Band: Bad Mary
EP: Killing Dinosaurs
The punk rock music genre is about to get a lot more fun. Marked by fantastic guitar playing, in your face rhythms, and vocals that shake you to your bones, punk rock music has always been a favourite of mine. So when I got the chance to review a band like Bad Mary, I couldn’t have been happier or more excited.
Living and working on Long Island, New York, Bad Mary has gained a reputation for “creat[ing] their own strain of punk that takes you back to New York in the 70’s but with a modern vibe.” Heavily influenced by bands like The Ramones, Blondie, Green Day, and No Doubt, their sound also reminds me of Dropkick Murphys at times. Their first album, Better Days, received three first-round ballot Grammy nominations, which included Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.
Their origin story is as incredibly unique as the band. Bad Mary consists of four members: Amanda Mac on vocals, Mike Staub on bass and vocals, Bill Mac on drums, and David Henderson on guitar. “David is a professor in the drama department at Hofstra University. Every semester, he puts together a band with students who play a bunch of covers. The group started with David and his two students, Mike and Amanda. After some turnover, Amanda’s dad, veteran drummer Bill Mac, joined” (https://soundcloud.com/bad-mary) and Bad Mary was officially formed in 2012. To me their story reads like two master musicians teaching the up and coming talent. I just love band and musician stories like this, because it makes their music more real, more dynamic, and who doesn’t love a great origin story.
Look on their website and the first two sentences read “Doc Martens and fishnets, ninjas and zombies, crunchy guitar and funky drums, what more could you want? Bad Mary plays high-energy, danceable punk That’s fast, loud, and fun.” I’ll admit, these sentences made me giggle with excitement as I hit play on the first track of their new EP Killing Dinosaurs.
“Soapbox” starts the EP off with a bang. Bad Mary shows that they are not messing around with their music. The hard sound starts immediately, and doesn’t let up until the EP is over.
“Want What I Want” is crass, honest, and cheeky. The sound is heavy punk, and the vocals are screaming, but not in an overly annoying way. Instead, the overall effect will have you up and dancing.
“Next to You” is a cover of the Sting song of the same name. The cover is fairly close to the original, but Bad Mary adds their own flair with their signature harder sound.
“Sucks to Be You” is similar to their other songs, but it has one unique element that caught my attention. Just as the song begins, there are two quick pauses in the music, creating a level of fun anticipation, almost like they are teasing the listener.
“One More Song” draws attention to Amanda’s incredible vocal range, and this track is my favourite on the EP. Amanda’s singing made this song for me. She demonstrates her ability to range from belting-out those incredibly hard punk vocals, to singing equally difficult hard rock vocals with a complex harmony. Combined with the killer music and kick ass guitar solo, this song has everything that a punk rock fan is looking for.
Overall, I really enjoyed the EP Killing Dinosaurs, and I firmly believe this EP is aptly named. If you listen to this EP from start to finish, which will take you less than 15 minutes, you’ll be so pumped up you’ll be ready to take on the world, or kill some dinosaurs. So I recommend listening to Killing Dinosaurs, available wherever you buy your music, while having your morning coffee.
Samantha Stevens is an aspiring writer who loves combining her love for literature with photography, painting, music, and all creative pursuits.
