1980 Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the area¹s first punk bands, The Swell forms out of a fledgling punk scene, influenced by Sex Pistols, Damned, Ramones, The Decline, Circle Jerks, T.S.O.L., Rodney on the Roq, Beach Boulevard, Gears, Germs, Black Flag and others. The band plays lots of parties, the only opportunities to play at the time. The Swell was: Eric Olson, guitar; Eric Hill, vocals; Chris Moon, drums; Mike Conley, bass. Later, Tom Partapello, guitar, replaces Olson. Then Todd Sampson, vocals, replaces Hill, and Jim Zyborg, guitar, replaces Partapello. Finally, Nick Adams replaces Zyborg on guitar in late 1980. Songs played at this time: Kill, School Boy, Atomic Bomb, I Hate Hippies, Louie Louie, Gas Crisis, Rebel, Tell Me Why, Bodies, Blitzkrieg Bop, I Like Drugs, Pipeline, California.

1981 The Swell plays a New Years Eve party and breaks up. Adams moves to San Diego, Moon and Conley move to Orange County. In June Adams moves to Orange County and the band re-forms as MIA with Art Carasco on vocals. Soon after, Carasco is critically injured in a car accident. Conley moves to vocals, Paul Schwartz added, from Las Vegas, on bass. Between gigs, a 9 song 8-track demo is recorded at JEL Studios. The band plays at parties, the several shows at the Cuckoo’s Nest, the Mabuhay Gardens and Tool and Die in San Francisco, and a gig in Reno where Kevin of Seven Seconds is given a demo. He passes it on to Tim Yohannan of Maximum Rock and Roll, who passes it on to Bo Clifford at Bomp, who passes it on to Felix Alanis at Smoke Seven. Meanwhile, the band disintegrates; Conley moves back to Las Vegas.

1982 New Left on Maximum Rock N Roll compilation Not So Quiet on the Western Front, Alternative Tentacles (VIRUS 14). The song was culled from the same session as the recordings that appeared on Last Rites (see below).

1982 Tell Me Why on American Youth Report compilation, Bomp/Invasion (INV-1). Same recording as that which appeared on Last Rites (see below).

1982 Last Rites for Genocide and MIA, Smoke Seven (104). Recorded in 1981 at JEL Studio, Newport Beach, California, by Bill Trousdale; produced by MIA and Bill Trousdale. MIA was: Chris Moon, drums; Paul Schwartz, bass; Nick Adams, guitar; Mike Conley, vocals. Songs: Tell Me Why, Gas Crisis, Cold Sweat, I Hate Hippies, Angry Youth, All the Presidents Skin, Fucking Zones, (I Can’t Take It) No More.

1983 Conley moves back to Orange County and MIA re–forms. Band does Orange County/Los Angeles area gigs and short tours through California, Nevada and Arizona. Hollywood’s Cathay de Grande is a home away from home.

1983 Green Carton Session, unreleased. Recorded at Green Carton Studio, somewhere in Orange County, California. Produced by MIA. MIA was: Chris Moon, drums; Paul Schwartz, bass; Nick Adams, guitar; Mike Conley, vocals. Songs: Help Me Up, Reality is Killing Me, Boredom is the Reason, Modern Way, Murder in a Foreign Place, Hating Life.

1984 Moon is replaced by Larry Pearson on drums. Band plays show in Las Vegas with Dead Kennedys; Jello Biafra offers to release next record on Alternative Tentacles.

1984 Murder in a Foreign Place EP, Alternative Tentacles (VIRUS 35). Recorded at JEL Studio, Newport Beach, California, by Bill Trousdale; produced by MIA and Bill Trousdale. MIA was: Larry Pearson, drums; Paul Schwartz, bass; Nick Adams, guitar; Mike Conley, vocals. Songs: Modern Way, Small Man in a Big World, All I Know, What’s Your Problem, Boredom is the Reason, Who Will Survive, Used to Know Me, Murder in a Foreign Place, Las Vegas, Reality is Killing Me, There Is No Love.

1984, late July to mid-September. Band embarks on first tour of the United States and Canada.

1984 Turning in to What You Hate on Half Skull 7″ compilation, Insane Industries. Recorded by Chaz at Casbah Studio in Fullerton, California. Produced by O and MIA.

1985 Just A Dream on Flipside Vinyl Fanzine 2, Flipside/Gasatanka Records (FSR3). Recorded by Chaz at Casbah Studio in Fullerton, California. Produced by MIA.

1985 Evan Williams Session, unreleased. Recorded at Evan Williams Studio, Santa Ana, California. Produced by MIA and Chris Maneke. MIA was: Larry Pearson, drums; Paul Schwartz, bass; Nick Adams, guitar; Mike Conley, vocals. Songs: Rhythm of Life, Never Again, Voices in the Dark.

1985, March. Tour of the East Coast.

1985 Notes From the Underground LP, National Trust (NT885). Recorded and produced by Thom Wilson. MIA was: Larry Pearson, drums; Paul Schwartz, bass; Nick Adams, guitar; Mike Conley, vocals. Songs: Shadows of My Life, Voices in the Dark, Never Again, Show Me the Way, Scotty Rew, Write Myself a Letter, Light of Yesterday, Haven’t You Heard, Make a Choice, Another Day. After recording this LP the band breaks up, playing final show at Balboa Theater in LA supporting the Dead Kennedys.

1986 Conley, now on guitar and vocals, re-forms the band with Chris Moon, Denny McGahey, and Frank Daly; later Mark Arnold replaces McGahey.

1987 After the Fact LP, Flipside (FSR011). Recorded and produced by Richard Andrews at Radio Tokyo in Venice, California. MIA was: Chris Moon, drums; Mark Arnold, guitar and vocals; Frank Daly, bass and vocals; Mike Conley, vocals and guitar. Songs: Edge of Forever, What I See, Whisper in the Wind, Beautiful World (but not for me), California Dreamin’, When It’s Over, Time to Change, It Follows Me, Whatever Happened, It’s Hard to Say You’re Wrong, Broken, Out of Control. Band tours US and Canada.