Mission of Burma: Still Kickin’

Mission of Burma made my brain melt this past Friday night at the First Unitarian Church. Who knew these old men could bring it so hard? Known for their ridiculously loud shows and raging songs, Mission of Burma did not disappoint.

There have been so many times when I go to a show where the band members, to put it lightly, are no longer in their prime and it is evident in their live music. But when Mission of Burma played it was as if I were in a seedy bar in D.C or Boston in the early 80’s rocking along with all the other anti-establishment, angsty youth. They sounded amazing; their unblemished musicality and louder than life songs were just as I would imagine them to be in their heyday.

They began their set with “Set Up” and never backed down until the lights were out. “123 Partyy” and “Dirt” really got the crowd pumped. They played a great set with both old and new songs, all of which were played to perfection.

There were visible signs of aging, like the Plexiglas protecting Roger Miller from the defining drums, shortness of breath, wrinkles, grey hair etc… But their sound was unaffected.

This enormously influential band continues to make music and inspire current bands. It is not very often that a band can maintain its unique sound for this long and still create new music that is just as good. So, I can’t wait to see what is next for them and in the meantime I will get my earplugs ready for the next time they are in Philly.

Events

NOV

11.1 King Kahn BBQ/ Dum Dum Girls/ Teenage Whore Moans KFN Click for Tix

11.1 Gil Mantera’s Party Dreams/ Sweatheart/ Pony Pants JB Click for Tix

11.3 Islands/ Jemina Pearl/ Toro Y Moi FUC Click for Tix

11.3 The Very Best/ Javelin JB Click for Tix

11.3 Fuck Buttons/ Growing KFN Click for Tix

11.4 Girls/ Real Estate KFN Click for Tix

11.5 Pete Yorn with Alberta Cross EF Click for Tix

11.5 The Get Up Kids/ Kevin Devine/ The Life and Times TROC Click for Tix

11.7 Comeback Kid/ Mother of Mercy/ Grave Maker/ Dead Swans FUC Click for Tix

11.8 The Extraordinaires/ Dangerous Ponies/ Kill You In The Face/ Lux Perpetua KFN Click for Tix

11.18 Bishop Allen/ Throw Me The Statue/ Darwin Deez JB Click for Tix

11.18 The Jesus Lizard/ Noveller SB Click for Tix

11.20 Buffalo Stance KFN Click for Tix

11.24 Devandra Banhart with Luke Rathborne EF EF Click for Tix

11.27 The Disco Biscuits with SOJA EF EF Click for Tix

11.28 Jay Reatard/ 2 more TBA JB Click for Tix

DEC

12.4 Land Of Talk KFN Click for Tix

12.4 Ghostland Observatory TROC Click for Tix

12.6 Negative Approach/ Blacklisted FUC Click for Tix

12.10 Fanfarlo/ 1 more TBA JB Click for Tix

Johnny Brenda’s- JB

Kung Fu Necktie- KFN

Trocadero- TROC

Starlight Ballroom- SB

Electric Factory- EF

First Unitarian Church- FUC

Dead Man’s Bones Gives Me A Boner

I recently missed the Dead Man’s Bones show at the First Unitarian Church.  It was with great despair that I could not attend the show.  Due to the fact that it sold out faster than Tickle Me Elmo at Christmas time, and there were only about fifty tickets to begin with, I was forced to stay home and catch up on Desperate House Wives.  I blame all the teen-aged girls with their Uggs and ever-fading crushes.  Yes, Ryan Gosling happens to be half of the wonderful Dead Man’s Bones but this project proves to be way more than another pathetic attempt at celebrity re-stardom.  Unlike Heidi Montag, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Tyra Banks, or even 30 Seconds to Mars, Dead Man’s Bones self titled album has substance and talent.

Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields have created a surprisingly unique album.  Dead Man’s Bones has a strong ghostly presence consistently throughout.  With influences like zombies, ghosts and death, Gosling and Shields along with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir emit waves of eerily, spooky lyrics and sounds.

The addition of the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir was a perfect fit for the sound Gosling and Shields were going for.  Their delicate, yet unpolished voices enhance the creepiness of each song.  In “My Body’s A Zombie For You”, a seemingly Elvis influenced ballad, the kids add a more contemporary feel to Gosling’s old soul voice.  However, there is one downside to having these kids on board.  I imagine it’s difficult to play bar venues at night with the youngsters.  It is worth seeing them play an early bird special and at a kid friendly venue because apparently they put on a terrific show.  I wouldn’t know, thanks a lot teeny-boppers!

With track titles like, “Dead Hearts,” ” Lose Your Soul”  and “Werewolf Heart” you know exactly what you’re going to get from this album: great eerie music, spooky vocals and somewhat disturbing lyrics.  Any band that can take a song like “Flowers Grow Our of My Grave” and make it into a love song have my respect!  Dead Man’s Bones is perfect for Halloween but is also an album that can be enjoyed the rest of the year.  I like to play this album in my car, while cleaning and especially when cursing those teenage girls who bought all the tickets to the Dead Man’s Bones show in Philly last weekend.  A little voodoo never hurt anyone.

DEAD MAN’S BONES - “NAME IN STONE” from biz3 publicity on Vimeo.