Naked Soul/flat Bed
Split (cloudy Skies Blue)
Las Vegas / Orange County original hardcore/punk band, M.I.A. played their last show in 1987 and call it quits. In mid-1988 singer Mike Conley started Naked Soul with former M.I.A. member Larz Pearson on drums and long time friend Jeff Sewell on bass. Taking cues from bands like The Replacements or Canada's The Doughboys or The Nils, Mike started writing songs that expanded the poppy-yet-edgy sound initiated on M.I.A.'s After The Fact with layered arrangements and vocal harmonies. This first line-up soon broke up but Mike persisted and put a new band together with Mike Brown on drums and Carlos Soria of The Nils on second guitar. The band went in the studio with Richard Andrews (Big Drill Car, All, Jawbreaker, etc.) and recorded the 3 carefully crafted pop song featured here, including one of Naked Soul's signature song "Lonely Me, Lonely You", that would eventually get them signed by a major label. Meanwhile former M.I.A. guitarist Nick Adams started playing with drummer Miles Gillett from El Grupo Sexo on drums and Bob Gnarly from Plain Warp on bass. They named the project Flatbed and set out to just have a blast playing raw, heavy and melodic rock'n roll. Danny Wallis from Don't No soon took over bass duties and the band went in the studio to record a few originals and a Tom Waits cover. This release captures a slice of time from late 1989 with two bands with shared musical histories going off in different directions. Limited to 300 copies in a handstamped cover and on colored vinyl.