Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, who writes and performs under the moniker Mirah, records for K Records, the proudly lo-fi label headquartered in Olympia, Wash., and run by indie rock's most dedicated iconoclast, Calvin Johnson, singer in band Beat Happening.

Though trends in rock and pop come-and-go faster than you can say "Puff Daddy," K Records has remained a constant for 20 years in terms of professional sensibility. Johnson practically invented the do-it-yourself aesthetic, which isn't limited to recording, but extends to album art (handmade, for the most part) and distribution. The label is a real family, whose artists commonly participate on one another's records and even tours.

Mirah's three solo albums on K were produced by Phil Elvrum, the leader of the Pacific Northwest psych-pop collective The Microphones, and they are true collaborations. "One of the most important things Phil taught me was how to successfully subvert my obsessive carefulness," Mirah writes via e-mail from her home in Portland, Ore. "He taught me a commitment to the authenticity and beauty of the final product. I got ideas from Phil about playing with sounds and trying weird things in the studio."