The Lillingtons - Stella Sapiente (2017)

The Lillingtons blasted their way out of the sleepy cowtown of Newcastle, WY, in 1996 high off the influence of spirited bands like the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, and the Queers. Comprised of Kody Templeman (vocals/guitar), Cory Laurence (bass), and Tim O'Hara aka Timmy V (drums), the band also later included Zachary Rawhouser (guitar). Self-releasing their first album, 1996's Shit Out of Luck, the Lillingtons initially coupled their direct pop-punk approach with adolescent-styled lyrics about girls and high school. But after a succession of vinyl-only releases, the guys got sick of singing about broken hearts and decidedly changed their lyrical line of attack.

Their subsequent album, Death by Television, was issued in 1999 on the Lookout! imprint Panic Button (run by Ben Weasel and John Jughead). Produced by Mass Giorgini -- of Screeching Weasel, Squirtgun, and Queers fame -- the album was thematically based around sci-fi movies. NOFX's Fat Mike has been quoted praising the fan-favorite record as "the best pop-punk album of all time." Heavily touring the punk circuit with bands like Teen Idols, the Lillingtons were becoming underground favorites. Again with Giorgini behind the controls, their spy-themed follow-up, The Backchannel Broadcast, appeared in February 2001.

By the end of the year, however, the band had called it quits. Following the group's dissolution, Kody moved on to play with Laramie-based (and similarly minded) Teenage Bottlerocket. Tim moved to New Mexico, where he played with the Eyeliners before starting his own hardcore outfit, Stabbed in Back. Clearview issued the three-CD box set Technically Unsound in 2005; it contained the out of print Shit Out of Luck (the original album mix and a new one by Giorgini), tracks from a 10" split with Nothing Cool, the Lost My Marbles 7" (recorded by Joe Queer), live tracks, and unreleased material for the Stupid World 7". The Lillingtons reunited in early 2006 with plans for a new album on Red Scare that fall. The label re-released Death by Television in June 2006, and as promised, the all-new The Too Late Show appeared that October. ~ Corey Apar
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