The Obliterati

Last updated
The Obliterati
The Obliterati.jpg
Studio album by Mission of Burma
Released May 23, 2006
Recorded 2005
Studio Q Division Studios, Somerville, Massachusetts
Genre Post-punk, indie rock
Length51:41
Label Matador
Producer Bob Weston
Mission of Burma chronology
Snapshot
(2004)
The Obliterati
(2006)
The Sound the Speed the Light
(2009)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Pitchfork 8.3/10 [3]
Punknews.orgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svgFive Pointed Star Solid.svg [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Stylus B+ [7]

The Obliterati is the third album by American post-punk band Mission of Burma, released in May 2006 by record label Matador.

Post-punk is a broad type of rock music that emerged from the punk movement of the 1970s, in which artists departed from the simplicity and traditionalism of punk rock to adopt a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and diverse influences. Inspired by punk's energy and DIY ethic but determined to break from rock cliches, artists experimented with sources including electronic music and black styles like dub, funk, free jazz, and disco; novel recording and production techniques; and ideas from art and politics, including critical theory, modernist art, cinema and literature. Communities that produced independent record labels, visual art, multimedia performances and fanzines developed around these pioneering musical scenes, which coalesced in cities such as London, New York, Manchester, Melbourne, Sydney and San Francisco.

Mission of Burma American band

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. Miller, Conley and Prescott share singing and songwriting duties.

Matador Records American record label

Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.

Contents

Recording

In September 2005, Mission of Burma began recording their third studio album. Produced by Bob Weston, it was originally to be titled Aluminum Washcloth.

Bob Weston American musician

Bob Weston is an American musician, producer, recording engineer, and record mastering engineer. Critic Jason Ankeny declares that "Weston's name and fingerprints are all over the American underground rock of the post-punk era, producing and engineering dates for a seemingly endless number of bands." As a performer, Weston is best known as the bass guitarist in the groups Volcano Suns and Shellac.

Release

The Obliterati was released on May 23, 2006 on Matador Records.

In February 2006, 500 fans signed up for a Mission of Burma singles club, which was intended to deliver, on a weekly basis, eight one-sided 12" vinyl singles and CD singles, with the vinyl singles coming out first and their CD counterparts arriving a couple of weeks afterward. Various manufacturing delays, however, forced Matador to release all eight CD singles simultaneously as a set, with the vinyl versions delivered to subscribers around the time The Obliterati arrived in stores.[ citation needed ] The "blank" sides of the vinyl singles, and the front cover and screenprinted sides of the CDs, feature etched artwork from artist Shepard Fairey (of "André the Giant Has a Posse" infamy). These have become much sought-after items by collectors.[ citation needed ]

Shepard Fairey American contemporary street artist, graphic designer activist and illustrator

Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker campaign while attending the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News.

Reception

The album received a positive response from critics, and was named the 33rd best album of 2006 by Pitchfork. [8]

Track listing

  1. "2wice" – 3:36
  2. "Spider's Web" – 3:25
  3. "Donna Sumeria" – 5:37
  4. "Let Yourself Go" – 3:31
  5. "1001 Pleasant Dreams" – 3:49
  6. "Good, Not Great" – 2:07
  7. "13" – 4:16
  8. "Man in Decline" – 3:22
  9. "Careening with Conviction" – 3:48
  10. "Birthday" – 3:10
  11. "The Mute Speaks Out" – 3:23
  12. "Is This Where?" – 3:35
  13. "Period" – 3:27
  14. "Nancy Reagan's Head" – 4:35

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References

  1. "The Obliterati by Mission of Burma" . Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  2. The Obliterati at AllMusic
  3. "Mission of Burma: The Obliterati Album Review - Pitchfork" . Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  4. Punknews.org. "Mission of Burma - The Obliterati" . Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  5. "Robert Christgau: CG: Mission of Burma" . Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  6. "Album Reviews, Ratings, and Best New Albums" . Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  7. "Mission of Burma - The Obliterati - Review - Stylus Magazine" . Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  8. "Top 50 Albums of 2006". Pitchfork Media . 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2009-07-23.