Tod reviews the definitive biography of the Replacements, Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr, in the Los Angeles Review of Books:

In terms of passive-aggressive messages, it was a pretty good one. You can read a lot into it, it’s different for every person, and it reveals a level of old school self-loathing today’s modern rock stars could learn a lot from: Why express yourselves in 140 characters every single day on social media when you could prolong the process and make your fans feel a little sad and frustrated in the process? Though, the fact is, if you’re a fan of the Replacements, you’re probably used to feeling a little sad and frustrated. Not because the Replacements were vile or remote — at their best, original members Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson, Bob Stinson, and Chris Mars were glorious and unbridled, a soundtrack for parties and mistakes and driving by yourself in a shitty car wishing you had a better life; which is to say they played music you could scream along to and music you could cry with as well — but because when they were their very best, particularly in concert, you could see for yourself that they were four young men who were wrecking their lives for our entertainment.