Before our time, State College used to be a town that encouraged original music.

That's the way Penn State graduate Mark Landgraf remembers it best.

And it was through booking bands as the social chair of his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, that Landgraf did his part to foster the local scene.

"When I was [at Penn State], I always tried to gravitate to the original stuff because that's where my heart is," he said.

Landgraf's ear and talent ensured a bright future. In 1999, he scored a job at Arista Records, working with industry mogul Clive Davis. He learned the workings of a major record label, but his heart remained with the smaller "fish."

Rewind to the mid-1990s when the soundtrack to fraternity functions at Penn State was provided by original bands rather than party playlists. Bands such as The Disco Biscuits or, say, Catfish Soup.

"Catfish Soup, at that time, was probably the best original band in State College," Landgraf recalled.

As a matter of fact, several members of the then-local favorites were members of Landgraf's fraternity. He said they were always interested in meeting different musicians and bands, making the house a very creative environment.

"There was a lot more original music in State College at the time, so it was a more conducive scene," Catfish Soup alum Joel Roberts said.

This musical camaraderie Landgraf was exposed to in college ultimately led him to strike out on his own in New York City. After Arista, and a few other stints in promotions, he started his own independent label in 2002, which he christened Modern Records. When he started the label, Landgraf modeled it after his experiences in New York and after the community aspect of years past in State College. And he didn't forget about his old friends from PSU.

Many of the first bands Landgraf signed had roots in Catfish Soup. Former member Asher Kahn said the seminal local band stuck together for a year or two after college. But musically, the members all wanted to explore different things, and eventually, the group just kind of fell apart.

Kahn first heard of Landgraf's Modern Records through his former Catfish bandmate, Mike Monosky. Monosky's band, The Pacific, had signed to the label and found a spot on Landgraf's new compilation project, the Modern Music Sampler, Vol. 1.

Until this point, Landgraf had focused primarily on promoting the bands on his roster through a series of rock showcases in New York.

The CD was the first physical contribution the label had to offer.

"Maybe you don't like every song on the CD, but a lot of different people are going to like different things," Roberts said.

Kahn teamed up with Landgraf to help the young label president break into Philadelphia with his showcases. They would feature many Modern Records artists with ties to Penn State, such as The Asher Kahn Band, My Name is Rossmer (now The Misconceptions), The Nodd and The d.R. Project.

Roberts is the drummer for both of the latter two Philadelphia-based outfits. Whether playing with the catchier, lyric-driven rockers The Nodd or the folk- and blues-inspired d.R. Project, Roberts and his bandmates are big supporters of Landgraf's musical vision, whatever that may be.

"I'm not totally sure of Mark's goals with Modern Records; I just know it's a good idea," he said.

Landgraf described the label as pretty much a straight-up rock label, catering primarily to styles such as electro-punk, indie and alternative. However, Roberts said he believes the problem with many bands today isn't their influences but their production. He criticized major labels for recycling producers and engineers, song structures and hooks into a prepackaged output for the listener.

"It's one vision as opposed to having a lot of diversity out there," he said.

He pointed out the superior cost efficiency of indie labels such as Modern Records, which spend more money on marketing and distributing artists than a surplus of employees.

The last time Roberts played State College was in October with The Nodd, at the now-defunct Skellerpalooza. He said he was shocked by the change in musical attitude State College has undergone.

"It's like a catch-22," he said. "[Local venues] don't want original music up there because it doesn't do as well, but they don't give it a chance either."

Roberts did give credit to bars like The Brewery for encouraging outside bands to come to the area but held on to a sense of nostalgia. He recalled his days as a student when there were a handful of bands you could hold as your own. Now, he said students are missing out by seeing the same cover bands, and even then, as merely a backdrop to a night out.

"Maybe [Landgraf] can get that to PSU," he said. "It'd be nice to have a Modern Records showcase up there."

That's certainly a possibility Landgraf hopes to realize one day. In the meantime, he's keeping busy with a second Modern Music Sampler volume, as well as another milestone for the label: its first record deal, with a band called Years of Static.

"I've been doing promo since the beginning to build up my name," he said. "At this point, I'm trying to build up my catalog."

After all these years and accomplishments, Landgraf is still grateful to have come from such a diverse musical scene. Moreso than Roberts, he is optimistic about its future.

"I think Penn State is a pretty good breeding ground for musicians," he said.

To local bands, he said this: "Harness that fanbase and try not to lose it when you leave. It's very powerful."