As a college radio DJ I hated them but as a music fan I always dug the cassette-only releases from the folks at ROIR Records. Forget production values, overdubs, and in some cases even studio time. The label specialized in raw, low-fi nuggets of rock and roll history, occasionally captured live, like the Dictators release 'Fuck 'Em If They Can't Take a Joke' which showacased tracks from the band's original studio LPs.
The label's roster reads like a who's who of punk and pre-punk history including the Fleshtones, MC5, Johnny Thunders, Bad Brains, the aforementioned Dictators and many more.
If you're curious and can deal with sound quality and performances that one Amazon reviewer described as "37 minutes of ... electro-shock-induced screams for mercy" you can download Volume One of 'So Indie It Hurts' for free.
Frankly, I think the title is a misnomer since most (if not all) of this material comes from an age when the term "indie" wasn't even used to describe bands like the Fleshtones, Bush Tetras or Dickies but who am I to argue with free music?
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My favorite ROIR cassettes were the Einsturzende Neubauten "2X4", and Flipper's live "Blowin' Chunks". They truly helped set me on the path to true deviancy.
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