Medium Cool Records

Slim Dunlap

 Slim Dunlap was born in Plainview, Minnesota on August 14, 1951. He started playing guitar when he was about ten. In the early 1970s he teamed up with rock musician and visual artist Curtiss A, also known as Curt Almsted, and together they formed Thumbs Up, an "unusual mix of rhythm and blues with pop that has been described as early new wave".  He also joined Almsted's punk-rock group, Spooks, and featured on all but one of Curt’s albums. Dunlap's work with Almsted established himself as an "intuitive, reliable musician who could fit any situation", and he attracted the attention of Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, a Minnesota-based punk/alternative rock band. Westerberg was looking for a guitarist to replace Bob Stinson, who had been asked to leave in the mid-1980s because of his drug and alcohol problems, and approached Dunlap. Dunlap initially turned down the offer, but joined The Replacements in 1987 on account of "his admiration for Westerberg's songwriting". Dunlap's day job at the time was working as a janitor at First Avenue, a nightclub in Minneapolis, the same venue where The Replacements had launched their career in the early 1980s.  Dunlap became the "replacement Replacement",  and remained with the band until their breakup in 1991, featuring on their last two studio albums.

 Slim Dunlap was born in Plainview, Minnesota on August 14, 1951. He started playing guitar when he was about ten. In the early 1970s he teamed up with rock musician and visual artist Curtiss A, also known as Curt Almsted, and together they formed Thumbs Up, an "unusual mix of rhythm and blues with pop that has been described as early new wave".  He also joined Almsted's punk-rock group, Spooks, and featured on all but one of Curt’s albums. Dunlap's work with Almsted established himself as an "intuitive, reliable musician who could fit any situation", and he attracted the attention of Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, a Minnesota-based punk/alternative rock band. Westerberg was looking for a guitarist to replace Bob Stinson, who had been asked to leave in the mid-1980s because of his drug and alcohol problems, and approached Dunlap. Dunlap initially turned down the offer, but joined The Replacements in 1987 on account of "his admiration for Westerberg's songwriting". Dunlap's day job at the time was working as a janitor at First Avenue, a nightclub in Minneapolis, the same venue where The Replacements had launched their career in the early 1980s.  Dunlap became the "replacement Replacement",  and remained with the band until their breakup in 1991, featuring on their last two studio albums.