Lost Records

The Scene Is Now

The Scene Is Now was a kind of postmodern jug band comprised of a loose, ever-changing aggregation of downtown New York City musicians. Throughout their fluid career, only onetime Mofungo members Chris Nelson and Philip Dray remained permanent fixtures of the Scene's lineup, which also included Dick Champ and Jeff McGovern on their 1985 debut single "1150 Lbs.," and Dadaist first LP Burn All Your Records (which included "Yellow Sarong," their best-known composition thanks to a subsequent Yo La Tengo cover). Elliott Sharp signed on as producer and part-time sax player for 1986's Total Jive, which moved away from the complex, herky-jerky experimentation of the Scene's introductory outings into a more mellow and simplified sound. Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and ex-dB Will Rigby enlisted for 1988's Tonight We Ride, another curveball which included the atmospheric "Dinah Shore" and the jaunty "Moonlight Broil." 1990's cassette-only Shotgun Wedding featured a cameo from the Shams, while an expansive, eclectic career overview titled The Oily Years (1983-1993) appeared in 1995.

- from the bio by Jason Ankeny at AllMusic