sun dodging carrot top can't go outside without sweating buckets or turning as red as a fire engine that's just careered off the road into a telephone box full of small children on a day trip to the Wonderful World of Rouge.

L: Oi! I heard that you cheeky sod! And is that a herbal tea your quaffing? I told you about drinking that crap, it'll make your wee go funny and it'll get you all excited for the rest of the afternoon and you won't be able to whistle or play the tambourine!!

BHQ: I guess we'd better let you get back to it then Carts'.

C: No, please help me. I don't want to be here any more. I'm scared. He makes me do things, horrible things, no more spandex and tassles, please... help!

And that was where our exclusive interview with the Cartman was caught short and they returned to the darkened room that is where the magic happens and all we heard again was the maniacal cackling of what sounded like some kind of desert dog. Very peculiar.

This is Balustrade HQ, over and out!

The Tinkerman speaks

2004-07-28T23:55:00.000+01:00

Exciting news has reached us here at Balustrade HQ and that is that after many months of fevered anticipation, the Stalisfield EP is finally complete! The existence of this fabled artifact has oft been spoke of in hushed corners of dark and dingy pubs over a flaggon of Old Speckled Hen, but thanks to some frenzied action in recent weeks, our favourite fat lads have finally finished their magnus opus!! To honour this occassion we were priviledged to be granted a rare interview with the tinker man himself, the one and only man they calle Lex.

BHQ: So, Lex, it's finally finished eh? it's about bloody time isn't it?

Lex: All in good time young fella me lad, all in good time. The Tinker man does not make do with secdon bext and so after several months of feverish knob twiddling late at night in the Alpine Studios, the Stalisfield EP has finally taken shape and morphed from a pretentious and out of tune caterpillar, into a beautiful, yet slightly melancholy, indie-caterpillar.

BHQ: So what exactly does it sound like?

Lex: Apart from fantastic?

BHQ: Obviously

Lex: Well, imagine the sound of Teenage Fanclub inviting Will Oldham, Ryan Adams, Belle and Sebastian, Blind Melon and Keane around for a nice cup of tea and a sing song - possibly with a bit of coffee sponge thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately Blind Melon's Shannon Hoon couldn't make it owing to an acute case of death and Belle and Sebastian have forgotten their recorders and so Stuart and Stevie aren't talking to the girl with the incredibly large jumper muffins. Will and Ryan are trying to have an earnest discussion about the nature of the universe and Keane are just too polite to join in and so are sat in the corner playing Super Hero Top Trumps. Eventually the Fannies decide enough is enough and they break out the guitars and run though a quick medley of their hits with the the all joining in on hand claps and whistling to rapturous applause, except Stevie who is whistfully staring out of the window watching a butterfly on a pansy.

BHQ: So it's not just Lex and Cart's singing songs with silly lyrics then?

Lex: Most definitely not! You snide folk at balustrade HQ laughed when I said I would be laying down drum samples, but where would El Mariachi's Bossanova beat be without it?! You sniggered when I said I would put piano on Americana and now we have managed to wheel a baby grand into the studio and now I have nowhere to sleep as a result. And you poured scorn when i said You Sleep should have an orchestral accompaniment, and if we could have fitted those extra viola players and that kettle dsrum in we would have it would have sounded chuffin' brilliant!! I've had enough of your sniping, I'm out of here! Bums to the lot of you!

Lex then flounced off as only a fat ginger lad can! And that was our interview with the enigma they call The Tinker Man.

Don't forget, Stalisfield will be avilable from no good record shops on Monday, so make sure you keep 'em peeled! If you can't find a copy however, email balustrade@hotmail.com and we'll see if we can't sort you out with a copy - ask nicely and we'll see if we can get one of th boys to scribble on it with their monkey like signatures.

So until more exciting news comes through the Balustrade newswire, this is BHQ, over and out!!

Balustrade sleeping with their eyes open

2004-07-22T09:37:00.000+01:00

Confident in their own abilities as musicians, Balustrade gave themselves just 4 hours on Sunday to re-record El Cartinos Blues # 4, record Walking and work out what to do with You Sleep With Your Eyes Open. Two out of Three ain't bad. YOU SLEEP can wait 'till wednesday...
At 5 o'clock, the band decamped to the cinema where they saw a film about a bloke who wears lycra and a fat-lad with mechanical arms, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

El Cartino then got on with his life whilst Sir Lexington (henceforth known as Claudio Ranieri) continued in role of Tinkerman-in-chief and spent the next two days fiddling with guitar parts, worrying about imput levels and re-recording Americana.

When he returned on Alpine Studios on Wednesday evening, Elcartino found the EP in shreds on the floor and Claudio gibbering in the corner, muttering something about "Bass Reduction... I need more Bass Reduction!" like a loon.

One cup of tea later, and all was fine. El Mariachi was finished! El Cartino's Blues # 4 was finished (with some top sleazy blues guitar work from Claudio)! Walking was finished! Americana has been completely re-done and now just needed El C's harmony vocals (sorted)! The Mourning Song was finished! You Sleep With Your Eyes Open.... erm... the lads decided to re-do that one from scratch. Which they did because they're great.

Now, all that remains to be done is the orchestral section of You Sleep, to bring it up to it's full epic majesty. Stop laughing. Claudio will probably do that over the next couple of days, but he was also muttering something about a piano line, so God knows where we'll be in a week's time.

Anyway, the upshot of all that is that;
A) The EP is so near completion it hurts.
B) Final mixdown will occur next week (software permitting)

Balustrade have aksed me to let you know that they are ready to receive orders for copies of the EP. Drop the lads a line on balustrade@hotmail.com and they'll process your order when they can be bothered.

COMING SOON... OFFICIAL BALUSTRADE T-SHIRTS... EVER WANTED TO LOOK LIKE A SEX GOD / KITTEN??? WELL NOW YOU CAN WITH OUR PATENTED BALUSTRADE T-SHIRTS WHICH COME IN A RANGE OF DESIGNS AND SIZES (tiny-lady and fat-lad only). Email balustrade@hotmail.com for for details.

NB: T-shirts will be ready when the boys have got round to designing them. Which will be sometime next year at the current rate.

BALUSTRADE HQ OUT!!

Reindeer in the Desert

2004-07-16T13:34:00.000+01:00

Argh! Wednesday has come and gone and Balustrade didn't have a band practice!!
Alas! What has gone wrong?
Has El Cartino lost an arm in a nasty industrial accident? NO!
Has Lex contracted a nasty disease? Possibly - but NO!

Instead, the young scmaps have decided to meet up on Sunday afternoon when they will attempt to put the finishing touches to The Stalisfield EP. Honest. No really, they will. I imaging they'll tell us all about it when they can be bothered.

Until then, here's a little interview We at BalustradeHQ did with El Cartino when he was waiting at the bus-stop to go to work.

HQ> Hello El Cartino
EC> ...
HQ> Do you have time to talk about the band
EC> Yeah. Can you lend me £2.80 for the bus?
HQ> Sure. Why have you been writing so many new songs despite the fact that you're too lazy to finish your first EP?
EC> ...
HQ> What are the new songs about?
EC> Well, Summer Days is meant to be an uplifting little ballad about nothing in particular. I can't remember most of the words to be honest. And the very very latest, Thought Of Mojave (workign title) is actually a thinly-disguised snide attack on certain people in my past who have annoyed me. Don't mess with El Cartino. Grrr.
HQ> Quite. Wow, you're so hard, if I mess with you, you might write a pathetic ballad about me. Oh, I'm scared. I want my mummy.
EC> Are you taking the pi-
HQ> Ah, here's your bus. Bye now!

So, as you can see, all is well at Balustrade towers. The fellas will be back at Alpine studios over the weekend, so there might be news of the EP here shortly. Don't hold your breath

Des Amis, Balustrade PR.

Summer days

2004-07-08T21:31:00.000+01:00

Despite the rain pouring down and winds blowing a gale outside, Balustrade began to prepare for life after Stalisfield. We still have quite a bit of work to do before it gets finished, but the ever prolific Mr carter turned up for practice this week with yet another finely crafted piece of melodic marvellousness. Entitled Summer Days, it was anything but as we began work on it and using the newly developed 'Balustrade sound' we set about arranging this new song. Not that it required much work as it slotted into the sound that only Lex and Cart's can craft as if we have been playing it for years - yup that's right it uses simple open chords and we don't know the words for this one either!!

We also began work on the revised version of El Cartino's Blues, which has evolved into a nice slowly groovy song (instead of the shouty [but still quite good] nonsense it was before!) and Walking has also begun to take shape without differing too much from the original outline - although again, it has been slowed down and turned into more of a Teenage Fanclub-esque duet. We also used the practice time this week to go through the EP and try and remember how everything sounds now and for the most part it sounds pretty good. We definitely have the 'Balustrade sound' nailed now and it has really helped our playing and song writing to have a better idea of which direction we are heading in. The only way is up now - but first we have to make sure we finish the EP!!!

Mixing it up

2004-06-30T22:48:00.000+01:00

After last weeks post frenzy as Balustrade were more active than, well, possibly more active than ever before, I thought we would give the weblog a bit of a break and only post if there were any developments. As such, after a few quiet days, this Wednesday saw a return to Alpine studios and the beginning of the final mixing of the Stalisfield EP. After a weekend and a bit of listening through the CD as a whole, we reconvened to begin work on polishing the rough tunes and getting a final version of the EP ready to... well, to do whatever we eventualy decide to do with it!!

First up was El Mariachi. It was decided that El Mariachi would actually work better as a duet and so we decided to record new vocals for Carters part and generally make it fit in more with the rest of the CD's Kings of Convenience-esque style. Musically it is still working really well, but we have beefed up the hand claps so it sounds a bit less like to muppets in Lex's bedroom slapping their hands together like fools!

El Cartino's Blues, works great as a live track but in the context of the CD it really stands out (and not in a good way). After some thought it has been decided to rearrange the song and 'Balustrade-ify' it and generally give it a bit more of a lazy groove.

Americana is almost there, but Lex's guitar part is a bit dodgy and needs rerecording. there is also talk of adding a new layer of guitar to compliment it. More final tweaks than anything major!

Mourning Song. Ah, Mourning Song. The song we dreaded recording and the one which has in actual fact turned out better than we ever could have imagined! With a few tweaks to the vocals and overall balancing of the sound this one is done and sounds great!

Then comes the actual problem track of the EP - The Wolf. It didn't really help that this song has never really been figured out by either of us and is probably the least Balustrade-y song which we do. As such when recording it we went in a million different directions and it didn't really work as a whole. The bold step was made to get rid of Wolf from the EP and save it for another day when we have a better idea of how it should sound. In it's place is set to arrive Walking, the closest Balustrade will ever get to writing a pure pop song - and our tribute to Mr Billy Bragg! However it will given a bit of a new treatment for the EP and maybe when we record the album it will return to it's once true greatness!

Last but not least we have the first song we recorded, You Sleep With Your Eyes Open. Still sounding great, Carter is not entirely happy with his guitar part, yet we think with a bit of clever mixing we can sort this out, and with a bit of clever arrnagement of the strings it is very nearly there.

The rearrangement of the songs and the inclusion of one new one and the restyling of another means we have quite a bit of work to do, however we decided to begin at the beginning and rework El mariachi. With a couple of hours work we soon knocked the opener into shape and the first song of the EP is now complete. All it needs is a 'Lex the Pedant' mix and it should be all ready to burn for posterity! All we have to do now is sort out the other 5 songs!

The most interesting part of this final process is beginning to fathom the Balsutrade sound and complete it. It gives me a new sense of admiration to producers that they can form this decision and work on songs and make them sound consistent with, not only the band's vision of how they should sound, but also in making them sound like a collection of songs by an artist, not just a mish mash of confused genre pieces. It was only by listening through the songs a few times that we could hear a Balustrade sound come through and really begin to take shape, and thank god the majority of the CD sounds great, or else I don't think there would be many more posts on this site!! It's no White album, but the results are still so much better than we ever genuinely expected!

The Birth of Stalisfield Day 5

2004-06-25T11:48:00.000+01:00

Another successful day yesterday saw the compleion of 2 more songs, leaving us with the challenge of Mourning Song for this morning - irony or delightful coincidence?!

The recording day was cut short by Lex's travel plans, but in the end it didn't matter. As a result of ruthless efficiency and a new found mastery of the recording process we whizzed through Mourning Song and cracked it in just over 3 hours - a new record. Part of it is down to us discovering the 'Balustrade sound' and knowing what we were working towards. Keeping things simple and not attempting to reinvent the wheel meant that a song which has caused many a heated discussion and confused practice session came together with almost no problems at all. The inital temptations to over do things and try and be flash with earlier tracks was abandoned and as such we managed to create what can fairly be described as a true Balustrade song!

The main reason for this new simplified approach was the success in recording Amerciana the previous evening. Lex was, once agin fretting over his vocals and in the end resigned himself to giving a more understated and subtle performance that actually was how the song should have been sung all along. Combine this with a simple guitar part and some nice harmony's and the new simplified stripped down Balustrade song was finally uncovered. Previously we had only ever heard the songs in our heads and had no idea of how they sounded to the outside world - although Lex's distraught house mates with their TVs turned very loud each and every Wednesday gave us a pretty good idea. Actually recording the songs down meant that a definite idea of the shape and structure of the song was required. It also required us to harmize with each other rather than the song and as such has made the songs much tighter and more conistent. This actually presents us with a bizarre new scenario of having to relearn the songs we have been playing for the last 6 months to make them tally with the CD version!

By 2.30 we had finished our first rough mix and a burnt CD complete with all 6 songs was ready for listening. The soon to be legendary Stallisfield white label. We've given it a listen through and overall we are damn impressed. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to produce anything like this. Speaking personally I, [Lex] thought we would get pissed off and bored of it and frustrated at our inability to get a decent sound by about Wednesday. However thanks the magic rosetta stone of recording equipment and some hard work we have produced a piece of work that we are rightly proud of. Final mixes and a few last minute changes are needed and this will proceed over the next few weeks, but after a week of work, Stalisfield is now one gigantic step closer to completion. So keep your ears to the ground and who knows, that fine CD of musical genius may be landing on your doorsteps in the not too distant future!

Todays recording was brought to you by Blind Melon, dodgy Swiss referees, injured scallies' broke metatarsels and hardly any tea whatsoever.

... and following that informative and, I might say, quite scary rant from Lex, it is time for I, Carts, to write to few words. These are they: When we first formed the band back in 1998 in a lonely house in Canterbury, I don't think either of us thought that we'd either (a) still remember each others names or (b) still be making music together in 2004. But we are. We've come a long way, considering we took a brief (4 year) break from the band, and I now feel that the vision is coming together. But where will this vision lead us? I'll write more today/tomorrw/the day after tomorrow, as this post is getting rather long...
luv elcartino.xxx

The Birth of Stalisfield Day 4

2004-06-24T11:43:00.000+01:00

After yesterday's sucesses it was much more of a work man like day for the Balustrade boys today. Having sorted three of the six songs needed to complete the mighty Stalisfield we needed to nail another 2 songs today before daring to attack the most tricky song of the lot (The Mourning Song) on Day 5.

As was mentioned on Day 2, recording has proved a wierd and very different way of playing that has taken some getting used to. The first battle is simply playing in time with a time signature. Until you sit down and try and play along with a metronome or click track you don't actually realise how in or out of time you play. Bashing out songs with only 2 guitars and 2 vocals you don't really notice whether the songs are in time with anything other than yourself. You can slow down or speed up according to how the other person is playing. Yet when it comes to recording you actually have to maintain some kind of beat - especially if you then want to add drum tracks or any kind of musical loop over the top.

Working out track orders and good working practice has also been a challenge. Where to start, guitars and vocals or simply a bass line or drum track? But as things have progressed we seem to have cracked most of these early problems and the creative process has begun to get easier and easier (touch wood!). It's still very wierd playing parts in isolation to the songs though and even wierder hearing your own voice on tape!

Day 4 was brought to you by tea, McVities cookies, a severe haircut, Tom Waits' Nighthawks, jazzy basslines and a sense of inevitable sporting disapointment!

The Birth of Stalisfield Day 3

2004-06-23T10:04:00.000+01:00

After yesterdays triumphant recording debut the talented twosome attacked todays's recording sessions with a renewed vigour! The successful recording of You Sleep With Your Eyes Open - complete with strings! - had filled the mighty Balustrade with confidence and the sky is indeed the limit!

To fill the casual observers in how we are doing this here is a breakdown of the kit we are using to record Stalisfield;

The heart of the recording system in Lex's eMac which is running Apple's GarageBand software. A stunning piece of software that costs less than £40 it offers multi-track recording, utliizing both real instruments, vocals and digital/software inputted instuments. It can do almost anything you can imagine, from drums and percussion, through strings piano and all sorts of wierd synthy sounds that could make the mighty Balustrade turn into Emerson Lake and Palmer at the click of a mouse button! It also offers up loads of cool amp sounds for your guitar and vocal effects to cover up the out of tune wharblings that may or may not have been a feature of todays recording!

Connecting the outside world to the Mac is a Tascam US-122 USB Audio/MIDI interface which is the Rosetta stone of the Stallisfield experience. Connecting guitars and mics and transferring the analog signals into digital, it was this magic box of tricks that solved all our problems on Day 2! An impressive piece of kit, that's not cheap. Good job it's ace!

Rounding off the studio set-up are the instruments. Cart's electric acoustic, Lex's 12 string and Epiphone SG electric as well as the brand new Evolution 25 note MIDI keyboard. Thus far most of the guitar parts have been recorded on Carts's acoustic, plugged straight into magic box, but today we beefed up a couple of guitar parts using the electric and an assortment of GarageBand's Marshall-based pre-amp sounds. The keyboard is a god send though and is allowing us to program in drum lines, bass lines and strings - eat your heart out Mick Skinner, us west country white boys can program drum loops to!!

And that is it it for day 3. We recorded El Mariachi (my little guitarista) and El Cartino's Blues #4 today, which means we only have 3 songs to go before a rough version of Stalisfield is complete. So far it seems to be going well!

Todays recording was brought to you by tea, cheese and ham toasties, Cadbury's Twirls, the Kings of Convenience and the over excited shouting and arsing about of 2 single blokes on a week off in an empty house.

Inside Alpine Studios

2004-06-22T20:04:00.000+01:00

The Birth of Stalisfield: Day 2

2004-06-22T09:45:00.000+01:00

After 5 hours in the studio, Balustrade emerged into the rain with a 7-minute epic called You Sleep With Your Eyes Open. We can�t wait for the world to hear it - Cart's Dad says it�s alright so it must be OK!

Recording is a totally new discipline us � it highlights the, erm, shall we say, limitations of our talents. And makes us sound like the Kings Of Convenience on Slow (which I am presuming is a narcotic with the opposite effects of Speed)

So, that was Tuesday, brought to you in association with tea, pasties, the new BDB album and expensive but sexy recording equipment.

Does anybody know a shop where you can buy any talent?

The Birth of Stalisfield: Day 1

2004-06-21T20:59:00.000+01:00

There are many great days in history; the battle of Hastings, the fall of Rome, the day man walked on the moon, the Kennedy asassination. But these trifling dates all pale into insignificance next to today. For today is the day that Balustrade finally begin to record the mighty Stalisfield EP. Oft spoken of in a hushed whisper around campfires and dirty corners of smoky pubs, the mighty Stallisfield has developed as something of an urban myth amongst those in the know in the West Country. Six years in the making, Stallisfield was originally concieved in the house of the same name in Guildford Road in Canterbury. Two fevered brains, distracted (momentarily) from their further education developed a concept, and that concept's name was Balustrade. A force of good that would change the face of humanity in new and unexpected ways and the first of those ways would be Stalisfield.

After years of supposed inactivity, the two minds, having been seperated by geography, reunited and Balustrade was reborn like a musical phoneix rising from the cultural ashes of 2003. Work began on the debut masterpiece and the cause was christened. Balsutrade would be the genesis of a movement known only as alt.westcountry. Thousands would follow, but for now there are only two.

To explain alt.westcountry is not to know alt.westcountry, for mere words cannot convey the beauty and complexity that it symbollises. A mix of contradictions and non-sequeters as well as unifying forces the likes of which no-one can truly apreciate without hearing their work. The doubters said that the grand plan would not be realised, but in 5 short days they will be forced to eat their words and the pudding of proof wil be before them in compact disc form.

Alas, after inital teething problems with the top of the range technology required to envision this masterpiece, Lex and Carts retired early to watch the footie! Come on the Scholes and vive la ginge!!

Welcome to the Balustrade web log

2004-06-13T12:47:00.000+01:00

Grettings mortals and welcome to the official web log of alt.westcountry pioneers Balustrade. We intend to use this as a way to keep our intrepid fans up to date with all the exciting devlopments that occur in the world of Balustrade. There will be sneaky insights into the genius song writing process of Lex and Carts. As well as previews of forthcoming material, humourous Balustrade related anecdotes and even gig news as and when they happen!

Keep checking back and we will make sure to update things regularly in order to further enhance your Balustrade experience.