power pop criminals

BOB BELAND - UNHAPPY GIRL (1982)

Here's a lost Power Pop gem, the first solo EP released by Bob Beland. The Polar Bears are the musicians and Jules Shear guests. For the ones who couldn't remember who was Bob Beland, here's a short summary written by the artist himself.
I met Jules Shear-straight out of Pittsburg, PA at the monday night hootenanny shows. We became fast friends and formed Southpaw (we're both left handed, upside down players) with my ex-bandmate from S.F., Deki Mason Farwell, on vocals. We expanded from a trio to an electric band and played the Troubador/Ice House circuit. Our sets at the Troubador sometimes became informal pre-"unplugged" style shows with special guests sitting in. From Southpaw I formed Bates Motel with Les Bohem. We played the Punk/New Wave circuit with bands like The Motels,The Runaways, The Plimsouls, Toni Childs (Toni & The Movers), 20 /20, The Pop, The Last, The Zippers and even (gasp!) The Knack.
While my ex-Bates Motel (one song on the Sharp Cuts compilation of New Wave bands) bandmates went on to work behind the Mael Bros. in Sparks, I signed an exclusive songwriters deal with MCA Publishing and released an EP on What Records produced by Stephen Hague (Blur, Robbie Robertson, the Pretenders, Jules & The Polar Bears) that included the single "Stealing Cars," a KROQ favorite at the time.
Getting the bug to play out more and play guitar, I joined The Furys, one of L.A.'s original punk bands. We eventually recorded an EP on King Coitus Records. After the Furys I went to recording and playing with Skin Trade - an eclectic, somewhat progressive unit fronted by Dickies guitarist Glen Laughin. Studio tracks were produced by Earle Mankey (an original member of Sparks and producer of Concrete Blonde and others). Feeling the need to return to my own songwriting, I left Skin Trade and started back on the solo path. 1993 found me starting to record tracks that would become "AMNESIA LANE," on Seeing i Records (still available through CD Baby). I have also co-written songs with Peter Curry (Los Straightjackets), who contributes to AMNESIA LANE released 1994 for his surf band the Halibuts.

ZS (155 mb)

Songs
Unhappy Girl / That Shot / Love's Not Such A Mystery / Open To The Public / Spitball (Up Against The Wall) / Stealing Cars