Bash & Pop

All Music Guide:

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.

Wikipedia:

Bash & Pop were an American alternative rock group formed in 1992 by Tommy Stinson in Minneapolis, Minnesota following the breakup of previous group, The Replacements. They released one album before breaking up in 1994.

History

With a name selected from a contest hosted by New York radio station WDRE, Bash & Pop were formed in 1992 by bassist Tommy Stinson, following the breakup of previous group The Replacements, who switched to guitar, with drummer Steve Foley, also formerly of The Replacements, along with his brother Kevin on bass and guitarist Steve Brantseg being added to the group

Rumors were that Bash & Pop were a band in name only with Stinson recording the album, Friday Night Is Killing Me, mostly by himself along with a number of guest musicians. However Steve, Kevin and Brantseg all contributed to the album along with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers members Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell, Wire Train's Jeff Trott as well as other musicians Greg Leisz, Brian McCloud, Phil Jones and Tommy Steel.

Friday Night Is Killing Me was released in January 1993 through Sire/Reprise Records to mainly mixed reviews with Stewart Mason, of Allmusic, stating that "here are a couple of great songs here, the catchy single "Loose Ends" and the rocking "Fast and Hard", but even those two songs feel sloppily half-written, with choruses that vamp on repeatedly for far too long. Most of the rest of the album sounds fine while it's playing, but the songs aren't at all memorable." Steven Mirkin, of Rolling Stone, described the album as "not as pointed as ex-Mats drummer Chris Mars's vitriolic Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and lacking Westerberg's songwriting polish, Friday Night Is Killing Me is still a notable debut that at its best flashes the easygoing, knockabout charm missing from the Replacements' last few albums." Bruce Haring, of Variety, described the album as "a frisky little rocker propelled by Stinson's endless energy and peppy, raspish vocals." A tour in support followed along with the recording of the track "Making Me Sick" which was included on the soundtrack, released in 1994, to the movie Clerks. The group disbanded later in 1994.

Post-breakup

Stinson went on to form another group, Perfect, before going on the join Guns N' Roses and releasing his debut solo album Village Gorilla Head while drummer Steve Foley joined Wheelo, previously known as 69, releasing the album Something Wonderful in 1997.