the Discipline Engine

The Discipline Engine were a punk band from San Bernardino, Ca. from 2001-2003. Playing a brand of heartfelt music that mixed influences that I've always felt is best summed up as saying- take the punk from Rancid's "And Out Come the Wolves" and mix it with Hot Water Music circa "No Division" and splash in a few doses of Sham 69.

The songs here cover a lot of topics from the funny to dealing with growing up, reflecting on birth, isolation, drug (ab)use by friends, and that gap that exists between the world we see and the world in our minds. The songs come from 3 recording sessions that made up 3 separate EP's. Recorded in Sept. 2002, June 2002, and Sept. 2003; in the short year that they recorded they played out quite often locally before succumbing to what so many bands are done in by- the end of high school (most of the band members graduated just shortly after the June 2002 session).

The Discipline Engine in back of the great Showcase Theatre

DE was a local band and one I was fortunate enough to see live many times and call friends. They played live shows that engaged you emotionally and made you equally have fun and think about things. Take the time, give it a listen... it doesn't sound specifically like any one of the above stated influences, and surely there are a hundred other influences they could all interject (and may well do so haha)- its moderately grown up punk rock- no grand political statements, just good music and songs about people and life in general.

Also included are a live intro and two live songs (live versions of Glory and I'll do it) recorded at the great Showcase Theatre sometime in 2002.

I've also started using DivShare so you can listen to a song (or two) from the downloads. Enjoy!


- the Discipline Engine - "Perfection Too"


DOWNLOAD: The Discipline Engine - "Give It A Name" (Discography)


More Info. after the jump

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Live on KEXP 9/6/2005

For those of you not in the loop (I say that VERY jokingly), Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are a east coast Punk/Rock band originally formed in the late 90's as the alter-ego of Leo after the demise of his indie/punk outfit Chisel, for whom he had sang/played guitar. Leo's involvement with the punk & hardcore scenes is rather storied, from time spent as the first singer of hardcore punk pioneers Citizen's Arrest as well as many other projects such as the Sin Eater & Hell No (that's to say nothing of his brothers' involvement in music, including the great Native Nod as well as playing in TL/RX at various times).

TL/RX as many will often abbreviate the band to be eventually solidified as a punk infused rock band with the release of their "Treble in Trouble" Ep in 2000. From that point on, the band built upon a framework of big hooks, precise drums, and soulful yet punky vocals. While the sound and members have varied over time from the very 70's influenced "Hearts of Oak" (moments that make you think Thin Lizzy and then Elvis Costello and the Attractions) to the more concise and even stronger late 70's punk sounding "Shake the Sheets", the band has continued to put out a sound that gets tighter and tighter; but still able to go any direction needed, as evidenced with the digital only release of their "Rapid Response" ep which featured 2 new songs along with covers from the diverse background of the band that showed the band doing their send up of the Cocksparrer classic "I Got Your Number" and Leo alone on vocals and guitar doing Amebix's "Nobodys Driving", all pulled off as a basement recording outside of the "proper studio" comforts.

Leo himself is also known to tour on his own doing sets not unlike "Back To Basics" era Billy Bragg, as well as even doing abbreviated sets in the same manner before the full band takes the stage. A final aspect to the TL/RX sound is their ability to write and play songs that not only get you sucked in and ready to move, but have ideas, concepts, and dare it be said, politics, that do not smash you over the head with blatantly over stated ideas. Again, a page from people such as Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

Forgive the long intro, TL/RX is a bit left of center for this blog, none-the-less, the set here is 5 songs from right around the time of the release of "Shake the Sheets" and features the band firing through 5 tracks, including the rather catchy "Counting Down the Hours." Edited out is the banter between songs, but it can still be streamed from the KEXP site, who do numerous great in-studios with music from across genres.

En-fucking-joy!

DOWNLOAD: TL/RX - Live on KEXP

Murder City Devils DOWNLOAD LINK FIXED

The Murder City Devils live radio set from 1998 posted HERE has a fixed link. Not sure how I screwed that one up.

Murder City Devils - Live on KNND 1998

In case you've been in a cave, the Murder City Devils are a punk/rock band from Washington. Active off & on again since the mid-90's, this set is from October 1998. This set includes the "full" line-up with Leslie Hardy (Johnson) on organ/keys and all the other regular suspects in their respective spots. This was done in studio on the air. I was late to this band, not hearing them until a friend bought "In Name & Blood" and played it one night. I was hooked. Rock and Roll, Punk Rock, a swagger all their own, flaming drums, and that fucking organ. 

I had to convert these and re-tag them. I have the suspicion that theyre not fully tagged, so i'll post the song order to make it easier (though most downloading this are probably big enough fans to know the songs) the picture isn't the set list for this show, I was looking for a picture and it seemed a bit appropriate. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD: the Murder City Devils - Live Radio Set October 1998

1- Murder City Riot
2- Dance Hall Music
3- Idle Hands
4- 18 Wheels
5- I Want Alot Now (So Come On)
6- Boom Swagger Boom
7- From the Cradle to the Grave
8- Broken Glass