DESCRIPTION:
Toronto Art Punk originals The Scenics' 1977 recording. Their second video from new/vintage album "In The Summer" Features footage of the band from 1978. (the first video is at http://bigtakeover.com/news/video-premiere-do-the-wait-by-the-scenics )


“It wasn't so much that The Scenics were ahead of their time in 1977, it's more that almost everybody else didn't even know what time it was. New York had Talking Heads, & England was blessed with XTC, but here was their equal in Toronto...” Bob Mersereau, author of "the Top 100 Canadian Albums"

Recorded on 4 track & 8 track Reel to Reel in Toronto, 1977/78.
IN THE SUMMER on LP --- Rave Up Records (RUR #77) http://raveuprecords.com
on CD and Digital --- Dream Tower Records (DT 09) www.dreamtowerrecords.com

‘I don’t know much about this Canadian New Wave band that made these brilliant recordings in ’77 & ’78. Why they aren’t legends is hard to say.’ Roctober (Chicago)
“Largely unappreciated when they originally existed between 1976-81, these underground icons merged Television’s guitar work, Big Star’s pop prowess, Pere Ubu’s dementia, & the Ramones’ urgency.” Jonathon Cummins, Montreal Mirror
“If a band makes an album & nobody hears it, does it still rock? This long- lost batch of wiry Television guitars & black Velvets art-rock sure does” Daryl Sterdan, Winnipeg Sun
"Brainy crackpot art-pop with an ear for off-kilter melody, a headful of magic & twitchy grooves to burn. It's a sin the Scenics have left such a faint mark on punk-rock history... but the reborn cult starts here.” Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

1976. New music was filtering out of NYC. Patti Smith's "Horses”. Television's "Little Johnny Jewel". Pere Ubu's 45s. The Ramones’ first. Talking Heads in "New York Rocker" magazine.

In the summer of 1976  Andy Meyers, fresh out of High School, & Ken Badger, working at the local music store, met and started The Scenics.

Inspired by these new sounds, (and Iggy, the VU, garage rock, Roxy, Syd Barrett, etc,), Ken & Andy began writing songs that defined THEIR sound- chancy, noisy... big pop choruses and gear-stripping guitar. Quirky lyrics that took in the world from the other side of "normal".

The Scenics made the studio recordings on In The Summer. They played shows with Talking Heads, Simply Saucer, Viletones, and dozens of others. They played at the infamous "Last Pogo", (1978) & were featured in the movie & live LP of the same name. In 1979 they recorded their LP Underneath the Door, & in 1981 they released a 45, Karen/See Me Smile.

For 6 years, The Scenics engaged and enraged local audiences by not playing by the punk rules of the day. The band’s wild creativity made any Scenics performance an adventure.