Wishing you a Balustrade Xmas (part 1)

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!!