Ear X-tacy
Encyclopedia
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
"alternative record store", owned and operated by John Timmons. The store announced it's closing on October 31st, 2011, after 26 years in business.
History
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, of which owner John Timmons is a fan. As the store grew, it changed location three times over a period of sixteen years; it then remained in the same location, on Bardstown Road
U.S. Route 31E
U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Highway 31 from Nashville, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky. U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Highway 31 from Nashville, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky. U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two...
just south of Eastern Parkway in The Highlands
The Highlands (Louisville)
The Highlands is an area of Louisville, Kentucky which contains a high density of nightclubs, eclectic businesses, and many upscale and fast food restaurants. It is centered along a three-mile stretch of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue and is so named because it sits atop a ridge between the...
, until late July 2010. It is now located in the Douglass Loop
Belknap, Louisville
Belknap is a neighborhood five miles southeast of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The neighborhood is bound by Bardstown Road, Douglass Boulevard, Dundee Road and Newburg Road. It is part of a larger area of Louisville called the Highlands...
, a former streetcar turnaround point on Bardstown Road about 1 miles (1.6 km) southeast of its previous location but still in The Highlands.
ear X-tacy carries almost every music genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
imaginable in CD, cassette, and vinyl formats and also carries a large stock of DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, including many hard-to-find items. In 1995, the ear X-tacy label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
was formed.
The building that the store occupied before its most recent move had two stories and 10,000 ft² (930 m²) of floor space. The first floor was dedicated to CDs, DVDs, t-shirts, toys, etc. It also included the stage for live performances and a large selection of small and large stickers mocking current U.S. events or promoting Louisville. The second floor was dedicated to new & used vinyl records. The current store is on one floor, with comparable floor space. Like the previous location, it includes a stage.
The store's signature logo stickers have spawned a local fad wherein people cut up and reassemble the distinctive letters to form other words or phrases, such as "racy aXe" or "area X".
The insert of the Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms is an American pop rock band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms", referring to what appeared to be the actor's gin-ravaged nose, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea...
' New Miserable Experience album features a photo of one of the band members with an ear X-tacy sticker in his mouth.
In-store performances
ear X-tacy often has bands, many local, come and play during the day. One of the most memorable performances was on July 4, 2000, when the Foo FightersFoo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
played. The store was packed with 700 people inside and 200 people outside. They have had other performances by national acts such as Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, Sam Bush
Sam Bush
Sam Bush is an American bluegrass mandolin player considered an originator of the Newgrass style.- History :...
, Shooter Jennings
Shooter Jennings
Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings is an American singer-songwriter active in the country music and Southern rock genres as well as making his first foray into psychedelic rock in 2009...
, The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
, Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for their sound and their high-energy live performances. The band released their self-titled debut...
and Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
and notable local acts like Skyscraper Stereo and The Villebillies
The Villebillies
Villebillies [VILL-BILL-EEZ] is an American band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band released their self-titled debut record on September 26, 2006 through Universal Motown Records. Villebillies have toured extensively across the U.S...
to name a few. Louisville natives My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
performed to a sold-out crowd of 500 on June 10, 2008, the same day that the band's album Evil Urges
Evil Urges
Evil Urges is the fifth studio album by My Morning Jacket. It was released by ATO Records on June 10, 2008.The cover was by Gary Burden-Writing and recording:Writing began in Colorado, while recording was done in Manhattan...
was released.