January 6th, 2004


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

Cornelius : 5.1 DVD on the way.
Includes 10 videos from "Point" plus the television commercials, all in 5.1 surround sound, with a bonus full-length CD "PM: Point Mixes" featuring the winning mixdowns by fans of songs from "Point", including one track exclusive to the North American release. Pre-order it now from the Matador Store or risk your life stealing it from a chainstore where they use DEADLY FORCE.

Champagne Music At Champale Prices :
Matador is pleased to announce that it is lowering the prices on 8 more classic catalog titles, listed below, to 11.98, effective immediately. You should be able to find these titles for these prices or less in shops, or via the Matador Store. (Matador Store prices will be lowered in approximately a day or so.)

OLE-130 Pavement -- Wowee Zowee CD 11.98
OLE-197 Pavement -- Brighten The Corners CD 11.98
OLE-202 Cat Power -- What Would The Community Think CD 11.98
OLE-214 R.L. Burnside -- A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey CD 11.98
OLE-222 Yo La Tengo -- I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One CD 11.98
OLE-300 Cornelius -- Fantasma CD 11.98
OLE-311 Belle and Sebastian -- The Boy With The Arab Strap CD 11.98
OLE-365 Mogwai -- Come On Die Young CD 11.98

Guided By Voices on the road again!
Thu, Jan 8 - Nashville TN - US - Exit Inn
Fri, Jan 9 - Athens GA - US - 40 Watt Club
Sat, Jan 10 - Gainesville FL - US - Market Street Pub
Mon, Jan 12 - Orlando FL - US - The Social
Tue, Jan 13 - Jacksonville FL - US - Jack Rabbit’s
Wed, Jan 14 - Tallahassee FL - US - Beta Bar
Fri, Jan 16 - Houston TX - US - Engine Room
Sat, Jan 17 - Austin TX - US - La Zona Rosa
Sun, Jan 18 - Dallas TX - US - Trees
Tue, Jan 20 - Columbia MO - US - Blue Note
Wed, Jan 21 - St. Louis MO - US - Mississippi Nights
Fri, Jan 23 - Louisville KY - US - Headliners
Sat, Jan 24 - Columbus OH - US - Little Brother’s

M. Ward - Touring With Good Friends In February :
BETH ORTON & M. WARD

WED Feb 4 MELBOURNE, THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE
THU Feb 5 MELBOURNE, THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE
SAT Feb 7 BRISBANE, THE TIVOLI
TUE Feb 10 SYDNEY, THE YORK THEATRE
WED Feb 11 SYDNEY, THE YORK THEATRE
THU Feb 12 ADELAIDE, NORWOOD CONCERT HALL
SAT Feb 14 PERTH, MOONLIGHT MUSIC
SUN Feb 15 PERTH, FREMANTLE ARTS CENTER

"An Evening of Solo & Collaborative Performances" featuring:
BRIGHT EYES
JIM JAMES (of My Morning Jacket)
M. WARD

Thu, Feb 19 Omaha, NE Witherspoon Concert Hall / Joslyn Art Museum
Fri, Feb 20 Minneapolis, MN Pantages Theatre
Sat, Feb 21 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
Sun, Feb 22 Pittsburgh, PA Club Laga
Mon, Feb 23 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Tue, Feb 24 Jersey City, NJ Loews Theatre
Thu, Feb 26 Northampton, MA Pearl St
Fri, Feb 27 Burlington, MA Higher Ground
Sat, Feb 28 Providence, RI Lupos at the Strand
Sun, Feb 29 Sommerville, MA Sommerville Theatre

Yo La Tengo UK dates
Sat, Feb 28 Feb St. David's Hall, Cardiff
Mon, Mar 1 Mar Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Tue, Mar 2 Mar Brighton Dome
Wed, Mar 3 Mar The Anvil, Basingstoke
Thu, Mar 4 Mar Roadmenders Northampton
Fri, Mar 5 Mar Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Sat, Mar 6th Mar West Yorkshire Playhouse, Quarry Hill, Leeds
Sun, Mar 7 Mar De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Tue, Mar 9 Mar The Arches, Glasgow
Wed, Mar 10 Mar Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Thu, Mar 11 Mar Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

(all shows with Gorkys Zygotic Mynci)

Pretty Girls Make Graves European Dates
Tue, Feb 10 London, UK, The Monarch
Wed, Feb 11 London, UK, Brixton Academy w/The Distillers & Peaches
Thu, Feb 13 Nottingham, UK, Rescue Rooms (with Seachange, Read Yellow)
Fri, Feb 14 Manchester, UK, Uni (with Seachange, Read Yellow)
Sat, Feb 15 Glasgow, UK, King Tuts (with Seachange, Read Yellow
Sun, Feb 16 Leeds, UK, Joseph Wells (with Seachange, Read Yellow
Tue, Feb 18 Belgium, Bonataique
Wed, Feb 19 Utrecht, Holland, Ekko
Thu, Feb 20 Rotterdam, Holland, Rotown
Fri, Feb 21 Dortmund, Germany, Fzw (with Seachange)
Sat, Feb 22 Hamburg, Germany, Molotow (with Seachange)
Sun, Feb 23 Paris, France, La Boule (with The Vines)