The Wake

A tragedy has befallen the Minnesota metal scene. This winter Root Cellar Records will close. Root Cellar specializes in vinyl of all genres and heavy metal CDs. Thanks to the likes of Best Buy being able to undercut the prices of the little guy, and to the ease of stealing… oops, I mean downloading music, after several years the business ceased to be viable. But I do not wish to simply bemoan the loss of a great record store (and my job), but to make this a wake-up call.

I urge anyone reading this to realize that when you buy from an independent record store you are not only buying a compact disc. You are contributing to a community of music lovers! Heavy metal fans, do take advantage of Root Cellar while you can, it will stay open until New Year’s Day. Fans of punk, go to Extreme Noise Records; make sure the store stays viable. Shop at any independent store, because you keep the community that listens to the music sold there viable. At independent record stores, especially those targeting niche genres, a great part of the music social scene occurs. This is where you learn about what is up and coming in music, this is where you make friends of like musical tastes… These stores are simply great places for music fans to find some obscure stuff beyond the scope of Best Buy and to shoot the shit. And we cannot let that die! Get off your ass and get into the independent record stores. Best Buy does not contribute to the life of music, it simply sells it. Purchase from the little guy, this is how you keep the music scene alive!

I also want to touch on downloading. Downloading, and I make no apologies, is theft, especially if you listen to obscure bands that do need day jobs to keep going. I don’t care if you download Guns ‘N’ Roses or Metallica, but if you are a fan of Impaler or Cannibal Corpse you need to buy their music. These bands struggle to be able to put out records, because they put out the records they want, and you want, not just what sells. Reward them for their integrity. Music comes from so much work and passion that something is wrong with you if you cannot fork out 15 bucks every now and then to keep it alive.

Please, do your part to save the dying independent scene. Support independent bands and BUY their albums. Shop at the independent record stores. Please, go to Root Cellar Records (636 Snelling N, St. Paul) and get your vinyl and metal while you still can. The store is running a going out of business sale through the end of the year, so you have time! Whatever you do, get up and do something to keep music alive and not turn let it die the slow agonizing death of corporatization.