Check out the new album from Mission Of Burma, ‘Unsound,’ on Spotify, now streaming in its entirety.

The album is coming on Fire Records next Tuesday, July 10.

After hitting Brooklyn and Hoboken this past January with two blistering, sold-out shows, Mission of Burma are set to follow up with a handful of new dates in the upcoming months.  First, they will officially usher in the summer in the northeast with a pair of Memorial Day weekend shows in Rhode Island and Maine, and then they’ll head to Texas in July for a one-off at the Mohawk in Austin.  A limited number of tickets for all three shows are available for presale starting today at 10AM.

Thanks to Brushback.

(“Devotion”, live at ATP, Minehead, May 14, 2010)

It’s been nearly a full calendar year since Mission Of Burma provided the Empire or Garden States with what the social crusaders like to call “teaching moments”. Thankfully, the drought is nearly over, with new shows confirmed at Maxwell’s on January 28 and Brooklyn’s Bell House on January 29.  Tickets are on sale now.

photo by Bob Weston

WFMU returns to Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival, which starts tonight and features a lineup that is pretty damned impressive. Just like last year, WFMU will be broadcasting Primavera sets from various artists, including the following Matador bands at the following times (all EDT):

FRIDAY, MAY 28
12:10pm Mission of Burma
5:40pm The New Pornographers
8:45pm Pavement

SATURDAY, MAY 29
1:10pm Condo Fucks
2:20pm Cold Cave

The full WFMU Primavera broadcast schedule, which includes sets by The Fall, Wire, Liquid Liquid, and other luminaries, can be found at WFMU’s Beware of the Blog. All times are subject to change, so pay attention to WFMU’s Twitter and Facebook for updates. Tune in to WFMU at 91.1FM in NY/NJ, 90.1FM in the Hudson Valley, and wfmu.org for everyone else.

(performing ‘The Obliterati”s “Donna Sumeria”, September 5, 2009)

Persons familiar with the crazy econo-touring habits of Mission Of Burma circa 1980-82 will recall the band’s American jaunts were often managed via numerous connecting flights and mind-numbing layovers.  Despite label suggestions they hit the continent via boat, there’s a similar scheme at work this week, bringing Burma to Ireland, the UK, Porugal and Spain for the first time since the release of 2009′s fantastic ‘The Sound, The Speed, The Light’.

12 May – Crawdaddy, Dublin
13 May- Dingwall’s, London
14 May – Butlin’s Holiday Centre (Pavement-curated ATP)
24 May – Ze Dos Bois, Lisbon
25 May – Serralves, Porto
26 May – Festival Sinsal Oito, Sala Mondo, Vigo
27 May – Primavera Sound, Barcelona

It’s that time of year again – where if you want some Matador shows, then best head to Europe in May.

In alphabetical order…

COLD CAVE on tour in May :

7  UK, All Tomorrows Parties, Minehead Butlins

8 UK, Leeds, Nation of Shopkeepers

9 Scotland, Glasgow, Captains Rest

10 UK, Manchester, Deaf Institute

12 UK, London, Cargo

13  UK, Brighton, Great Escape Festival

14 Holland, Amsterdam, Paradiso

15 Belgium, Brussells, Rotonde

16 Germany, Hamburg, Uebel & Gefahrlich

18 Sweden, Stockholm, Svenska

19 Denmark, Copenhagen, Rust

20 Germany, Berlin, Bang Bang Club

21 Germany, Offenbach, Hafen 2

22 Switzerland, St Gallen @Theater Palace

23 Switzerland, Fribourg @fri-Son

24 Italy, Bologna, Rocker Festival

25 Italy, Turin, Spazio 211

27 France, Paris, Point Emphere

29 Spain, Barcelona, Primavera Festival

MISSION OF BURMA also on tour in May :

12 Dublin, Ireland, Crawdaddy

13 London, England, Dingwalls

14 Minehead, England, All Tomorrows Parties

24 Lisbon, Portugal,  ZDB – Zé dos Bois

25 Porto, Portugal, Serralves Museu del Arte (note-seated venue)

26 Vigo, Spain, Marco

27 Barcelona, Primavera

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS holidaying in May :

19 UK, London, Electric Ballroom

21 Germany, Berlin, Magnet ‘Club NME’

22 Germany, Hamburg, Molotow

23 Holland, Amsterdam, Melkweg

25 Belgium, Brussels, Orangerie

26 France, Paris, La Maroquinerie

28 Spain, Barcelona, Primavera Festival

TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS busking throughout May :

06 UK, London, Luminaire

07 UK, Plymouth, White Rabbit

08 Ireland, Dublin, Whelans

09 UK, Belfast, Oh Yeah Centre

10 UK, Glasgow, Captains Rest

11 UK, Newcastle, Cluny

13 UK,  Cardiff, Buffalo Bar

16 Netherlands, Utrecht, DB’s Studio

18 Germany, Hamburg, Prinzenbar

22 Croatia, Zagreb, Kset

26 France, Paris, Cafe De La Danse

TIMES NEW VIKING back to party in May :

14 UK, All Tomorrows Parties, Minehead Butlins

Don’t forget, there’s also the previously announced Dead Meadow European May dates and the Pavement reunion shows also in May.  Harlem May/June dates will be on the way too.  Mark your diaries.

Late last year Burma laid down a savage session for Aquarium Drunkard at Infrasonic Sound.

Some of the songs they played came from the excellent The Sound The Speed The Light. Buy that album here.

Don’t miss the band in concert when they’re in your area:

April
Wednesday 07 – Newport, KY – Southgate House
Thursday 08 - Ann Arbor, AL – Blind Pig
Friday 09 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
Saturday 10 – Chicago, IL – Double Door

May
Friday 14 – Minehead UK – Pavement ATP
Thursday 27 – Barcelona ES – Primavera Sound

from Aquarium Drunkard:

Mission of Burma :: Blunder (Aquarium Drunkard Session) from Aquarium Drunkard on Vimeo.

Mission of Burma :: Careening With Conviction (Aquarium Drunkard Session) from Aquarium Drunkard on Vimeo.

Mission of Burma :: Here It Comes (Aquarium Drunkard Session) from Aquarium Drunkard on Vimeo.

Mission of Burma :: Dirt (Aquarium Drunkard Session) from Aquarium Drunkard on Vimeo.

(ancient flyer art swiped from The City Record. Very magnanimous of SSD to allow young hopefuls MOB on the above bill)

In addition to the already mentioned 2 night stands at the Bowery Ballroom and the Paradise, Mission Of Burma have confirmed they’ll be visiting the following cities in early 2010 :

Thu, 2/18 – Philadelphia PA – First Unitarian Church
Fri, 2/19 – Richmond VA – Tyler Haynes Commons (Univ of Richmond)
Sat, 2/20 – Washington DC – Black Cat

Ticket/support band info will be posted ..when someone asks me to!  Have a great weekend.

(The Sound, The Speed, The Light, LP/CD and digital album, available from The Matador Store)

(“Innermost” b/w “Here It Comes” MP3/FLAC single, also available from The Matador Store)

While in Los Angeles during their November tour, Mission of Burma, or at least 3/4s of Burma, were able to air their dirty laundry from the comfort of the Echo’s artist green room. Admittedly Burma’s dirty laundry is lacking of any major dirt as the band opted to praise Matador honchos Gerard Cosloy and Patrick Amory, name check fellow label mates, Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth, and thank Burma fans who have supported them for decades, instead of airing any grievances or talking any smack. But these days there is too much negativity anyway, so we were pleased just to watch them tell their story.

A nice backstage conversation, courtesy of Dirty Laundry TV, which shows just how nice these guys really are. If you’re in Boston or New York in January then stop by the following shows to see just how good these guys really are!

Fri, 1/15 – Boston – Paradise
Sat, 1/16 – Boston – Paradise
Fri, 1/29 – New York – Bowery Ballroom
Sat, 1/30 – New York – Bowery Ballroom