Pookey Bleum guitarist Patrick Fleming has some pretty big dreams for the city of Ames.

“I hope that Ames, Iowa can become a musical mecca,” he says. “Everything I do is for that one goal.”

And Fleming is certainly doing his part to help create this harmonious holy land.

He, Aaron Hefley and Jeremy Johnson founded Bi-Fi Records, which caters to Ames, as well as the entire Midwest.

Fleming, 20, says the label basically consists of “three guys trying as hard was we can to release albums that we think deserve to be released.”

One of those albums is “Old Adventures in Bi-Fi,” which is a compilation disc that was released two weeks ago. The record features 20 tracks from local bands Grubby Ernie, Karma Lab, Shiloh Church, Little Mojo, Pookey Bleum and more.

Bi-Fi teamed up with friends from Des Moines-based Chicken Scratch Records to put out the album, which is available through Peeples Music, Hastings, Bi-Fi’s web site, www.bifirecords.com and all of the bands featured on the record.

One thing listeners will notice about “Old Adventures in Bi-Fi” is that there is no trace of Iowa’s current musical darling — hardcore, a la Slipknot — on the disc.

“If you are in a hardcore band and you want to express yourself, that’s great,” Fleming says. “There are so many outlets for your music in Iowa right now. I guess we are just the outlet for the Pavement and Weezers and Bob Dylans of the scene. Or at least the Pookey Bleums, Karma Labs, and Kathryn Musileks [who are all on the Bi-Fi label] of the scene.”

In September, Karma Lab recorded with Bi-Fi. Dan Gerbracht, guitarist/keyboardist for the band, says Bi-Fi is helping to diversify Iowa’s musical environment.

“It shows everybody that people around here are making more music than just hardcore,” Gerbracht, sophomore in history, says.

Fleming describes the sound that Bi-Fi is looking for as “more of an indie rock, singer/songwriter, power pop, slack rock” type of sound.

“It’s time to put the power back in pop,” Fleming says. “We are out here — the wusses and geeks of the music world.”

Along the same lines, Fleming said Bi-Fi only has one standing rule — no rock stars.

“We don’t care about the money,” he says. “It’s all about the music. There are no rock stars in the Bi-Fi galaxy. In other words, you have to be willing to play shows for free and be happy with selling 200 CDs, not two million.”

Bi-Fi also houses an impressive recording studio, which has the capacity to record everything from band demos to full-length albums. All of the artists on their label can record there for free. For bands that haven’t signed with Bi-Fi, the price is still “a steal,” Fleming says.

And local bands that are struggling to find outlets for their music can get a quality album at Bi-Fi for a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere, Fleming adds.

“It’s by far the best equipment for the price of $20 an hour,” he says. “But we can make you sound like you’re recording in a studio that costs $120 an hour.”

Matt Bosma, sophomore in pre-business and member of Ames band Hessian, adds that Bi-Fi gives young bands “the chance to get a good-sounding demo out there because their prices are reasonable and they do a really good job.”

Many local musicians agree that Bi-Fi’s generous attitude has the potential to to wonders for the Ames — and state of Iowa — music scene.

Shawn Walding, lead singer for Ames punk/pop band Far Cry says Bi-Fi is helping to unify all of the bands in Ames by giving them access to a professional sounding studio and a competent, yet comfortable atmosphere. Far Cry recently recorded an album at the Bi-Fi studio.

“When we got to the studio, they even helped us unload out equipment out of our trucks,” Walding, sophomore in civil engineering,” says. “They are just incredibly open and friendly and still professional.”

The idea to create Bi-Fi Records came about when Hefley asked Fleming to join his band, Pookey Bleum. Both wanted to start a recording studio and a record label. So, along with being bandmates in Pookey Bleum, the two started Bi-Fi in August of 1999.

“Ames was just the place we decided to do it,” Fleming says. “I love this town. It is full of so many great bands. I hope that in 10 years, people will look at this town like they do Athens, Ga., or like they did Seattle, Wash. in the early ’90s.”

Already this year, Bi-Fi has released three albums and they hope to keep the momentum going with early 2001 releases scheduled for Pookey Bleum, Karma Lab, and Kathryn Musilek.

And for Fleming, this is just the beginning of his dream of a musical mecca.

“I want to make Ames a place that kids would travel three hours to, just to see a show,” Fleming says. “And it would all be based around a big group of friends playing the music that they created and are proud to share with everyone else. And maybe, just maybe, people will be proud to say, ‘Hey, I went to Ames and saw this great band and I loved them; It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.'”