December 2009 Editorial

Occasionally here at Big Wheel we get inquiries about why we don't have any negative reviews on our site. Some people argue that in order to be a balanced media outlet you have to cover things that you don't like as often as the things that you do like. If this is indeed the case than it's safe to say that we have never set out to be "balanced." There is plenty of music out there that we all hate, but when it comes down to it we're not here to write about what we don't like.

We're here to support bands that we think deserve to be heard and to help nourish an underground scene in the best way that we know how. (Of course you are more than welcome to start your own publication to do it "your best way")

In the past I have written for publications where I totally ripped apart bands to prove a point. In my mind I was doing everyone a favor by calling out bands that I thought were wasting people's time and taking up space that could be used for bands with more substance or talent in their music. However when I joined Big Wheel I agreed right off the bat that I would commit to writing only positive reviews. It was a vibe that had existed long before I joined Big Wheel's staff and the more I thought about it, the more I respected this decision. With so much negativity going around it was kind of refreshing to deal with a group of people that only wanted to be positive and helpful to bands.

While it sounds like a cliche it's true that we should all be working for common goals. The Punk scene and other underground music scenes are all based on the idea that we can exist without the help of mainstream society and create things for ourselves. With this in mind if someone is trying to contribute in a positive way to their scene how is it our place to put them down? And if they have ulterior or negative motives why would we want to give them enough attention to slag them off? All too often bands that are into negative bullshit end up thriving because so many people are willing to feed their need to cause an outrage. So we say fuck them and let them just fade away. They don't need us and we don't need them.

Even though we are committed to dwelling on positivity over negativity that's not to say that we make it a point to lie or even sugar coat the truth. On the contrary I have never written anything that I truly don't believe for Big Wheel. When it comes down to it if a band doesn't blow us away sometimes we find ourselves just sticking to the bare facts and allowing people to form their own opinions.

With all of that out of the way we hope that everyone's holiday season is shaping up nicely for them. Sometimes unfortunately the holidays can be pretty difficult for people for all sorts of different reasons like missing loved ones, dealing with financial problems, or even just feeling lonely. It can get to be a pretty stressful and hectic time of the year, but in between preparing for holidays and getting in touch with our loved ones we will continue to cover the music that we love and to lend our support to the scene that we are proud to be a part of.

Unfortunately this month we are saying goodbye to a band that we have always respected. Bad Reaction will be playing their last show on December 12. This adds to an ever growing list of bands here in Southern California that have recently broken up. Bad Reaction usually went hand in hand with Tipper's Gore, who also broke up this year and now we are going to have to get used to not having either band around. Bad Reaction always had a musical integrity that was practically unmatched by any other band who they played with and the guys in the band always went out of their way to be friendly. We will be sad to see them go and wish everyone in the band all the best.

As I sometimes do I have compiled a list. This one is holiday themed.

Best Punk Rock Christmas Songs:
1. Ramones- Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
2. Crucial Youth- Xmas Time for the Skins
3. The Showcase Showdown- Merry Christmas I Fucked Your Snowman
4. The Pogues- Fairy Tale of New York
5. SSD- Jolly Old St. Nicholas
6. Descendents- Christmas Vacation
7. The 4- Skins- Merry Christmas Everybody
8. The Dickies- Silent Night
9. The Ravers- Punk Rock Christmas
10. Poison Idea- Santa Claus Is Back In Town

 

-Ditch-
Asst. Editor