Lost-lost Toronto proto-punks the Scenics have been revived in recent years by a reissue campaign that has included the Light in the Attic compilation In the Summer in 2015, as well as the newly released archival album New Part in Town. With that latest album having come out last month on vinyl (via Supreme Echo) and CD/digital (via Dream Tower Records), the Scenics are now premiering a video for the title track.
The video mashes up the studio recording from 1976 with live footage of the band performing it in 1978. It captures the intensity of a band who were well ahead of their time in performing such punky scorchers. Watch it below.
New Part in Town was recorded in 1976. The opening track is called "Jonathan Richman" — which is notable given that the Modern Lovers' self-titled debut album, with which the Scenics share some sonic similarities, came out that same year. New Part in Town is available here.
Eight of the 10 tracks on New Part in Town are previously unreleased. It will be followed by another archival reissue: A Younger Version, featuring unreleased tracks from 1977, out in spring 2025. The Scenics plan to continue digging through their 300-hour tape archive for subsequent reissues.