Four Decades Later, Century 21 Music and More Returns to Its Record Store Roots

Four Decades Later, Century 21 Music and More Returns to Its Record Store Roots

Century 21 - Mike, Sunshine, Laura and Alex / Photos by Dylan Skye Aycock

As the Pulse continues its series on local record shops, we swing by Century 21 Music & More to learn about the store’s 43-year history and its plan for Record Store Day, coming up on Saturday, April 21.

Located on the campus side of town, Century 21 is a hidden gem tucked away on Lasseter Drive, just within sight of local mainstays Slick Pig and Gentleman Jim’s. If you’re turning on to Lasseter from Mercury Boulevard, the store’s new black-and-red side mural just might catch your eye.

Lifelong music fan Jerry Jones, a native of Cannon County, opened the record store (then called Century 21 Records and Tapes) during the mid-’70s. When Jones died in 2016, his three children—Laura Bielaczyc, Kelly Jones and Steven Jones—inherited ownership of the business.

“It’s kind of debated as to when it started, so we’ve just settled on 1975,” Bielaczyc says.

But as media evolved into more compact formats, the elder Jones made sure Century 21 kept up with the changes. During the late-’80s, Jones boxed up his records to make room for CDs, and over time the store slowly evolved into more of a smoke shop.

“When our dad passed away, we began unpacking all the old records he boxed up and started putting them back out in the store,” Bielaczyc says. “We’ve really spent the past two years sprucing up the place.”

From rediscovering old records to alphabetizing the collection, Bielaczyc says the past two years have been a rewarding experience. She had never owned a business prior to taking over co-ownership of Century 21 but says she and her siblings want to carry out their father’s legacy.

“It’s been a work in progress,” she says. “We’ve had to learn how to do everything, from staying on top of what people want to learning the best way to arrange items in the store.”

With records back in the storefront, Century 21 joins other local shops in celebrating Record Store Day, an annual musical holiday in April when stores worldwide receive special releases by hundreds of artists. While record store owners request items weeks ahead of RSD, no one knows what they will receive until closer to the event itself.

“Last year, people were wrapped around the building before the store opened,” Bielaczyc says. “We’ve grown our following on Facebook this year, so we expect it to be an even larger crowd.”

O Summer / Emma Dilemma

Along with special vinyl sales, Century 21 will host in-store performances, live art demos outside (weather permitting) and special discounts on non-RSD releases. Oh Summer, Thunderfrog, Emma Dilemma, Mike Brown (Century 21’s own) and Vista Blue are all tapped to perform.

While record collectors will have to wait until Record Store Day to see what arrives at Century 21 and other local participating shops, Bielaczyc says the staff at Century 21 is always standing by to help customers discover new and old vinyl.

“Every single person who works here is an amazing employee, and we’re so thankful to have everybody here,” she says. “It wouldn’t be the same without them.”

Century 21 is located at 125 Lasseter Dr. For more information, visit century21musicandmore.com or facebook.com/century21musicandmore or call 615-890-9168.

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Guide to Record Store Day 2018

What is Record Store Day?

Record Store Day is the holiest of retail holidays for record collectors worldwide. On Saturday, April 21, customers will line up in front of their favorite independent record shop (usually hours before the store opens) to score special releases and limited pressings.

Just how many special releases are there?

More than just a handful, that’s for sure.

Run the Jewels (2018 RSD ambassadors), Wilco, U2, Courtney Barnett, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead; Pink Floyd, The National, Brian Eno and Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine); Sufjan Stevens, The Cure and Arcade Fire just scratch the surface of 2018 RSD releases.

For the full list, visit recordstoreday.com/specialreleases.

Can releases only be found at independent record stores on RSD?

Yes and no. Record Store Day organizers break releases down into the following three categories:

RSD Exclusive Releases – Exclusively available on Record Store Day at participating stores and not available anywhere else in the same format.

RSD Limited Run/Regional Focus Releases – Exclusively available on Record Store Day at participating stores with quantities of these titles being extremely limited (Less than 1,000 available and, in some cases, way under 1,000).

RSD First Release – Titles that you can find on Record Store Day at participating stores, though they will later become available at other retailers (generally within four to six weeks).

Anything else I should know about RSD?

If you’re looking to score a specific RSD release, you will want to arrive early. The casual shopper will discover cool finds throughout the day, but the really good stuff generally goes fast.

But don’t just stop after visiting one store. Record shops throughout Murfreesboro and Nashville will have in-store performances, giveaways and discounts going on all day.

Murfreesboro:
Century 21 / Waxface Records / Media Rerun

Nashville:
Grimey’s /Third Man Records / Fond Objects / The Great Escape / McKay’s / And many others . . .