Mission of Burma, the seminal Boston outfit, are making a stop this Friday at the Double Door in Chicago. Forming in 1979, Burma had a short but blazing existence, imploding after their only full-length LP and by the end of 1983 the band was officially no more. Even in their short four year run, the influence they left on the collective scape of music was a deep scar that extended well beyond the post-punk envelope. Their songs went far ahead of the usual transparent and glorified gutter-dilettante regurgitation that seemed to become the sound of the time in the punk arena. In contrast to some of their contemporaries' primordial grunts, Mission of Burma delivered songs with weird caverns, instrumental interplay and unexpected corners without burning the bridge between punk's original tyro charm. They were also one of the first punk/post-punk bands to use tape-loop effects both in the studio and on stage.
In 2002, Mission of Burma reformed to play a string of successful reunion shows with Bob Weston (Shellac, not Fleetwood Mac) behind the tape effects, and just two years later Weston produced their second album over 20 years after they originally disbanded. Just last year the band released The Obliterati, their third album on Matador. A feature documentary came out this past year chronicling their reunion and the influence their music had on countless bands after their demise in the 80s.
