March 28, 2024

Trusting His Instincts

July 8, 2016
James Jones Keeps Grayling Record Store Alive

There are some people who know what they want to do in life from the time they’re a kid. One of those people would be Grayling’s James Jones. He grew up collecting records and, by the age of 12, knew that he wanted to open a record store.

“Music was really my only friend as a kid,” Jones explained. “So here I was, living in this small town and listening to the music everyone else was listening to at the time. Then I started reading Thrasher (a skateboarding/music magazine) in sixth grade and found out about bands like Sonic Youth and The Dead Milkmen. I got exposed to the fact that there was more outside of this town, and that was it.”

Once Jones hit adulthood, he opened Trust Fall Records and a small coffeeshop on Michigan Ave. in Grayling in September 2011. Five years in, Jones’ passionate venture is still going strong — so much so that he’s in the middle of expanding to a new location. Quite literally, it’s the music that’s moved him.

Jones, who also skateboards and includes some skateboarding gear for sale in the record shop, is a musician in his own right, having taught himself to play guitar when he was 19. “I’d always been able to sing, but I could never find a guitarist, and I wanted to form a band,” he said. “So I learned on my own, and now I play bass and mandolin too.” His current band project, a punk band called Dude Man Sir, aka DMS., plays locally, and claims to be “Grayling’s best all-girl band,” an inside joke for those in the know; the only female member of the group is its drummer.

Jones’ own musical experimentations led him to open a small record label along with his record store. “We release local and regional music, mostly compilations and 7-inch vinyl records,” Jones said. “The goal for that is to put out unheard music and to give people a place to play.” (Jones occasionally holds live shows right in the record store). He added, “I also noticed that there are a lot of local people who are treated like royalty just because they can play a few cover songs, so I wanted to really encourage kids to write their own music.”

In the store, music fans will find plenty to keep them occupied. The space is eclectically decorated, with vintage music gear, band stickers and punk art. Bins of records range from $1 bargains — a vinyl treasure hunt — to far more expensive limited edition collector’s editions. Jones said the store’s No. 1 selling album is Doolittle, by late-’80s Boston alt-rock band The Pixies. “Whenever I order a copy, it’s rarely here for more than three days,” he said. But he also sells a lot of classic rock from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. On top of that, Trust Fall carries new and used cassettes, a method of listening to music that is, strangely, coming back into vogue, as well as new CD releases. But the focus is primarily on vinyl, carefully curated by Jones’ own ear as he stays on the cutting edge of what’s new, what’s a real vintage catch, and what’s in demand. “I’ve always worshipped used record stores,” Jones said. “It’s just so much cooler a lot of times to buy music that way, especially when you can find the original vinyl releases.”

Jones’ customers will find even more to like about the record store once it settles into its new location. The coffeeshop won’t be returning; Jones plans to focus on the music, expanding the amount of releases the store offers and eventually putting together a newalbum section that’s just as big as the store’s used vinyl department. Trust Fall 1.0, Jones explained, has come to an end. In late June he held a big farewell concert in the store, with 10 bands performing live as he packed up and prepared to move everything to its new home. He said Trust Fall 2.0 will be up and running in just a couple of weeks. “The building we’ve been in is getting old,” he explained. “They wanted to sell it to me, but there’s so much that needs to be done to it in terms of upkeep, I didn’t want to buy it. So we’re making a final decision on our new location soon and should be open by early August.”

When the building housing Trust Fall 1.0 came up for sale, Jones initially thought it might be a sign that Trust Fall Records should close. But his loyal customers had other ideas. “When we started having trouble with the building, people kept showing up and saying

‘There’s no way you’re closing,’” he said. “They were so cool — some of them even set up a Go- FundMe account online to help us get moved. So that’s how it’s going to be. I’ve had some other jobs over the years to make ends meet, but my primary goal really has been to make a life out of this record store, and so we’re going to continue on.”

Follow Trust Fall Records to its brand new location in Grayling by following the store on Facebook, or call Jones at the record store’s dedicated line, 989-390-3759, for updates.

TRUST FALL RECORDS JAMES JONES’ CURRENT HOT PICKS

Who better to suggest new music for you than the guy who buys stacks of albums for his customers every week? Here are Jones’ top five picks for what you should buy and listen to next.

1. RADIOHEAD – A Moon-Shaped Pool “This album is so awesome, I can’t even begin to describe how good it is. I got back into Radiohead after the Atoms for Peace project came out. You have to buy this one.”

2. JEFFREY LEWIS AND LOS BOLTS – Manhattan “This is all-over-the-place indie rock, with great insert art that looks like old Zap Comix, showing how the album was made.”

3. MIKE AND THE MELVINS – Three Men and a Baby “This was recorded back in 1999, but they never got around to releasing it until now; they’ve got two bass players and make cool, concise, droning music.”

4. PRETTY IDIOTS – Pretty Idiots “Such a cool band — they make these strange, irrelevant, funny little pop songs.”

5. GRIMES – Art Angels “She makes electro-indie dance pop that’s just out of this world.”

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