Mission of Burma

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1,251,166 plays (86,579 listeners)

post-punk, punk, indie, indie rock, alternative… see all

Boston, United States (1979 – 1983, 2002 – present)

Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller (guitar), Clint Conley (bass), Peter Prescott (drums) and Martin Swope (tape manipulator/sound engineer). Miller, Conley and Prescott share singing and songwriting duties. Like many of their post-punk contemporaries, Mission of Burma’s efforts are largely concerned with extending punk’s original vocabulary without losing its essential rebellious spirit. Using rapid shifts in dynamics, unconventional time signatures and chord progressions along with tape effects, Mission of Burma challenges the prevailing idioms of punk while attempting to retain its power and immediacy.

In early years the band’s audience was limited to the Boston area, with all their recordings released on the small Boston-based record label Ace Of Hearts. Despite initial success, Mission of Burma disbanded in 1983 due to Miller’s development of tinnitus caused by the volume of the band’s live performances. The band released only one album in its original form, Vs… Mission of Burma reformed in 2002, with Bob Weston replacing Swope, and has since recorded two more albums, ONoffON and The Obliterati.

Their wall-of-noise musical sound extended the vocabulary of punk while continuing to hold clear its sense of power and abandon. They used a number of tape effects, different chord progressions, and time shifts to higlight their formal training in music.

Vs.
Mission of Burma
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Signals, Calls and Marches
Mission of Burma
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The Obliterati
Mission of Burma
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ONoffON
Mission of Burma
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Top Tracks

1	That's When I Reach for My Revolver	619
2	Academy Fight Song	488
3	That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate	376
4	Trem Two	360
5	Secrets	335
6	This is Not A Photograph full track	330
7	Train	299
8	Dead Pool	292
9	Red	276
10	Learn How	263
11	New Nails	260
12	Mica	253
13	Outlaw	252
14	All World Cowboy Romance	244
15	The Ballad of Johnny Burma	243

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RampantEntity wrote:
8 days ago

There's not a single weak track on Signals, Calls and Marches; it might just be my favorite EP ever.

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pravda0101 wrote:
8 days ago

Mission of Burma opened up for The Cure in Boston in 1982. They played an electrifying set of high energy music before a full house at that tiny little dungeon called the Underground. Here is a live video clip from that night: ”OK/No Way”: http://www.kinodv.net/movies/moviepages/KinoMonthlyFeature.html

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Grindfucked wrote:
last month

I like this

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slakbox wrote:
last month

I'm seeing them tomorrow night in Hollywood.

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twodown wrote:
last month

Where did you see them? Saw them last year in Boston and it was amazing. My all time favorite band.

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eighteenforever wrote:
last month

just saw them live, it was amazing

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thespecialist85 wrote:
last month

great live in barcelona!!!i have your tracklist uhhhuuhh

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Waqcku wrote:
August 2008

fucking 21+ shows :'(

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ihavesoldout wrote:
August 2008

absolutely brilliant

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Mezhdubi_Andalu wrote:
August 2008

that's when i reach for my revolver it's love at first hearing amazing band

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stereocase wrote:
July 2008

UK dates PLEASE

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[deleted-user] wrote:
July 2008

great band and great live..we hope they play at our new club in Silverlake California CLub VAMPED http://www.myspace.com/vampedrecord HORRORS OF TOLEDO http://www.myspace.com/horrorsoftoledo These are some young kids making a buzz in California recently playing Mike Watts 50 th birthday and opening up for David Lovering of the Pixies and The Deadly Syndrome .They are currently being played in North Carolina ,New York,Georgia and recently have been as high as number 4 on KSPC in California's top 30 list
ryand216 wrote:
July 2008

Damn i sure hope they come to the UK, i wonder if they have ever came here at all? :(

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mirddin wrote:
June 2008

jun, 15 concert in bowery was mindblowing! guys as vital as ever and i was standing near riger miller's Marshall and clint conley's mom :)

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n0seCandy wrote:
June 2008

these guys are crazy good.

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nanjamonja wrote:
June 2008

Just saw them live in Paris, chatted & shook hands with Roger, I even bought a MOB t-shirt from him. They were great, played real well, with a lot of energy.

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pravda0101 wrote:
June 2008

New cut of MOB "Tremelo" live video from the Underground Club 1980: http://www.kinodv.net/movies/moviepages/KinoMonthlyFeature.html

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Milkman519 wrote:
May 2008

I think their reformation albums are just as good as their original run which is what makes Mission for Burma such a great band. They are able to keep this level of greatness even after not performing for so many years.

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PigioRock wrote:
May 2008

I like the mission of burma.. good band ..greetings from italy! ciao!

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Zopwx2 wrote:
May 2008

not, not, not, not, not, not, not, not

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Events

Oct 23 "Rhapsody Rocks NYC" CMJ Show Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York, United States
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