The Dils

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The Dils were an American punk rock band of the late 1970s, originally from Carlsbad, California, and fronted by brothers Chip Kinman and Tony Kinman. Their first appearance was 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 performing "You're Not Blank" (which ends with drummer Buddy Hate complaining that he could not hear anything without stage monitors). Soon after forming in 1977 the band relocated to San Francisco and then Los Angeles, becoming one of the major bands in the early Los Angeles punk scene. They were known for their conspicuous radical left politics, and for a strong melodic sense that earned them the nickname "punk rock Everly Brothers".

The Dils broke up in 1980, after having released three singles: "I Hate the Rich"/"You're Not Blank," "Mr. Big"/"Class War," and "Made in Canada." The last, a three-sided double-7", showed a gathering roots rock orientation.

The Kinmans would continue to follow in this direction in the cowpunk band Rank and File in the 1980s, and Cowboy Nation in the 1990s. This progression drew criticism as a turning from the energy and purpose of early work to evolve into what was described as "music to fall asleep in the saddle by." Other stops on the Kinmans' musical trail included a rock guitar and drum-machine project, "Blackbird."

Music from the Dils (including material unreleased during the band's lifetime) remains available.

In their early years, Stephen Schwartz was manager of the Dils.