Just as pop-punk was about to enter its millennial hibernation, Newcastle, USA's The Lilligtons offered the genre one last shot at redemption. Despite being championed by both fellow Ramones-fanatic Ben Weasel (see HERE) and soon after by the Green Day-powered Lookout Records (more HERE) The Lilligtons' of 1999 weren't anybody's knock-off. (However, The Lilligtons' of 1995-1998 were a bit too Weasel/Queer-esque for their own damn good.)
The band's volte-face was most evident both in their rocket-powered tuneage and in their newly focused lyrics which had switched from sophomoric to sci-fi. Gone were song titles like "My Genitals Itch" and "Pom Pom Girls" and in rushed psychotronic late-night creature features titles like "I Saw the Apeman ("On the Moon) and "Invasion of the Saucermen". It was a brilliant experiment, a sort of like a Ramones-Misfits mutation that escaped its captors and bred in the wilds of Wyoming!
Of course, I can only plead with you to go and buy Death by Television or any of the albums by Kody Templeman's more famous band, Teenage Bottlerocket. If you've done so, here's a live set from the Death by Television tour recorded in Chicago's legendary Fireside Bowl. The sound is just fine for this sort of thing and the fact that it's all one track may just increases its force.
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Let us know what you think of The Lillingtons
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediafire.com/download.php?vv5vlo0vhwob55t
Whoa, thanks for this! Not sure how many times the Lillingtons played at the Fireside bowl in 2000, but I think I was at this show. Death By Television is definitely the high point of the band, but I like all 4 albums and the early singles as well.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I need to re-listen to the early stuff...
DeleteMy band does a cover of Ramble On.
ReplyDelete...........we're not very good.
The Lillingtons first came onto my radar with "Lillinton High" which I heard on a 1997 punk compilation called Just Add Water. Was absolutely blown away on first listen and have never looked back. As far as your "one shot at redemption" notion goes, you can add Scared of Chaka and Zoinks! to that equation for an absolutelely killer trifecta.
ReplyDeleteSoC were really underrated - I loved 'Masonic Youth'.
DeleteGotta admit that hearing these guys after Teenage Bottlerocket was pretty much a complete disappointment.
ReplyDelete"I Need Some Brain Damage" and "You're the Only One" rocked on 'Death By Television' but 'Too Late Show' only had "All I Hear Is Static" and 'Backchannel Broadcast' was utterly without merit.
Averaging only 4 really good songs over a career (never mind over an album...) doesn't cut it for me.
"Hooked On You" was the pinnacle, and it was all downhill after that killer song.
Teenage Bottlerocket is definitely where it's at.
Love TB but man DBT rocks my world - vive le diffeence
DeleteI much preferred the "Shit Out of Luck" era Lillingtons. Strangely, I never went to see them play though I had a few chances. In hindsight, a poor decision. Thanks.
ReplyDeletei didn't think I won mypreference for latter Lillingtons so I learned something from this post...
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