Chris Mars

Chris Mars, the former drummer for Minneapolis' seminal drunken punks the Replacements, confounded all expectations when he emerged from the band's unceremonious breakup as what can only be described as an auteur. He beat his old bandleader Paul Westerberg to the solo-record punch with Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, a rough-and-ready slice of Power Pop melodies and Punk energy. Mars played almost all the instruments on the record, which was universally praised by critics for its energy and insightful, melodic songwriting. He has followed up with a few other solo records, but he spends most of his time devoted to a fine art career.