I’m in love.

It’s been a bleak semester for romance and making out; nothing was falling into place for me on the relationship front.

But now I’ve found someone who isn’t 300 miles away (right here in Ames, actually), who appreciates Weezer and The Beach Boys (and all the sweet vocal harmonies and irresistible hooks those bands employ) and who is unquestionably passionate about music.

What more could I, or anyone, really, want in a potential significant other?

Nothing – that’s why I’m in love with Bi-Fi Records.

And you should be too. (There are even a bunch of good-looking and good-natured people who like to rock out at the label’s headquarters, 2408 Chamberlain St.)

Sure, I know, Bi-Fi isn’t exactly a person – but definitely better than falling for a horse or household pet – so my make-out frustrations are probably going to continue for the time being.

Luckily, sexual attraction isn’t all there is to love. Talented bands and dedicated label founders working to make the world a better place for music fans combine to form a stunning local-music entity you could take home to Mom for Thanksgiving dinner.

It’s hard for me to do this, because I prefer the monogamous sort of relationships, but I am going to let you know how you too can get intimately acquainted with Bi-Fi (although I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has fallen head over heels for the Sub Pop Records of the Midwest.)

This Friday at the Maintenance Shop, Pookey Bleum, the Kathryn Musilek Band, Organ Donor, Poison Control Center, Frankenixon and Keepers of the Carpet will take the stage for the Bi-Fi showcase, a night of surely satisfying indie rock, pop and folk.

And if that isn’t enough to get you to rush down to the Memorial Union to pick up your tickets to Friday’s show, I’ll let you know exactly what it is I love – and what you should love – about this particular record label.

I love all of the Bi-Fi bands that I have heard, especially Keepers of the Carpet, Poison Control Center and Pookey Bleum.

In what has been a great year for nonmainstream music, my CD collection has grown to more than 400 discs. Some albums have lasted only a few listens before I moved on to something else, while others have brought repeated joy.

And just a few, such as Dashboard Confessional’s “The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most,” Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American” and Thursday’s “Full Collapse,” have been the records I have turned to again and again when I needed to scream or smile.

Keepers of the Carpet’s self-titled album, released in mid-October, is one of those albums.

Although it sounds somewhat like Weezer if Kurt Cobain was Rivers Cuomo’s songwriting partner, KOTC has released an 11-song debut that is far more passionate than and just as pleasing as Weezer’s latest offering.

Do you like “Island in the Sun” or “Undone (The Sweater Song)”? Try KOTC’s “Live Forever” or “3/4.”

Poison Control Center has a new album also, to be released Friday. “The Go-Go Music Show” has been on my list of must-haves since I picked up a copy of the PCC EP, “Bedtime For the Little Kids.”

The Brian Wilson-esque harmonies of the EP suggest that “The Go-Go Music Show” could be Ames’ own “Pet Sounds.”

Although it doesn’t have a scheduled new record coming out, Pookey Bleum has the early April release “lo-fi rainbow” available. Sadly, the band will be breaking up in December, playing its final, sold-out show at the Bi-Fi studio on Dec. 8. So catch its wacky power pop show at the M-Shop while you still can.

And it’s not just the bands that get my heart pumping about Bi-Fi. The label cares about local music; whether a band is on the label or not, Bi-Fi supports all the bands in the area. The label’s founders (Aaron Hefley and Patrick Fleming) and friends are just as likely to be on stage as to be in the crowd, singing along.

Perhaps most important of all, the entire Bi-Fi family is filled with some of the nicest people ever – remember, they’re the kind of people you want to take home to Mom.

Jon Dahlager is a junior in journalism and sociology from Cottage Grove, Minn. He is arts and entertainment editor of the Daily and still looking for romance and quality make-out time.