Mission Of Burma's three records for Ace Of Hearts, released in 1981, 1983 and (posthumously) 1985, are landmarks of American underground guitar rock. They are now finally re-released the way they were intended to be heard, meticulously remastered from the original analog tapes by producer and record label honcho Rick Harte. All 3 are available on vinyl for the first time since the 1980s. Both vinyl and CD come with lavish booklets full of interviews and never-before seen photos and ephemera. In addition, 'Signals' includes 2 unreleased tracks from the "Academy Fight Song" single, the original studio version of "Execution" and a completely unheard song called "Devotion." Both vinyl and CD come with bonus DVDs of original concert footage.



Garden Airplane-Trap by Max Ernst

News
03/10/08 — EPK, DVD extracts, widget, vinyl-cutting videos
Here's a summary of the many video links posted recently on the matablog and elsewhere:

EPK:

1. QuickTime (slow-loading, higher quality):



2. YouTube (faster-loading, lower quality):



"Red" live at the Bradford, Boston, March 12, 1983 (extract from the 'Vs.' companion DVD):

QuickTime only (slow-loading, high quality):



"Eyes Of Men" live at the Underground, Boston, April 20, 1980 (extract from the 'Signals companion DVD):



Widget (click the "Embed on Your Site" button at lower left for embed code):



Vinyl cutting (mastering) session, clip number 1:



Vinyl cutting (mastering) session, clip number 2:



01/15/08 — Mission Of Burma: The Definitive Editions I, II and III — first MP3s and WAVs, track listing, and complete description




Mission Of Burma: The Definitive Editions I, II and III (of their Ace Of Hearts catalog, recorded between 1979 and 1983) come out on March 18. Fully remastered from the original analog tape by Rick Harte, Ace Of Hearts owner, and the producer of the original records, the results are absolutely stunning.

We hereby present 256K MP3s and uncompressed WAV files of two tracks. The first track is "Max Ernst," the B-side to the "Academy Fight Song" 7" (their 1980 debut), in drastically improved sound. This song is included on the 'Signals, Calls & Marches' dbl LP + DVD / CD + DVD. The second track is an unreleased live recording of "Weatherbox," which will be available live 'Horrible Truth About Burma' dbl LP + DVD / CD + DVD.

"Max Ernst" (256K MP3)
"Max Ernst" (WAV)
"Weatherbox (Live)" (256K MP3)
"Weatherbox (Live)" (WAV)

Here is the complete track listing for the reissues:

Mission Of Burma: The Definitive Editions I, II and III Remastered from the original analog tapes

I. Signals, Calls & Marches dbl LP + DVD / CD + DVD



The "Academy Fight Song" 7" (1980):

1. Academy Fight Song
2. Max Ernst

Two unreleased studio tracks from the "Academy Fight Song" session (1980):

3. Devotion
4. Execution [not the rehearsal demo included on a Taang LP, but the actual studio version]

The original 'Signals, Calls & Marches' 12" EP (1981):

5. That’s When I Reach For My Revolver
6. Outlaw
7. Fame And Fortune
8. This Is Not A Photograph
9. Red
10. All World Cowboy Romance

Companion DVD to Signals — Live at The Space (October 6, 1979) and The Underground (April 20, 1980):



a. This Is Not A Photograph (The Underground, 1980)
b. Secrets (The Space, 1979)
c. Devotion (The Underground, 1980)
d. Manic Incarnation (The Underground, 1980)
e. Eyes Of Men (The Underground, 1980)
f. Tremelo (The Underground, 1980)
g. Break On Through (The Space, 1979)
h. Head Over Head (The Underground, 1980)
i. Peking Spring (The Space, 1979)
j. OK/No Way (The Underground, 1980)

II. Vs. dbl LP + DVD / CD + DVD



The original Vs. LP (1983):

1. Secrets
2. Train
3. Trem Two
4. New Nails
5. Dead Pool
6. Learn How
7. Mica
8. Weatherbox
9. The Ballad Of Johnny Burma
10. Einstein’s Day
11. Fun World
12. That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate

Four bonus tracks (previously on the Ryko CD); tracks 13-15 were unreleased studio outtakes from the Vs. sessions, and 16 was the B-side of the 1982 "Trem Two" 7" single:

13. Laugh The World Away
14. Forget
15. Progress
16. OK/No Way

Companion DVD to Vs. — Live at The Bradford Ballroom, March 12, 1983 (final Boston show, afternoon set):

a. The Ballad Of Johnny Burma (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
b. Red (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
c. Dirt (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
d. Forget (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
e. Secrets (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
f. Academy Fight Song (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
g. Trem Two (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
h. Sing-A-Long (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
i. That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
j. Weatherbox (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
k. That's When I Reach For My Revolver (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
l. Learn How (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
m. OK/No Way (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
n. Fun World (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)
o. All World Cowboy Romance (Bradford, 1983, afternoon set)

III. The Horrible Truth About Burma (live) dbl LP + DVD / CD + DVD



The original Horrible Truth live album, restored to its original sequence (1985, posthumously released):

1. Tremelo
2. Peking Spring
3. Dumbells
4. New Disco
5. Dirt
6. Go Fun Burn Man
7. 1970
8. Blackboard
9. He Is, She Is
10. Heart of Darkness

Bonus tracks, 3 of which were included on the Ryko CD, the fourth of which (track 12) has never been released:

11. That's When I Reach For My Revolver
12. Weatherbox (never released)
13. Trem Two
14. Learn How

Companion DVD to The Horrible Truth — Live at The Bradford Ballroom, March 12, 1983 (final Boston show, evening set):

a. This Is Not A Photograph (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
b. Mica (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
c. He Is, She Is (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
d. Outlaw (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
e. Peking Spring (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
f. Trem Two (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
g. Go Fun Burn Man (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
h. Fun World (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
j. Blackboard (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
k. See My Friends (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
l. Max Ernst (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
m. That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
n. Einstein's Day (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
o. Dumbells (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
p. That's When I Reach For My Revolver (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
q. Secrets (Bradford, 1983, evening set)
r. Academy Fight Song (Bradford, 1983, evening set)

In addition, this DVD contains the original, abbreviated VHS program, with original titles, released by Ace Of Hearts through Atavistic in 1988, consisting of 11 of the above tracks.

All titles come with 32-page booklets with new interviews with the band and Rick Harte about the making of the records, as well as never-before seen photos and ephemera. The vinyl comes with full-size 12" X 12" booklets containing the same material plus some extras. The vinyl also comes with the DVDs, and MP3 download coupons.

The vinyl was mastered 100% all-analog in the case of I and II (not III) and pressed in HQ180 at RTI. It is housed in gorgeous heavy-duty Stoughton gatefold sleeves. We have video of the analog cutting process available to watch here:



And yes, we have an incredible preorder deal (scroll down after clicking link) for ordering the 3 CD+DVD sets as a bundle on the Matador Store (please note: discount will not apply to the vinyl, one of the most expensive projects we've ever undertaken).



01/15/08 — Mission Of Burma: The Definitive Editions
Simply put, some of the most important, daring and inspirational recordings in the history of American rock'n'roll will soon be available in lovingly expanded form. Out of print on CD for for the past 2 years, unavailable on vinyl for nearly two decades, Matador is pleased to reissue Mission Of Burma's classic Ace Of Hearts recordings. Fully remastered from the original tapes by producer Rick Harte and Sterling Sound's George Marino, said reissues include new 32 page booklets featuring interviews with Rick Harte and the band…along with bonus bits as follows:

Signals Calls & Marches LP/CD : The original 1981 12" EP featuring "(That’s When I Reach For My) Revolver" plus the band’s debut 7", "Academy Fight Song" b/w “Max Ernst”, along with two previous unreleased outtakes from those sessions, “Execution” and “Devotion”. Bonus DVD includes rare footage from an early gig at Boston’s The Space.

Vs. LP/CD : Burma’s astonishing 1982 debut full length, plus 4 additional tracks. Bonus DVD consists of the full matinee performance from their infamous final hometown show at Boston’s Bradford Ballroom, March 12, 1983.

The Horrible Truth About Burma LP/CD : The posthumous (well, for Burma v. 1, anyway) live album culled from the final shows in Spring ‘83, restored to correct sequence for the first time since initial release, plus four previously unreleased tracks from said gigs. Bonus DVD contains the entire evening set from the Bradford Ballroom show of March 12, 1983, previously available in partial form on an Atavistic VHS (currently out of print).

Vinyl versions of the above titles will feature gatefold sleeves, full-sized 12-inch booklets, the same bonus DVDs as the CD versions, and coupons for full MP3 downloads.

7/10/07 — Mission of Burma Ringtones Now Available
Matador Records is pleased to announce a new ringtones service. We currently have ringtones available from 11 artists, including Mission of Burma, and more are coming soon. mobile.matadorrecords.com is the new home for all your Matador ringtones needs.

3/29/07 — When Is A One-Off Date More Than A One-Off Date?
I have no fucking idea. But until someone explains it to me, it's my job to let you know that Burma will be making a rare Providence appearance when they bring the pain to Brown University's Meehan Auditorium on April 19, supporting The Roots. Tickets are available from Ticketweb

1/05/07 — Mission of Burma: To NYC TV and the World on Wednesday
This just in from the good people of Some Real Music:
MISSION OF BURMA will be featured on SOME REAL MUSIC Wednesday night 1/10 at midnight, Time Warner cable channel 57, RCN cable channel 85 and worldwide on the web at MNN.org (select channel 57 -- windows media player required; free download available on website).   Footage from last summer's concert at Warsaw in Williamsburg, Brooklyn will be featured.

11/28/06 — January Tour and documentary release
Mission of Burma have just announced a quartet of new shows for the new year. This January they'll be playing the fine cities of Boston, Chicago, New York and Atlanta. See the tours page for all the details.

Speaking of seeing things, the Mission of Burma documentary "Not A Photograph" is now available for purchase on the popular DVD format. If you haven't already seen it, it is highly reccomended. If you have seen it, well, the disc is loaded with full song performances that didn't make the final theatrical cut, plus liner notes by Michael Azzerad, who wrote the book on this whole post-punk revival thing (really, it's called "Our Band Could Be Your Life"). More details HERE.

09/08/06 — Forget the primaries, this is the election that matters
It has come to our attention that www.boston.com - the online version of the Boston Globe - is running a nice big page about the 2006 Boston Music Awards, 2006:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/boston_music_awards_2006/

We here at Matador Records are proud to note that Mission of Burma is nominated for awards in the following categories:

Album of the Year (Indie)
Male Vocalist of the Year - Clint Conley

A full list of nominees is here:

http://www.nemoboston.com/index.php?PID=45

We heartily encourage Mission of Burma fans to - in the words of former Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley - “vote early, vote often.” Of course, only one vote per email address is allowed, but if you’re living in the modern world like the rest of us (or at least me), you’ve probably got 5 or 6 addresses (and no, we don’t think they’re cross-checking email addresses with www.mlb.com’s All-Star ballots).

The Boston Music Awards are curated by NEMO, which you can learn about here: http://www.nemoboston.com/index.php?PID=38. NEMO is “dedicated to giving back to the musical community of New England,” but there’s nothing I can find on the site detailing when the Nashua Music Awards will be held. So maybe next time, Granite-Staters. Live Free Or Die, dudes.

Additionally, boston.com is running a photo gallery that asks the burning question: Who is the most influential punk band ever?

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/gallery/influential_punk_bands/

Burma’s listed first along a list of pretty heavy hitters, such as the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, and, uh, the Clash.

09/08/06 — Mission of Burma Poster Giveaway
Like a shrinky-dink in reverse, Matador Records will turn your poor, torn ticket stubs from postage-stamp-sized refuse into mighty wall art. Or at least we will if those ticket stubs come from Mission of Burma's upcoming West Coast tour.

That's right, attendees of the band's September shows can mail their ticket stubs to our offices, where we put them through our patented "Post-Er-Punk" process. The details of how it works are something of a trade secret (let me just say that the technology wouldn't be possible without the triumph of capitalism in the Russian centrifuge market), but the results are not: two full-size Mission of Burma posters. One of them is the Shepard Fairey designed "Obliterati" poster, while the other is a highly collectable memento from 2004's "OnOffOn." We will send both of them to you, for free, because that's how much we care.

Just mail your ticket stubs to the following address:

Matador Poster Giveaway
625 Broadway, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10012

Make sure to write your return address on the envelope, and we'll do the rest.

08/21/06 —New MP3: Donna Sumeria
Check your calendars people. It's now more than halfway through the year, and "The Obliterati" is still dancing on top of the hill called "greatest rock album of the year." And this is from a bunch of guys who were writing genre defining classics when most of the competition were too short for short pants.

Which is not to say that Burma has ever needed to coast on past accomplishments. For proof of that, Exhibit A is "Donna Sumeria." The title may be a pun, but believe me, it's no joke. It really is Mission of Burma going deep into a Donna Summer inspired disco groove, albeit with Roger Miller's always inventive guitar part shooting off sparks, and Peter Prescott mercilessly pounding on the beat. 30 odd years into their existence, and the band is as fearless as ever, constantly pushing against whatever boundaries they find. Hear it for yourself here.

By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that Mission of Burma producer Bob Weston has adopted the grooming habits of Giorgio Moroder.

07/26/06 — Stars of stage and screen
"If you were intending on joining us in Chicago, but weren't able to secure tickets in time, then we certainly invite you to join us the night before at the Lite Brite Test Festival in Newport, KY (just over the river from Cincinnati). In addition to Burma's performance at Lite Brite, there will be screenings of the recently debuted 'Not A Photograph' documentary, as well. You can purchase tickets for Lite Brite here."

For those of you who have already secured your way into the Pitchfork Fest, we've recently learned that Burma will be performing at 5:10 PM on the 'A Stage' (although that could change at any time), between sets from Liars and Yo La Tengo. Should be good fun. Hope to see you there.

WED. 07/26/06
Toronto, Canada
Horseshoe Tavern
With Republic of Safety
$18.50 adv/$20.00 door
Tickets available here but we suggest buying them directly from the venue. More information is available on their website.

THURS. 07/27/06
Cleveland, OH
The Grog Shop
With Times New Viking.
$15.00 adv/$17.00 door.
9PM doors
Buy tickets.

FRI. 07/28/06
Detroit, MI
The Magic Stick
With Times New Viking.
$15.00
8PM doors
Buy tickets.

SAT. 07/29/06
Cincinnati, OH
The Southgate House
Lite Brite Test Festival
$12.00
6PM doors.
18+
Buy tickets.
In addition to Burma's performance, there will be a screening of the recently debuted 'Not A Photograph' documentary at the Festival. Come early.

western USA:

9/15 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
9/16 - Doug Fir, Portland, WA
9/17 - Wow Hall, Eugene, OR
9/19 - Harlow's, Sacramento, CA
9/20 - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
9/22 - Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
9/23 - Brick By Brick, San Diego, CA (all of the above dates, 50 Foot Wave Supports)

The NY premiere of 'Not A Photograph', will take place Saturday, August 5 at NYC's Walter Reade Theatre as part of the 'Play It Loud: Rock Docs 2006' film festival. Another screening is scheduled for Thursday, August 10 at 9pm.

06/13/06 — July tour
In case you hadn't noticed, the world's best live band (no dissenters here, we predict, but email fuckyou.com if you disagree) are touring the US in July. See the tours page. More dates (but not too many, so plan ahead) will be happening in fall.

06/01/06 — Mission Of Burma -- th' fucking latest
NO NEW McCARTHY ERA! OK now that that's taken care of:

Roger, Peter, Clint and Bob recently returned from the UK where they did-the-business at the Dinosaur Jr. curated All Tomorrow's Parties, made additional friends at a London gig in support of Broken Social Scene, and now can prepare for their forthcoming US tour by basking in the glow of some sterling notices for their 3rd album proper, 'The Obliterati':

"Last time, the surprise was that after 20 years of hiatus, the band was just as good as ever. This time, they're even better, more cohesive and confident, louder and funnier. " - Dusted

"The Obliterati succeeds in proving that Mission of Burma is not only capable of a comeback and a return to form, but also has exponential potential to evolve and thrive as a working band." - Stylus

"the best American rock record of the year so far." - Cokemachineglow

"Two albums into its second life, Mission Of Burma is making its legendary early days seem like a prelude." - Kyle Ryan, The Onion

If you're among the many who missed the boat on Burma's recent series of one-sided 12"'s comprising 'The Obliterati', one of your final chances to acquire the outside of eBayville comes courtesy of this Newbury Comics contest.

05/25/06 — Album is out; rave reviews; iTunes issues

The album is out and getting RAVE reviews.... check the missionofburma.com site for links to some of them. For those of you using iTunes, you have no doubt noticed that the audio has skips. We tried to get this fixed before the holiday weekend but no luck. Hopefully the replacement audio will be up first thing Tuesday. In the meantime, iTunes has taken down the bad version of the album.

If you did buy the version with the skips, you can get a refund from iTunes here:

http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/musicstore/songs/

Apple Support will then credit your account for the purchase. Sorry about that! Check back Tuesday for further updates.

04/20/06 — MP3
Haven't heard "2wice" yet? Check the music and video page for an MP3. The new biography has also been posted (though check out the much more complete and evolving one at obliterati.net, and edit it yourself, if you feel like it).

04/18/06 — New photo in gallery
Visit the gallery page for the official new band photo.

04/10/06 — Obliterati.net and Subscription Series
The Mission Of Burma Subscription Series, 'THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE TO PUNCTUATE,' is shipping this week. We really apologize for the delays, but this was a fairly complex undertaking and like all good things - very much worth all of the wait.

We are also excited to launch a special wikisite for 'The Obliterati' - http://www.obliterati.net. Over the next 24 days, we will be releasing 8 song streams from the album (in fact, all of the songs from the Punctuate subscription series - so call it a free digital version of the subscription series). It also features detailed views of the Shepard Fairey etchings and downloadable wallpaper for each release.

To entertain you while you listen, this site is also the official Mission of Burma "wiki". You can create an account and then edit pages, add new pages, upload galleries and do a whole lot more. So...have fun!

02/07/06 — Burma subscription series sold out; a note from the label
The Mission Of Burma Subscription Series, 'THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE TO PUNCTUATE,' sold out in 2 days.

We realize that some of you are disappointed that we had to cancel multiple subscriptions, or that you found out about the subscription too late to subscribe. Unfortunately, the exotic nature, intense labor demands and high expense (and low price) for the Mission Of Burma subscription series all mean that we have to limit the total series to approximately 500 subscriptions. Since the series needs to be limited, that means that we can only offer 1 subscription per customer.

We apologize for anyone who ordered multiple subscriptions or who came in too late to get a subscription - the nature and low price for this special series meant that it had to be strictly limited to about 500 and one per person. This had the additional value of preventing unscrupulous people from ordering multiple copies and then flogging them on eBay for inflated sums.

All the music on the subscription series will eventually be available on the album, 'The Obliterati,' when it comes out on May 23rd.

02/02/06 — THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE TO PUNCTATE.

The Mission Of Burma Subscription Series
Discover 'The Obliterati' through a 'slow leak' -- the incredibly cheap 8 X 12" / 8 X CD single subscription series starting later this month. For only $15 you get 8 single-sided 12"es shipped to you, 1 per week, and 8 single-song CDs, shipped to you 1 per week, 3 weeks later, INCLUDING FREIGHT (sorry, only within the United States -- it's still a great deal though).

The blank sides of the 12" singles each contain unique etching by Obey/Giant mastermind Shepard Fairey. You will also ultimately get a preorder discount on 'The Obliterati' when it comes out. STRICTLY LIMITED so subscribe soon.

Punctuate your listening with the Burma Subscription Series -- subscribe here.

01/24/06 — brace yourself for 'The Obliterati
Discussing Boston's Mission Of Burma in the context of their being one of the most influential groups of the past 30 years is all fine and good, but it does a slight disservice to their status as a living, breathing, insanely-vibrant rock'n'roll band in the year 2006. The props from Justin Timberlake, the gratuitious name-checks on "Love Monkey" are gratifying on some level, but they don't pay the bills.

And with this in mind, we're slightly in awe of Burma's new, 3rd full-length studio album proper, 'The Obliterati', coming out this May 9. Recorded at Boston's Q Division Studios with firmly ensconsed 4th wheel Bob Weston, 'The Obliterati' might be the most aggressive, raw and challenging recording in the band's storied career. With equally strong contributions from Roger Miller, Clint Conley and Peter Prescott, 'The Obliterati' , while having the odd melodic moment or 2 dozen, is as relentless and engulfing an album as we've heard since...well, since Burma's 'Vs.' some 24 years ago. Whether or not this album is as topical, absurdist or just plain hit-packed as that one, you'll have to figure out for yourself. For the moment, our senses are just shattered.

We're pretty confident this is the uneasy listening album of the year. Next year, too.

01/26/05 — NYC shows at Bowery; West Coast dates

photo by Sheri Hausey

after two nights of astonishing performances at New York's Bowery Ballroom earlier this month, Mission of Burma return to the West Coast for the following shows:

2/22/05 - The Troubador, Los Angeles, CA
2/23/05 - Bimbo's 365, San Francisco, CA

and in deference to those Burma fans who stand up for their right to sit down, the band are headlining the Somerville Theatre on April 29.

12/15/04 — Pixies dates, 'Snapshot' reminder

The last official Matador release of the year is the iTunes exclusive EP 'Snapshot' by Mission Of Burma. Recorded in front of a small audience at Boston's Q Division Studios for broadcast on WFNX, this session was too fantastic for us to sit on.

four unbelievably suave men on a Paris sidewalk photo by screwball

There's a live version of "Learn How" included on a CD glued to the cover of the latest issue of 'Comes With A Smile', which also includes "Uncrowned" by The Wisdom Of Harry.

06/01/04 — Many new tour dates; retail giveaways

photo by screwball

How about that version of the Wipers' "Youth Of America?" Hot enough to make Jack Rabid's head explode. And yours, too. You can catch Burma touring in support of 2004's best album-so-far, 'OnoffOn,' with the following US and European dates (click the links to preorder tickets):

Fri, June 4 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC with Kinski, 19+
Sat, June 5 - Neumo's, Seattle, WA with Kinski, all ages
Sun, June 6 - Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR with Kinski
Wed, June 9 - The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA with Kinski and Whysall Lane
Thur, June 10 - Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA with Kinski

Fri, June 25 - Noveau Casino, Paris, France
Sat, June 26 - Indoor Festival, Utrecht, Netherlands
Sun, June 27 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tue, June 29 - Lintfabriek, Brussels, Belgium
Wed, June 30 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham GB
Thu, July 1 - The Scala, London GB
Fri, July 2 - Academy 2, Birmingham GB
Sat, July 3 - Barfly, Glasgow GB
Mon, July 5 - Night & Day, Manchester GB
Tue, July 6 - The Music Centre, Dublin IRL
Wed, July 7 - Cyprus Avenue, Cork IRL

Friday, July 16 Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
Saturday, July 17 - Siren Festival, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, FREE, all ages*

* with TV On The Radio, Death Cab For Cutie and many more

A number of shops on the West Coast (Sonic Boom and Easy Street in Seattle, Jackpot and Ozone UK in Portland, Aquarius and Mod Lang in SF, Aron's and Sea Level in LA) are running contests either giving away Burma tickets or limited edition posters, so stop by and check them out.

05/05/04 — Radio interview with Clint
Check out this interview with Clint on Well-Rounded Radio.

04/29/04 — Player now live — send to your friends
The Mission Of Burma Player is now live — preview the album, stream live footage, send to your friends, more

04/23/04 — Real and Windows Media links for "Dirt" video
We've added Real and Windows Media streams for the "Dirt" video.

04/16/04 — Performance video for "Dirt"
Check the music and video page for a video for the song "Dirt", synched to multi-camera footage from Providence by Jeff Iwanicki.

04/14/04 — West Coast dates announced
June West Coast dates, Vancouver through LA, on the tours page now.

04/07/04 — Live in Europe and America; Frogs fracas
Roger, Clint, Peter & Bob were in the UK last week recording radio sessions for BBC 6Music and XFM's John Kennedy, along with performing at Stephen Malkmus' night at All Tomorrow's Parties last Friday.

The following evening, Burma played a brilliant pair of sets to a packed audience at London's Institute Of Contemporary Art. Hopes are high that the band will be returning to the UK and Europe in the summer.

Back at home, the following live dates have been confirmed:

May 7 - University Of Missouri, KCOU Springfest Stage (free and open to the public) ALL AGES
May 14 - Theatre Of The Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA ALL AGES
May 15 - 9:30 Club, Washington DC ALL AGES
May 22 - Avalon, Boston, MA ALL AGES

All of the above are all-ages shows. Because you're never too young to have your mind blown. Which sort of brings to mind a Frogs lyric or 2, appropriately enough because there's been some drama at the home of Burma's May 7 hosts, KCOU. We were recently contacted by a aggrieved disc jockey at this fine institution, who claimed that the station's programming had been usurped from the students and KCOU was now spinning classical music instead of the alt.rock we know and love. Said move on the part of management was supposedly provoked by the playing of 10 Frogs songs in a row.

There's not much we can say about this other than music doesn't get much more classic than Mission Of Burma. Our thoughts are with the programmers at KCOU, their listeners, and of course, with the Frogs.

03/24/04 — Publicity shot posted
The first publicity photo, by Josh Dalsimer, has been posted in the gallery section.

03/12/04 — Second MP3 posted
The second MP3 from ONoffON is entitled "Dirt" -- a classic that you may have encountered in demo and live recordings in the past. On the music page.

03/10/04 — Track listing, tour plans

photo by Bob Palmieri, ASMP

The Setup
Hunt Again
The Enthusiast
Falling
What We Really Were
Max Ernst's Dream
Fake Blood
Prepared

Wounded World
Dirt
Into The Fire
Fever Moon
Nicotine Bomb
Playland
Absent Mind
Class War *

                                                                * vinyl only

The album is split into two "sets" just like their live shows. And on that note...

...Mission Of Burma will play their first UK dates in nearly 2 years as follows:

April 2 - All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands, Rye
April 3 - Institute Of Contemporary Art, London (support: The Playwrights)

The only North American date announced so far is the Matador SXSW Austin showcase, but we'll have more shows in major cities to announce soon, taking us through the end of the year. Remember, these guys have full-time jobs and other bands, so they can't make it everywhere - but rarely has a band been better worth a long road trip. One of the best live bands on this continent right now.

02/20/04 — New trailer from documentary
The new trailer from Element Productions' upcoming documentary on Mission Of Burma is now available from the music and video page. (This is not the trailer that was previously available on the Mission Of Burma site.)

02/18/04 — First MP3
The first MP3 from 'ONoffOn' is available today. It's entitled "Wounded World" and can be found on the music and video page.

02/02/04 — ONoffON

Sorry if we were cagey about the details last time. On May 4, we'll be releasing the first new studio recordings in 22 years from Mission Of Burma, the Boston avant-rockers whose early works for the Ace Of Hearts label helped stake their claim as one of the American Underground's most influential and important bands.

Recorded this past autumn with Bob Weston and original producer Rick Harte, 'ONoffOn' is a work of staggering complexity showcasing a group just as ahead of their time in 2004 as they were in 1982. The trio of Roger Miller (guitar, vocals), Clint Conley (bass, vocals) and Peter Prescott (drums, vocals) (augmented by Bob Weston on tape loops) have completed an album brimming with all the raw power of their debut, yet revealing tones, textures and lyrical themes unimaginable the first time around. For our money, this isn't just a hot new release, it's a goddamn cultural event.

The 16 track CD is divided into 2 sets, much like the band's recent performances, with a brief silent intermission (well, briefer than the intermission at the gigs). The vinyl version of 'ONOffON' will include one bonus track, a cover of The Dils' "Class War."

Said double vinyl version will be mastered in true all-analog from the 2-inch master tape at Sterling Sound - guaranteed no digital stages - and will be pressed in 180-gram vinyl at RTI in California. The CD version will be released in both CD and hybrid SACD-CD format - Matador's first Super Audio Compact Disc.

Mission Of Burma will be playing their first ever gig in the great state of Texas when they headline Matador's evening at South By Southwest in Austin, TX, Wednesday March 18, alongside Pretty Girls Make Graves, Preston School Of Industry and Seachange.

Burma will also be hitting the UK in early April, as they play Stephen Malkmus' night at All Tomorrow's Parties in Camber Sands, Rye on April 2. A London show is planned for April 3, with details to follow.

01/06/04 — Mission Of Burma - New Recordings Due In May
Matador Records is totally psyched to announce the signing of Mission Of Burma. The new album - their first new studio recordings in 22 years - is tentatively scheduled for worldwide release in May 2004.

Mission Of Burma were a Boston-based band circa 1978-1983. During their brief tenure, they released one album, one EP and two singles for the Ace Of Hearts label, all of which have been reissued on CD by Rykodisc. Demo recordings and radio sessions were later released in less impressive form by the Taang label.

Since the band's breakup in 1983, their musical influence has taken on mythic form. The number of bands who have cited Mission Of Burma's influence is in obverse proportion to the group's popularity in 1983 - though it would not be an exaggeration to say they've been cited more during their hibernation than during their existence.

Michael Azerrad's 2000 tome, "Our Band Could Be Your Life", has an entire chapter devoted to Burma's career and puts them in the pantheon of other classic American underground artists such as Black Flag, the Minutemen, Husker Du and Sonic Youth. Though the band's core trio have been involved in a myriad of other projects since 1983, the legacy of Burma continues to cast a shadow over so much that's happened since.

In 2001, the founding members of Mission Of Burma, Roger Miller, Clint Conley and Peter Prescott, augmented by Shellac's Bob Weston on tape loops and mixing, began performing together again for the first time since 1983. Their subsequent shows in Boston, New York, London, San Francisco, Philadephia, Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington DC have been mostly sold-out and extremely well received. (Original tape manipulator Martin Swope - also a post-Burma collaborator with Roger Miller in Birdsongs of the Mesozoic - has retired from the music business and is living in Hawaii.)

The new album, as yet untitled, is being recorded at Boston's Q-Division studios, engineered by Bob Weston with assistance from Rick Harte. Miller, Conley, and Prescott all share songwriting and production duties, and many of the new songs have been unveiled at recent shows.

Mission of Burma will be performing January 17 in New York City at Irving Plaza, in March at the SXSW convention in Austin, and in April at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Camber Sands. Many more North American and European dates will follow upon release and throughout 2004.

http://www.missionofburma.com