Clint Conley
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Clint Conley
| birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
| associated_acts = Mission of Burma
Consonant
| instrument = Bass guitar, Guitar, Vocals
| label = Ace of Hearts Records (US)
| image = Clint conley.jpg
| image_size =
| genre = Post-punk, Alternative Rock
}}
Clinton J. Conley is an American post-punk musician and journalist from Boston, Massachusetts, best known as a co-founder, bassist, and vocalist of Mission of Burma.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113435847|title=Mission Of Burma: The Story Begins Again|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2020-03-21}}
Early life and education
Conley was born in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Rochester in 1977.{{Cite web|url=http://www.umassmedia.com/art_lifestyle/interview-with-clint-conley-bassist-for-influential-boston-band-mission/article_8aacc356-3b91-11e5-b18a-4bb2426abf5e.html|title=Interview with Clint Conley, Bassist for Influential Boston Band Mission of Burma|last=Arthur|first=Christian|website=The Mass Media|language=en|access-date=2020-03-21}}
Career
Mission of Burma was active from 1979 to 1983. They found only limited success when signed to Ace of Hearts Records, but they have been re-assessed as one of the more influential American post-punk groups of their era.{{Cite web|url=http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=mission_of_burma|title=Mission of Burma|last1=Robbins|first1=Ira|last2=Smith|first2=Jason|access-date=February 13, 2020|quote="During its original existence, Mission of Burma was one of the most important American bands surviving outside the major-label record industry."}} The band was cited as an influence for Pixies, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam. When the group broke up in 1983, Conley dropped out of music almost entirely for over a decade, earning a master's degree in broadcast journalism and going to work as a producer for WCVB-TV's news magazine program, Chronicle.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V72N5/0502_conley.html|title=Resolution: Mission of Burma is a Rock Legend|last=McCally|first=Karen|work=University of Rochester Alumni Gazette|access-date=February 13, 2020}}{{cite news|author1=Carly Carioli|url=http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/cellars/documents/02266736.htm|title=Consonant come of age|date=May 16, 2002|newspaper=Boston Phoenix|access-date=February 26, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010143838/http://bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/cellars/documents/02266736.htm|archive-date=October 10, 2015}} He did, however, produce Yo La Tengo's 1986 debut album, Ride the Tiger.
With Mission of Burma, Conley played bass guitar and occasional guitar, and wrote and sang some of the group's best-known songs, such as "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" and "Academy Fight Song"—songs that often had an anthemic sing-along quality.{{Cite web|last=Milner|first=Greg|title=The undeniable truth about Burma|url=https://www.salon.com/2002/07/09/mission_burma/|work=Salon|date=July 9, 2002|access-date=February 13, 2020}} Conley's bass work often featured double stops and chords.
In 2001, Conley formed a new group, Consonant, as lead vocalist and now playing primarily guitar. They released two albums. Conley said that playing in a band again helped him be more receptive to the idea of returning to his old one.{{cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/play-it-loud-real-real-loud-2135203|title=Play It Loud, Real Real Loud|author1=Franklin Bruno|date=August 14, 2002|newspaper=LA Weekly}}
In 2002, Conley reunited with Roger Miller and Peter Prescott, and with Bob Weston of Shellac replacing original member Martin Swope, they began performing and recording as Mission of Burma.{{Cite web|last=Smyers|first=Darryl|title=Q&A: Mission of Burma's Clint Conley on Why His Band is Unlike The Pixies|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/qanda-mission-of-burmas-clint-conley-on-why-his-band-is-unlike-the-pixies-7078972|work=Dallas Observer|date=July 22, 2011|access-date=February 13, 2020}} They released four albums before announcing they had disbanded again in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Jim|title=Bidding A Quiet Adieu To Cacophonous Post-Punk Band Mission Of Burma|url=https://www.wbur.org/artery/2020/06/19/adieu-to-boston-post-punk-band-mission-of-burma|work=WBUR-FM|date=June 19, 2020|access-date=June 20, 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://twitter.com/clintonconley Clint Conley] on Twitter
{{Mission of Burma}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conley, Clint}}
Category:American rock bass guitarists
Category:American male bass guitarists
Category:Musicians from Boston
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Mission of Burma members
Category:American male guitarists