Mission of Burma
Once cited as ‘the ultimate collision of punk and pop’, Boston, Massachusetts band Mission Of Burma were compared by others to the UK's art terrorists Wire. The original line-up of Clint Conley (bass), Peter Prescott (drums), and Roger Miller (guitar) were greatly influential to a number of more commercially viable outfits. They formed in 1979, when Miller and Conley moved to Boston from Ann Arbor and New York respectively. They briefly put together Moving Parts before joining with resident Bostonian Prescott. Burma kicked off with supports for the UK's Gang Of Four. These went well and the Leeds funksters continued to sponsor them early in their development. They would split in 1985 after a career which embraced well defined but chaotic live and recorded work. Through a series of reissues on the venerated underground label Taang!, critics have now reassessed their historical importance. Among their staunchest admirers are R.E.M., who regularly cover Academy Flight Song in their live sets. Prescott would go on to SST recording artists Volcano Suns.