Bad Brains and the Rise of the ROIR Cassette

This episode unpacks Bad Brains’ debut release on the low‑cost ROIR label—a cassette that spread hardcore across the U.S., showing how DIY distribution and cheap technology turned a handful of copies into a movement. We trace the recording, the scene in DC/NYC, the mailing system, and the influence this tape had on later bands and punk’s global reach.

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