To some, Olympia’s music scene must seem like the town’s surrounding South Sound waters — salty, washed-up and stinky. How could anything survive in the wake of the Sub Pop era? How could anything beat the good ol’ days of Nirvana at the North Shore Surf Club or Sleater-Kinney conquering the world?

Flashback to the early ’90s. Music and Olympia were synonymous. There was an explosion of artists and labels that created the Olympia we know and love. Music geeks were having their day. From the renown K Records to the Riot Grrl sound. From Kill Rock Stars to Kurt and Courtney, Oly was a haven for groundbreaking style. Even Sub Pop started as a cassette/fanzine at The Evergreen State College. There was no stopping the rush of raw rocking energy.

Olympia has been proclaimed the “hippest city in the west” by TIME Magazine; documentaries and newspapers have declared Olympia’s radness, and fanatics from across the globe have made Olympia a destination to mark a notch in their belts of musical experience.

Now, thanks to this success, Oly is ripe to produce obscure, supercool bands and have equally obscure, supercool labels to launch them into the public’s iPhones, radio waves, and record players.

But, as we all know, times are tough. And the landscape of the music business — thanks mainly to the Internet — is ever changing. The lines and rules of the music business are blurred, and things may get murkier before clearing.  Even in a place like Olympia, this holds true.

To be succinct, things are crazy. The question is: Will Olympia remain a hip, creative bastion in the music scene or will the town’s reputation and place in the world of music wilt — simply becoming a nostalgic list of past successes?

Will bands and labels from this town continue to make waves and flourish? Does this city still have heart?

It seems so.

After years of relative quiet, all of the punks, rockers and hippies who grew up suckling at the teat of Olympia’s founding legends have come out with their own sound, and record labels have been popping up like zits on a teen-ager.

Michael Dixon, owner of People In A Position To Know (indie/pop), has been making roots in Oly since 2006. He agrees that Olympia’s reputation is an attractive factor. “It captures a certain aesthetic and association,” he says of the notoriety.

Calvin Johnson, father of K Records, comments on this new generation of labels.

“It’s the healthiest it’s ever been. It’s very active. Records are coming from everywhere.”

Johnson names a few outlets. Examples such as Electricity and Lust, Bicycle Records and Brown Interior Music are a good place to start. And that’s not including all of the folk, jazz and hip-hop, he adds.

Johnson describes Olympia as a perpetual motion machine, where creative energy feeds off itself.

“What’s beautiful about this town is that the line is blurred — Fans become creators.”

David Adelson, who created local labels 20 Buck Spin (experimental/black metal) and Actual Noise (industrial/post punk), shares the sentiment.

“I’m not a musician but have always tried to involve myself in the underground music scene in some form of hands-on way,” says Adelson. “So starting a record label seemed like the next step.”

But having the knowledge and will to develop these companies isn’t enough to keep things moving. It also takes money and a fan base, both of which can be difficult to acquire. Throw in economic uncertainty and the uncharted territory of the Internet and running a label is perhaps more difficult than ever.

“I’m always playing catch-up,” shares Adelson, who also owns Phantom City Records. “It’s hard to sell records in the times we live in. Between online theft and a bad economy, it’s sort of a perfect storm of obstacles for a label and even more so for a record store.”

Another obstacle is production costs. Between mixing and recording, artwork and studio time, dollars can really add up. Not to mention pressing and manufacturing fees. It can cost up to four times as much to press vinyl as CDs. This causes profit margin to be small and return times to be slow. And vinyl can be the most special part of a label. Many are known for limited presses, colors, and packaging — all of which appeal greatly to collectors who are target buyers.

“The lack of money prevents me from releasing even more cool records or properly marketing the ones I do,” says Adelson.

A frustrating setback, no doubt.

Back in the day, a label’s livelihood depended on word of mouth, zines, and an abundance of shows. Cassettes would slap from hand to hand and records would sell out at concerts.

Now, although the potential for online theft is present, the Internet seems to be the thriving factor. In the five years since his labels began, Adelson has been most successful selling his wares on the Internet and overseas. Local fans just don’t make the numbers.

RxEvolution Recordings’ (rock) owners, Brion and Sean McCoy, have had similar experiences since launching their label last year.

“We would have been dead a long time ago if it wasn’t for the Internet,” admits Sean.
The rebirth of vinyl and the popularity of the Web allow label owners to integrate the old-school style of records and cassettes with MP3 downloads. Sites such as CD Baby and Stonerrock specialize in distribution, allowing Web sites to make products available to music lovers from New Zealand to the Netherlands.

In all, with as many challenges as the Internet offers, it seems to have the potential for more good than harm — at least when harnessed. 

“People overseas are interested in our music because it’s good and partly because of the history and reputation of the Northwest. Another part might be the exchange rate,” laughs Sean McCoy.

“It’s just been cool to bring the sounds we love to people around the world,” adds his brother, Brion.

Internet or not, it’s that kind of attitude that’s making these labels succeed.

“I love helping people discover new music,” says Adelson. “I suspect that’s why most people run independent labels and shops. It certainly ain’t for the money.”

Today’s breed of label makers may not yet have the fame of Oly’s yesteryear, but at the end of the day, they share the same story — one of head bangin’ and booty shakin’, nerds and outcasts, passion and struggle.

And regardless of that struggle, these guys are keeping it real, keeping it positive, and keeping it Oly.