21
May

Day 436

The Laundromat Chicks: we return to Austria, to Vienna to be precise. Months ago I discovered this nice pop combo and now that I was revisiting their Bandcamp I notice they have an album out. It is called “Often in the World” and includes 9 songs. The songs sound great, clearly influenced by Flying Nun Records’ bands.

Poster Paints: this new Glasgow band formed by Simon Liddell and Carla J Easton. Their debut single is called “Number 1” and is now available to check out on Bandcamp. I am enjoying it, the cool mix of indiepop sounds and dreampop guitars.

The Sensitive: it is always a good idea to check what is happening with Shiny Happy Records from Indonesia. Today I found a new song by The Sensitive called “No One Top Felix Delta Alpha Sierra Sierra” which I believe will be part of a tape called “Do Everything or Else”. I am very curious about the other songs on the tape as this one sounds really good and even has Edwyn Collins on the sleeve!

Glixen: now we move to more dreamy, shoegazy, sounds. We travel to Phoenix, Arizona, and theere we discover Glixen and their debut digital single, “Sugarcube”. There’s no other info in the page, but we have the lyrics. Let’s keep an eye for more songs as “Sugarcube” does have a punchy sound!

Hazte Lapón: and we end this week’s recommendations with “El Baile de la Medusa”. This fun song was actually recorded in 2011 and included in a self-released single in 2012. Now, 2021, the band have remixed and remastered it to re-release it again. And it sounds great! Perfect for dancing, perfect for any indiepop party!

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I wrote about a UK band called The Counting House many years ago. I never found anything about them. Today I discovered another British band called The Countinghouse. I honestly don’t know if it is the same band. Who would know?

About The Countinghouse (one word) there are more details on the web. There was a 7″ released in 1988 on Clear Cut Records (EASCCR 1) which probably was their own label. This double A sided record had “Pack Your Bags” and “Closer”.

A demo tape is also listed on Discogs with four songs, “(Within These) Four Walls”, “Makings of You”, “Song Three” and “Broken Toy”.

The only other detail we know about the band is that they hailed from Leicester.

I dig a little bit more and find 5 songs on Youtube. Sadly there is no more details in here either. These songs are “Streets Where You Live“, “Wish I Was There“, “Within These Four Walls“, “Makings of You” (which appears on the demo, but here on Youtube the song seems to be faulty and unlistenable) and “Closer” (from the 7″).

I search for The Countinghouse and look for any relation with Leicester. Well, there is a venue called The Counting House in that city. So that makes my search futile.

And that’s it. Like The Counting House, information for The Countinghouse is almost non-existent. The songs on Youtube are a rarity. Anyone remembers them? Would be nice to find more info about them!

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Listen
The Countinghouse – Streets Where You Live

2 Responses to “:: The Countinghouse”

Hi,
I was the drummer in The Countinghouse. The band hailed from Leicester. Other members were
Rob Snape – Guitar
Ian Walsh – Vocals, guitar
Scott Sibson – Bass
Martin Hall – Drums

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Martin Hall
October 23rd, 2023

Hi Roque,
In response to your request for more information on Leicester band the Countinghouse, I was guitarist and formed the band in the mid-1980’s with drummer Martin Hall (who I’m still good friends with and I can see has emailed you back already).
The Countinghouse were influenced by guitar bands like the Jam, early Costello, the Undertones and the Housemartins. We sang about everyday life and ordinary people and how UK society was divided socially and politicians were obsessed with saving money in the 1980’s by cutting services (hence the name the Countinghouse).
We toured locally and nationally: we once supported Joe Strummer (yes the great Joe Strummer from the Clash) and persuaded Billy Bragg’s trumpet player Dave Woodhead (check out his “Levi Stubbs’ Tears” trumpet solo: Wow!) to play on our “Pack Your Bags/Closer” double A single for just his train fare from London!
Hence the British Rail reference on the back sleeve!
We had a second single EP recorded and ready to go over Europe via Probe Plus distribution but the Clear Cut label ran out of funds and dropped us. So songs like “Within These Four Walls” and “I Wish I Was There” and “On The Street Where You Live” etc were lost forever…until you referenced them, so big thanks! “The Makings of You” is worth a listen too if we can find the demo…Let me know if you want us to do this?
It’s been great to see us appear on your blog, especially under Recommended! I admire your passion for indie music as well as your inquisitiveness in The Countinghouse! I saw your interest first on the ‘Lie to Me’ compilation blog a few years ago? Yes that was us too (“Walking By”)…loads more to tell ya Roque: happy to do a Q&A and Martin could perhaps even dig out a band photo!
Keep the Faith!
Rob Snape (The Countinghouse will live on forever!)

October 30th, 2023