Tony Kinman and his brother Chip grew up in Carlsbad, CA, just North of San Diego. They started a band called Dils at the tail end of the 70s and were one of the first and strongest punk bands from the first American wave of punk. They moved from San Diego, to San Francisco and then finally Los Angeles. Uncompromisingly left wing political messages they delivered were true to heart and securely wrapped in equally uncompromising loud and explosive rock’n’roll sound. Tony had a deep baritone a Chip was a high tenor. Left wing politics and rough musical backdrop made their musical vision stood out in contrast to what the industry wanted from the very beginning. Rebelling against the punks, Tony and Chip formed a new project in the 80s called Rank & File in an adopted home of Austin TX. Teaming up with Alejandro Escovedo, they basically invented what would later be dubbed first cow punk and then alt country, but again, a few years too soon. Punks rejected the old brothers and country music scene just didn’t know what to make out of the left wing cowboys. Their next project started at the end of the 80s and went into the 90s. Just two brothers, one loud guitar and one metronome drum machine became ingredients for their next band called Blackbird. It was a minimalist approach, but nevertheless an approach that put their poetry up in the center and also Tony’s voice. Indeed, his deep dreamy baritone became the focus of the performance. Punk audience was not ready for the drum machine, so Kinmans decided to throw something else at the crowd. Remembering their childhood joy of listening to the old traditional cowboy songs. the brothers reinvented themselves as Cowboy Nation. Again, Tony’s voice was the focus attention. But with lyrics like in their songs Rebel and Revolution, they were rejected by the niche western scene and in the new millennium, Kinmans started family lives. The music was still there. Tony formed his own band called Los Trendy in Los Angeles and he also joined Smash Fashion for one album. Good news came this year that Chip formed his new band Ford Madox Ford with his son Dewey Peek and with Tony helping in the studio as a producer. But like in a bad novel, good news is always followed by a sad one. Tony was diagnosed with cancer in March and then fell to it on May 4th this year. His past music continues to inspire, but also, may Chip’s and Dewey’s future music be a reminder on Tony’s legacy just as well. This episode of The Little Lighthouse goes to Tony Kinman, our fallen comrade.

Cowboy Nation – Entrada;
Blackbird – Hold Me;
Dils – Class War;
Dils – Red Rockers Rule;
Dils – It’s Not Worth It;
Rank & File – Coyote;
Rank & File – The Conductor Wore Black;
Rank & File – Hot Wind;
Rank & File – John Brown;
Rank & File – Golden Age;
Blackbird – More;
Blackbird – Big Train;
Mike Watt – Big Train;
fIREHOSE – Quicksand;
Cowboy Nation – Cowboy Nation;
Cowboy Nation – Two Miles From Town;
Cowboy Nation – Revolution;
Cowboy Nation – Rebel;
Los Trendy – Sunny;
Smash Fashion – Superglam;
Smash Fashion – Runs In The Family;
Ford Madox Ford – Dark American Night;
Cowboy Nation – Salida.