Bash & Pop

by Stewart Mason
Tommy Stinson's first attempt at a post-Replacements band of his own, the short-lived Bash & Pop, never quite lived up to their promise. Formed by Stinson (who switched from bass to guitar and took over lead vocal and songwriting duties) and drummer Steve Foley, who had briefly replaced Chris Mars in the waning days of the Replacements, the group added Foley's bassist brother Kevin Foley and guitarist Steve Brantseg and recorded 1993's Friday Night Is Killing Me with Minneapolis producer Don Smith. By all accounts, the group never jelled into a cohesive unit and rumor has it that Stinson recorded most of the album playing most of the instruments by himself with various guest musicians, including half of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers and Wire Train's Jeff Trott. Indeed, by the time the album was finally released, Stinson had already fired both Brantseg and Kevin Foley. The band limped through an aborted tour and unceremoniously broke up after the album sold little and garnered mixed reviews. Tommy Stinson went on to form the equally short-lived Perfect and then joined Guns N' Roses at some point in their "yes, we're really working on another album, honest" phase in the late '90s. Steve Foley formed the group Wheelo.