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Zoomers may know it from Lorde's cover of "Swinging Party". But, being a GenXer myself, I have no idea when I first heard The Replacements. They're a band that have always seemed to be there in my life, with every song on "Tim", their should-have-been-a-hit album, always sounding familiar.
Broadly speaking, the Minneapolis quartet, known affectionately by fans as 'The Mats', have three phases: the early hardcore and noisy period, the middle period with power pop sensibilities, metallic guitars and big choruses ("Bastards of Young" is perfect), and the final period, without one of the core founding members, trying (and failing) to fit into the mainstream.
It's a cliché to say that The Replacements lost the game against themselves, lost to other bands of the same era who had talent and discipline, and lost precious time building a reputation as unreliable drunks. It's a shame, of course. But The Replacements wouldn't have been The Replacements with any other behavior, and that's part of the tragic beauty of the story told in the book "Trouble Boys: The True History of The Replacements", in which author-fan Bob Mehr traces the family roots of each member, tying together the story of the rise and fall of a band that sabotaged every opportunity they had.
Ken Burns should make a documentary about The Replacements as an essential American band. It's a story with everything that went wrong with the American Dream: families plagued by unemployment, alcoholism and depression, young people with little education and no prospects, childhoods lost to violence and abuse. The story is very sad and "Trouble Boys" challenges even the most hardened fan (especially since it's about three hundred pages longer than it should be).
"Tim", from 1985 (which was reissued and remastered in 2023 and received a rare 10/10 from Pitchfork!) is a seminal album that laid the foundation for what would become "alternative rock" in the 1990s - even if it's not loved by ‘Mats fans from the early days, when the band was closer to, for example, Husker Du. Mixed by Tommy Ramone, the original "Tim" marks the moment when the band got a contract with a major label (they signed wrong names in an attempt to leave the label later, go figure), a music video on MTV (the result is a brilliant piece of sabotage) and an appearance on Saturday Night Live (the band got drunk, trashed the place, got kicked out and didn't appear on TV for over three years, but the recording is great).
Never heard it? Start here: "Can't Hardly Wait", from the album "Tim", already in the less punk and more melodic phase. For me, that's where Paul Westerberg's punchy hooks and catchy melodies shine (guy wanted to be in Big Star so badly).
Related Recs
One of the most controversial album mixdowns updated from 1985 to 2024. A pinnacle of indie rock and a deep introspective into balancing talent and lifestyle. With the passing of guitarist Slim Dunlap 2 days ago, The Replacements are still America’s band.
Dec 20, 2024
It turns 40 today and has probably only gotten better as years have gone on. Here's a recreation of the album cover by some friends.
Oct 2, 2024
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It's no secret that I'm Power-Pop-pilled.
and Real Heads already know this, but the Perfectly Imperfect spray logo is uhh... heavily inspired...by an obscure archival Teenage Fanclub t-shirt from the early 90s. That being said, I'm new to The Toms & this album, I'm just happy to have discovered it. Isn't the best when an artists comes out the gate with a debut that already feels like a Greatest Hits compilation? Unfortunately none of these songs ended up being hits, but they damn well sound have been.
This becomes even cooler when you consider that The Toms (which is really just a dude named Tom from Jersey) recorded all 32 songs in his garage over just 3 days. Legend shit for real.
My favorites are "Other Boys Do," "I Did The Wrong Thing," and "Passport to Heaven," but if I'm being honest I truly love every track on here. i LOVE this album.
Oct 12, 2023
Top Recs from @gaia
I just saw Win Wenders' "Perfect Days" at the cinema. I know it's already on Mubi and I know it's already been in cinemas in the Northern Hemisphere. But it premiered in São Paulo this week.
I'm not a Win Wenders girl. Sure, he's a tremendous auteur, one of the greats. I was super impacted by the atmosphere of "Der Himmel über Berlin" (which was beautifully titled "Asas do Desejo", in Brazil) and by Nastassja Kinski's pink angora jumper in "Paris Texas," but never became a follower.
And yet: "Perfect Days" is a perfect film, one that only a dedicated filmmaker in complete control of his craft, surrounded by ideal condition, could make.
The synopsis: "Hirayama lives a life of blissful contentment, spending his days balancing his job as a caretaker of Tokyo’s public toilets with his passion for music, literature, and photography. His structured routine is slowly interrupted by unexpected encounters that force him to reconnect with his past."
There's nothing I like more than going to the movies and then going out to eat afterwards, talking about the film on the way, during the meal, and on the way home. The success of the endeavour depends, of course, on the film. There are movies, even some that are very entertaining and enjoyable to watch, that quickly run out of steam. The subject changes, you don't think about what you saw any more, life moves on.
And then there are movies like this one, where a seemingly banal story (the routine of a toilet cleaner in Tokyo) gives way to dreamlike sequences, to display of characters you want to know more about, to being unexpectedly moved to tears, rooting for a beautiful ending for our gentle protagonist (the spectacular Koji Yahusko). And it also talks about photographs, music, books, architecture. It's rare that so much is said in so little time in a film. I left the cinema feeling like I gained two hours of life. Made me want to be a better person, really, it is just beautiful.
10/10. Please, don't miss it.
Mubi: https://mubi.com/en/br/films/perfect-days
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/perfect-days-2023/
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTgWYojq-z8
ps: anyone who has ever used a public toilet in São Paulo will be envious of the public toilets in Tokyo.
Feb 18, 2024
I write a lot about many things in other places (mostly on Substack, but not only) and, honestly, I don't have the time/energy for another virtual-social-thing.
Still, here I am. Why? Because
1) it has a MySpace and/or early Tumblr vibe
2) I've been browsing and finding lots of interesting ppl
3) it's the brainchild of a newsletter, what's not to love?
Since I created my login a few weeks back, I spent some time thinking about whether it was worth writing in Portuguese (I'm Brazilian) but given that PIFYI hasn't been invaded by Brazilians yet (god bless) it seems to me that the best option is to be part of the "global village" (gen xrs will understand) and practice English (or "botar meu inglês pra jogo" as we say in pt-br).
So, let's.
ps: this is my first message here on pi, I'm not committed to anything, but since we're here say HI if you read this bottled msg.
Feb 18, 2024
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Dozens of perfect one-liners you'll want to use. There's also poetry, if that's your thing.
Feb 18, 2024