The Scene Is Now - Total Jive
SKU
05-LEXDEV025
"Lexicon Devil presents part two of three in their reissue series documenting the great works of New York's '80s avant-garde group, The Scene Is Now. This time around, the label reissues their sophomore album from 1986, Total Jive. TSIN was formed in the early '80s by Philip Dray and Chris Nelson, born from the ashes of no wave outfit, Information (documented in Thurston Moore and Byron Coley's No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980 book). Joined by Dick Champ and Jeff McGovern, they went on to release three LPs in that decade which remain amazing and scarcely-heard gems from underground America. With a sound which was distinctly New York -- equal parts Velvets/Feelies strum, angular geekoid rock a la Television/Talking Heads and choppy avant rhythms straight from the no wave -- the band also melded influences from such disparate sources (The Fall, Minutemen, Bob Wills) that they remain a tough band to musically pin down. They truly are/were a unique blend of the avant-garde and the traditional. Total Jive was originally released on the band's own Lost label in 1986, manufactured and distributed by the Twin/Tone label. Roughly half of the tracks are produced by downtown wiz-kid, Elliott Sharp, and it has never been issued on CD before. This version is fully remastered from the original master tapes and features a 12-page, full-color booklet with never-seen-before photos of the band from the period, as well as liner notes by Lexicon Devil honcho, Dave Lang. The 1980s produced a lot of great underground sounds from the U.S.A., and The Scene Is Now is certainly one of them, begging for some much-deserved 21st-century recognition."
- LabelLexicon Devil
- UPC9326425803608