Biography
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Years Active
1977 – 1980 (3 years)
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Founded In
Carlsbad, San Diego County, California, United States
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Members
- Chip Kinman
- Joe Nanini
- Josef Marc
- Pat Garrett
- Tony Kinman
The Dils was an American punk rock band of the late 1970s, originally from Carlsbad, California, and fronted by brothers Chip Kinman and Tony Kinman. They appeared as the second act in the "battle of the bands" sequence in Cheech and Chong's film, Up In Smoke, where they can be heard before being seen performing "You're Not Blank" (which ends with drummer Andre Algovar complaining that he could not hear anything without stage monitors). After Recording the ' What? ' Records 45 Single ' I Hate the Rich / You're not Blank ' 1977, Andre decided to go to college; & so Pat Garret (aka Rand McNally) from Oklahoma took his place; who also Produced the 2nd 45 Single on DangerHouse Records ' Class War / Mr. Big ' after several mos. together. After he was jettisoned for adding a 3rd harmony vocal to the Closeout of ' Class War ' unbeknownst to the Kinman Bros. John Silvers was brought in; & the Band relocated to San Francisco in February 1978.
Soon after forming in 1977 the band relocated to San Francisco, where they would have a significant influence on that city's embryonic punk scene (bassist Tony Kinman would play very briefly with San Francisco punk band The Avengers during 1977), and then Los Angeles, becoming one of the major bands in the early Los Angeles punk scene too. They were known for their conspicuous radical left politics, and for a strong melodic sense that earned them the nickname "punk rock Everly Brothers".
Their debut single was "I Hate The Rich" / "You're Not Blank" (the latter most famously covered by Minneapolis punk band Dillinger Four), on Los Angeles-based label What? Records (also home to the Germs, amongst others), originally released in 1977 in what collectors refer to as the "Oils" sleeve - the lettering chosen for the band's logo looking more like "The Oils" than "The Dils" at first glance. This was later reissued by the same label in a more easy-to-decipher font. Their next record was their critical high-point, 1977's "Class War" / "Mr.Big" (the former most famously covered by Canadian punks D.O.A., issued on L.A.'s groundbreaking Dangerhouse label, in a pressing of 1500 copies entitled "198 Seconds Of The Dils". The last contemporary release was a three-sided double-7", "Made In Canada", which showed a gathering roots rock orientation. The Dils broke up in 1980.
Music from the Dils (including material unreleased during the band's lifetime) remains available.
The Kinmans would continue to follow the roots rock direction in the cowpunk band Rank and File in the 1980s along with Alejandro Escovedo, and Cowboy Nation in the 1990s. Other stops on the Kinmans' musical trail included a rock guitar and drum-machine project, Blackbird. In 2018, The Kinman brothers reunited for Chip's new band Ford Madox Ford. Released by Porterhouse records, Ford Madox Ford's debut album "This American Blues" features Chip on vocals and guitar, Matt Littell on bass, S. Scott Aguero on drums, Dewey Peak on lead guitar and Tony Kinman as producer.
Tony Kinman died in 2018.
Discography
I Hate The Rich/You're Not Blank 7" (What? Records 1977)
Reissued in 1990 on Gift Of Life Records
Both songs + What Goes On (live, prev unreleased) included on V/A LP/CD What? Stuff (Iloki Records 1990)
"I Hate The Rich"
"You're Not Blank"
198 Seconds Of The Dils 7" (Dangerhouse Records 1977)
Side A is available on the V/A LP/CD Dangerhouse Volume 1 and Side B can be found on Dangerhouse Volume 2, both albums on Frontier Records
"Class War"
"Mr.Big"
Made In Canada 2x7" (Rogelletti Records 1980)
A re-recording of "Sound of the Rain" appeared on the Rank and File album Long Gone Dead (Slash Records)
3 slower songs
"Sound Of The Rain"
"Red Rockers"
"It's Not Worth It."
Live:Dils LP (Triple X/Iloki Records 1987)
The Dils Live 1977 - 1980 LP (Lost Records, 1990)
Dils Dils Dils LP (Bacchus Archives 1991) (reissued on CD (1992) Damaged Goods)
Side A has the 8 studio songs mentioned above on it.
Side B contains live tracks from 1978 and 1979.
The Last Goodbye (The Dils album)|The Last Goodbye LP (bootleg 199?)
A live recording from 1980.
Class War LP (Dionysus/Bacchus archives 2000)
Includes the first 7 and 10 live songs recorded in 1980 previously released on The Dils Live 1977 - 1980 LP.
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