Here at Dying Scene, we’ve been talking a lot behind the scenes about how to maximize our content—not only covering more, but covering better. We’ll be making some changes to our output in the coming months, and the end goal will be to provide our writers with more opportunities to write in-depth reviews, editorials, and interviews. Part of this is adapting our review format—there is simply too much out there to cover and full-length reviews just aren’t time effective. That doesn’t mean we’re getting rid of longform reviews (we’d rather die), only that when we do them, we’ll be investing more in them and treating them as we would a feature. For the rest, we want to cover the multitude of bands that are working hard out there but might get squashed under the great wheel of the album submissions game. Short-form reviews—as short and loud as punk itself—will be a way for us to cover more while still providing honest, dependable feedback. Let us know what you think of the new format, we plan to roll out capsule reviews as they accumulate from here on out.
The Netherlands’ Bony Macaroni is a new-to-me band that caught my ear almost instantly. Pop punk is a perennial presence in the punk scene, and boy, have we seen it go through its paces. From The Buzzcocks to the Ramones, from the Descendants to Green Day, from Direct Hit! to Off With Their Heads—with dozens of permutations in between. Bony Macaroni is closer to the Remo Drive, Graduating Life, Modern Baseball strain—sad and introspective, unrepentantly boyish in demeanor, with a hint of folk punk brashness—and deeply indebted to emo.
EP opener, “Piece of Shit,” is sure to grab most listeners with its bouncy melody and self-deprecating lyrics. “Doom” is dynamic, with arpeggios and soft woah-ohs that explode into a rousing chorus. Bony Macaroni has some killer songwriting throughout its five songs, culminating in the melancholy “Bony the Philosopher.” Coupled with exuberant energy, Bony Macaroni’s five songs go a long way.
Check out: “Piece of Shit,” “Doom”