Of course, that's why I help mod William's group ;)

I have inherited most of my alt 80s from my fiance, though I've contributed a bit to our joint collection. Right now I am interested in collecting obscure music found through the web, most of it is on tapes and some CDs. But I'm an alt 80s gal

Ah, I didn't know you were a mod in the group! :D Such a cool community; I've made a few new friends there, actually.

I actually started collecting records 10 years ago, but only in the past few did I delve more into the alternative stuff that's since become my primary bread and butter (among MANY other interests lol), I occasionally pick up bizarre stuff on tapes too, usually because they're cheap. Lots of weird punk/hardcore/alternative one offs to be found.

Ooh if they're in your rym collection I'll check them out at some point! I love obscure one-off finds too :) if you haven't heard of James Ferraro or Spencer Clark, they make a lot of drone noise ambient sound collage type work, their releases are limited but CDs are easy to snag on Discogs. Tapes on the other hand are super pricey, as they've become collectors' items lol.

I like to get tapes of local bands in Miami, I have a good few already, I found a vapor-ish tape at our local record store too.

I've made a bunch of friends through the group too! I'm trying to participate more again, it used to feel like a tighter knit family and I wanna bring that back, even amongst all the political tension.

Sadly, I don't have them cataloged; I only catalog stuff as I rate it, but when I get a chance to go through my tapes I'll give you a list of some of the more obscure ones I have. They're likely Pittsburgh area punk bands from the late 80s and early 90s, but there's more well known ones like Throbbing Gristle, Pogues, Sisters of Mercy mixed in there as well. I think the most expensive tape I have is The Replacements' The Shit Hits the Fans; a live album they only released on tape in a limited quantity. I'm on Discogs as well, but I don't use it too often.

I find it awesome that cassettes are making a bit of a comeback in this day and age; back then it was the cheapest and quickest way to get your music out there, not to mention the ABUNDANCE of mixtapes, which is sadly a lost art now.

When I joined things were a bit more sociable, now everybody seems more reserved with the exception of a couple people posting video links every few hours. I'd post something, but I'd hate for it to fall on blind eyes. That, and I'd have no clue what to say, lol. *is socially awkward even online*

Ooh yes I'd love to hear some Pittsburgh area punk bands of a long lost era haha. I wonder if that Replacements live album was ripped from tape and available online anywhere....

Yeah who would have thought it's just as easy to make tapes as it is to burn CDs these days lol. I',m trying to figure out the difference between mixtapes and a regular album on cassette.

Awe lol I'd support your posts! I like to add a caption that's like a question or invitation to the group, so maybe people feel compelled to comment. Also that's kind of an admin thing to do but whatev. I think the group has just gotten much bigger, and the new influx isn't as dedicated, and also life gets in the way sometimes.

I'm sure there's more to the Pittsburgh scene of the late 80s than just the Cynics, lol. That Replacements tape is on Youtube in 2 parts, but not in great quality. I'm sure there's a rip floating around somewhere; its worth hunting for to hear them in all their drunken glory.

Burning CDs actually used to be a chore back in ye olden days, whereas it was always easy to make a mixtape. Score one for the cassette team! What do you mean by the difference between mixtapes and a regular album on cassette?

Thanks, lol. The one time I posted something it was a Wipers video which got a bit of traction, so yay. I suppose open questions (suggestions, recent discoveries, anything of that sort) that invite discussion, or surveys, is the way to get conversation going. You'd think with a group that's 13,000 strong, with some very devoted members included, that'd be an easy thing to do, but alas, :(

I'm going to try to find the rip for you, I just joined a private tracker. And are The Cynics online at all, uploaded anywhere?

It seems easier now to digitally burn a CD than dub a tape by hand :p Like why is one called a mixtape and one is called an album?

I'm not sure why people aren't as devoted anymore! I miss sharing contemporary post-punk influenced bands, I have been meaning to share Black Marble, Soviet Soviet, and luckily everyone knows The Soft Moon by now ;)

That'd be sweet if you can find a good quality rip of it. I'm kinda leery of playing my copy of the tape, ya see. The Cynics are all over YouTube; there's full video uploads for their albums Blue Train Station, Twelve Flights Up, and Rock 'n' Roll.

Well yeah, now that burners are inexpensive and you can easily find a lot of music online. Try doing that in the early 2000's, when it was the opposite on both fronts, lol. An album is just that, an album, the same thing you'd find on vinyl, CD, 8-track, etc., whereas a mixtape is a homemade compilation of songs recorded from various outlets, like vinyl LPs and singles, radio stations, and so on. There was a real artform to mixtapes in the 80's, or so I've heard. God, I wish I was alive back then sometimes.

That one guy's post regarding albums similar to Seventeen Seconds got people talking thankfully, so they're still out there. Just need a little motivation, I suppose. ;)