Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma was an influential post-punk band from Boston (1979-1983), formed by guitarist/singer Riger Miller, bass guitarist/singer Clint Conley drummer Peter Prescott and Martin Swope, who acted as audio engeneer and added occasion tape loop effects. Mission Of Burma were one of the earliest groups to prefigure the sound of modern alternative rock, fusing hardcore punk, post punk and melody into some of the most influential music to come out of the American punk scene. Along with contemporaries like Pere Ubu and Sonic Youth in America and Wire in the UK, Mission of Burma began with working within the confines of punk rock and its three-chord structure and themes of teen alienation ("That's When I Reached for My Revolver" and "Academy Fight Song"). However, they very quickly began experimenting with both the structure and tempo of punk, introducing rapid shifts of pace and elaborate chording for bridges. Lyrically, the band matured just as quickly. Songs began to center on adult alienation ("Mica") and romance ("That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate").

The group disbanded after guitarist Roger Miller developed a case of tinitis. Members of Mission of Burma later formed Birdsongs of the Messozoic.