Jess Bonkers is the owner of Everything Nice, in Ellenville NY, a record store that is far more than just a place to buy some cool vinyl. Jess has created a vital space for locals, young and old, to have access to community through music.
We spent a morning in the store to chat with Jess about music and life and she picked some favorite Namai pieces.
Why music?
I guess it’s never not been music. As far back as I can remember, I was dubbing mixtapes for myself from the radio, which eventually turned into burning mixed CDs for my friends. As a teenager, I booked shows for my friends’ bands, then I started shooting photos and writing concert reviews and working at a record shop. Eventually I was booking & promoting shows in Indianapolis, and I had a long-running weekly DJ residency. When I moved to Amsterdam I worked at a booking agency & concert promoter, and also started working at festivals. When I moved to Brooklyn, I spent five years running an indie record label. And now, here we are. I joke with my friends that this is it, reached my final form: small town record store proprietor.
How do you pick which records you want in your store?
I try to strike a balance between what the people want, and what I want the people to want, ha! You stock Taylor Swift, and the next thing you know her fans are asking about The National, Boygenius, Joni Mitchell. That makes me so happy!
My personal taste is heavy on the jazz, so we’ve always got a nice selection there. And I like a lot of disco from Turkey, France, Eastern Europe; love Japanese synth and city pop; there are so many amazing African records that have been repressed over the last two decades, so they’re much more accessible now and rarely last a full weekend on the shelves before being scooped up.
I also source a lot of records from Europe—when I’m in Italy each June and in the Netherlands each November, I bring back what is sometimes an obscene amount of vinyl in my carry-ons.
What is your favorite part of owning a record store?
It’s really an honor to provide an access point to music and art and culture through Everything Nice. Whether you’re introducing people to something new, or something that blows their minds, or something that they’ve always loved but haven’t listened to in ages, or something they have never owned on vinyl—it will never get old. Connecting with people through music is deep!
What's on your night table currently?
I just finished Way Far Away, by the Colombian writer Evelio Rosero. It’s dark and fantastic and unexpected—and at 88 pages, it’s a quick read for something so deep. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks in the car; earlier this year was the Barbra Streisand memoir (it was so good and SO long), and now I’m on to Molly Shannon's memoir, Hello, Molly!
What is your favorite place to take people when they visit you upstate?
Aside from cruising all of the Ellenville hotspots (like Top Shelf, Morning Sunshine, Cohens & Gaby’s, Lodes of Nature), we love to take our guests to Black Dot in Stone Ridge for the best coffee & matcha; High Falls for pizza at Ollie’s and shopping at Fool for Love; New Paltz for the best sushi (Hokkaido) and vegan chocolates (Lagusta’s); and for nice trails and scenery, we love the Minnewaska State Park Preserve.
What's going on locally this summer?
Our free outdoor film series, Movies in the Mountains; the Borscht Belt festival in July & the Blueberry festival in August; many trips to Barthel’s Creamery; and continuing to connect with the local community through Everything Nice.
Where are you travelling to next?
I'm in Italy right now! For the last ten years, I’ve been a part of a really special festival called Beaches Brew, which takes place at this great music venue / beach club / bar & restaurant in Marina di Ravenna called Hana-bi. It’s free, it’s on the beach of the Adriatic Sea, and the line-up is always super refreshing, with a lot to discover for the festival goers. I’ve spent a lot of time here over the last decade, and it’s been a huge inspiration for the shop.
When Jess is not at the store you can often find her spinning the coolest vinyls at local events. Pop by for a visit next time you're in town!
