Mission of Burma Release Unrecorded Live Song for “30 Days, 30 Songs”

Post-punk band Mission of Burma began a late-career comeback starting in 2004 after splitting up in the early 1980s, and they haven’t slowed down since then. The band’s contribution to the anti-Trump project “30 Days, 30 Songs” is a live recording of an unreleased song, presumably to be released on their next album, called “Panic is No Option.”

Based on the band’s statement, Mission of Burma aren’t gung-ho for Clinton, but their support for Senator Bernie Sanders and disdain for Trump has spilled over into supporting her candidacy. Their statement reads:

The song is not overtly political (almost no Burma songs ever were, despite the rap). Interpersonal politics are the topic here, as usual. But some of these lyrics could, um, be applied to the present political situation without much trouble. And panic is not an option.

Oddly, I am temperately optimistic about the current political scene. I believe The Reagan Era is finally over: Mr. Trump is its logical conclusion. During that horrible time in American History, Democrats were transmuted into moderately conservative centrists and ceaselessly harassed as (oh, please don’t say that word): LIBERALS!

I was/am an enthusiastic Bernie supporter. I believe he knows more about the political world than I will ever know (and I bet he would respect my knowledge of the guitar more than his own if we ever got into a discussion on that topic). For this reason, I will be voting for Hillary, and I encourage others to do the same.

What Mr. Sanders almost inadvertently accomplished has not happened in many, many years. Actual ideas that are good for people! How novel…

He is poised, if Ms. Clinton is elected, to not only keep her neo-liberal attitude in check, but to inject real new ideas into the party with the support of many (including Ms. Warren). Here is where real change could happen—and I don’t see it happening anywhere else. The way out of The Reagan Era.

So, please vote and watch the game unfold. If everything collapses, at least I’ll be living in Vermont and can probably run into Bernie in Burlington and share a pint (good beer in Vermont).

You can watch the video for Mission of Burma’s song above and find previous “30 Days, 30 Songs” tracks here.