How to Travel in Central America

Stacy Yates: Hi, welcome to this month’s edition of Looking at Louisville. I’m Stacy Yates. Chaz Rough: And I’m Chaz. Stacy Yates: We are at ear X-tacy on Bardstown Road in the highlands and today we’re going to talk about something everybody loves—music and specifically Louisville’s original music scene. Now in the 80s starting in the 80s, Louisville really started getting notoriety and sort of has fallen on and off national radar in terms of hitting. One of national magazines started looking at Louisville as the next emerging “it” music scene up there in cities like Seattle and Austin and Nashville. The city certainly has the ingredients for that success. They got some of the highest quality and the most affordable recording studios. They have independent record labels that have been recognized by Playboy Magazine that’s “Labels to Watch”. Of course we have great live music venues. And the final ingredient is the actual music. There are some great original bands that make us all come together. Now that’s about where my music industry knowledge ends and yours begins. Chaz is a veteran of the local music scene and I’m just going to sit back and listen today while he talks to some of his friends pursuing the field about what makes Louisville music scene hit. Chaz Rough: And in this episode we’re going to go out and talk to John Timmons the owner of ear X-tacy, Jimmy Brown the owner of Guitar Emporium and music store where a lot of major artist shop for their guitar products like The Rolling Stones, U2, Sheryl Crow. I mean its just a burgeoning community with not only talent, but the music is just—I mean right now My Morning Jacket is a very well known group on national level and Nicole Scherzinger on the Pussycat Dolls who just launched her first national release is right here—born Louisville native. So we’re going to be speaking to some of the artist, it’s going to be a great episode where people are really going to be surprised at the depth and caliber of the quality that we have in the musicals. Stacy Yates: I can’t wait to learn, I’m going to do a little shopping at ear X-tacy and good luck I’ll meet you back at Bardstown don’t forget. Chaz Rough: I’ll see you then. Stacy Yates: Okay. Chaz Rough: We’re here at ear X-tacy which is a staple in local music community. They’ve been around from 22 years and John Timmons and I go back many years. I mean I’ve been involved in music community as— John Timmons: Every since I can remember. Chaz Rough: But it’s also a place where you’ve given many local musicians a chance. I mean one of the bands that’s really in the big right now on the scene is of course My Morning Jacket. John Timmons: Right, right. They started in Louisville and now they’re national. Actually their manager found out about them through our store. He came in and asked one of the employees what they were listening to, what the music was and turn them on to the My Morning Jacket CD’s and he fell in love with them and became their manager. Chaz Rough: And over the years labels carry, you know, many artist actually have a record label, we supported bands. John Timmons: Right. Chaz Rough: You know like Tim Krekel. Tim Krekel has written many hits for the country music industry. John Timmons: And he still continues— Chaz Rough: He still continues to write. John Timmons: Yeah. And his latest record Soul Season is one of our best sellers this year. Chaz Rough: People only think of local is being this community, but it has actually grown into a very talented hub of great music. And you know, some of the other bands that we’re just talking about and—Wax Fang? John Timmons: Yeah, Wax Fang is a band that we’re doing really well with and they’re not signed to a label at this point but they will be. There’s no definable sound, but there is just— Chaz Rough: A deep pool. John Timmons: A very deep pool of great talents and there again my challenge is to expose as many people to that as I possibly can. Chaz Rough: And John can expose himself to you in many ways. He has got a website earx-tacy.com. John Timmons: Right. Chaz Rough: Where you can actually download and buy a lot of the music. John Timmons: Our local music section has over 500 different local artist titles. Chaz Rough: John, thank you for being here. John Timmons: Thanks for having me Chaz. Chaz Rough: And Stacey, are you ready to go? Okay, now I’m here with Todd Smith he is the president of Label X records. A born and raised Louisville boy, he’s been involved in music industry for many years and he has worked with some pretty big names from Smash Mountain, Naughty by Nature, Days of the New and a big name on the scene Nicole Scherzinger who is really big right now in the pop music scene. And now he is back in Louisville and he’s with Label X Records and he has launched a label that really focuses on Louisville music. Todd Smiths: The thing about Louisville is since I’ve been a native I’ve seen the scene evolve. And it really is a fertile time right now. It’s exploding in a lot different directions. It’s very eclectic. I just think that’s really cool personally because my musical taste is very broad. What we realized was that there were a lot of great groups in town, a lot of great music being made, a lot of great artist but basically no best music business infrastructure to support that. I always found it a little bit annoying how there seem to be this attitude out in the industry that we have to be in L.A. or you have to be in New York or you know. Chaz Rough: Right. Todd Smiths: That always annoyed me a little bit and I guess maybe I’m a sucker for a challenge, but it’s never been more true that you don’t have to be anywhere in that places. I mean you can create your content anywhere and that’s what we would like to do. I mean this is a great place to live. I’m raising my kids here. I’m making our music and putting it out into the world, that’s what we want to do. Chaz Rough: You know if you want more information about Todd or the record label you can go to labelx.us and pick up some of music there and lots of new release coming up for 2008 I’m sure. Todd Smiths: Yup! Chaz Rough: Stacey, come on are you ready to go? Stacey Yates: Actually, no. I’m going to have to check this out. Chaz Rough: What is it? Oh my God that’s me. That is— Stacey Yates: On sale. Chaz Rough: $12.99. It’s a great album, Stacey Yates: Americas Next Top Model. Chaz Rough: Are you ready to go yet? Stacey Rough: Yeah. I think we need to check this out before I buy it. Chaz Rough: Okay everyone here we are at Guitar Emporium here on Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky. I’m here with Jimmy Brown the owner and founder of Guitar Emporium. You’ve been around for 35 years. Now you sell new guitars, old guitars, vintage guitars and you’ve had—I mean upon evolving at all these images you know people U2, The Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow everybody has made this a location to come to for the musical instruments but you also make a place for the everyday player. I mean I’ve known you through many years. I’m a guitar player myself I come to you for my instruments. And tell us a little bit about of history about the store and what you offer. Jimmy Brown: Just like you said we sell guitars, we work on guitars and trade them around and we love guitarist here. Obviously that’s what it is. Everybody pretty much that works here plays music. Chaz Rough: Correct. Jimmy Brown: Everybody is involved in doing it. So we identify with most or every customer that walks in the door. That’s probably the charm I believe of this place is that people can come in and they’re dealing with musicians here. Chaz Rough: If you’re in Louisville, you must to make it a point to come to Guitar Emporium. It’s right in the heart of highlands in Louisville, Kentucky or you can visit the website guitar-emporium.com and Jimmy would be more than happy to sell you a guitar or most of the guitars. Alright everyone I’m here with Rob Carpenter, the lead singer of The Muckrakers and they’re here in Louisville, Kentucky they’re based in Louisville, Kentucky and they have a huge fan day here in Louisville and they’ve actually been very well known on the internet. They had songs from an album that were released in MP3.com several years back and it hit over half million downloads. So they actually grew international fan days and now they’re with Label X Records getting ready to release a new album. In fact we’re going to hear a sample of one of the songs. Rob Carpenter: This is called Lights of Louisville. Chaz Rough: Rob thank you for your time. Rob Carpenter: My pleasure thank you. Chaz Rough: And if you want to hear more of his music—the band’s music go to themuckrakers.com and album out soon and I’m sure you’ll be here in the song as well. Thank you. Stacey Yates: Well Chaz thanks for meeting me back here at Uptown Café on Bardstown Road. I don’t know about you but I am exhausted after this episode. Chaz Rough: Your ears must be burning because you listen to so much local music. Now you listen to so much, what did you discover? Stacey Yates: I think my biggest takeaway from this episode and I can’t wait to watch all great views, is the diversity and just the local music scene is so eclectic there’s broad range offerings for just about any type. Chaz Rough: The music scene is continuing to grow in very eclectic styles come together. So if you need more information about the music that you’ve seen on this or some of the—you like to purchase it, go to louisville.com and your earx-tacy.com check that out. Now, we’re here at the Uptown Café where this is music to you. Stacey Yates: This is always my favorite part of the episode is the eating. And yeah, we have a couple of unique advertisers to Uptown Café. They have smoked gouda and tomachiya keso and Kentucky or southern favorite fried green tomatoes and this I’m most interested in, this is a smoked Salmon. It’s on a marble rye with cucumber and Salmon. It has also got Benedictine which is a Louisville tradition. It’s a cream cheese and a cucumber spreads. I can’t wait to dig in to this. Here’s to another great episode and a happy new year. Chaz Rough: And as always— Stacey Yates: You are looking at Louisville!