22 Hyper-Specific Mixtape Designs That Celebrate Beloved Niche Music Genres

The art of the mixtape. Those carefully curated, hand-labeled collections of songs that told stories, shared feelings, or simply showed off your impeccable music taste.

Well, Reverie and Roses is bringing them back—kind of. Instead of cassette tapes and Walkmans, we're talking t-shirts and stickers. We’re diving into the world of hyper-specific mixtapes—paying homage to a favorite retro symbol of musical obsession.

Each cassette design pokes fun at musical genre tropes, stereotypes, and all the sub-sub-genres we’ve come to love (and laugh at). Whether you're into indie guys whispering over reverb or rap songs about poor financial planning, these items are the perfect blend of music geek humor and retro cool.

1. Melancholy, Deep Underground Bangers for People Who Think Joy Division Is Too Mainstream

For those who brush off your musical taste as being "too accessible" or "overplayed," imagining themselves to be the only truly discerning, subterranean soul. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

2. Folk Revival Where Guys with Majestically Overgrown Beards Punctuate Lines with "Hey!"

Cue the banjos and group choruses. This mix features plenty of perfectly timed "Heys!" with grand beards as a must-have accessory. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

3. Songs About How She Took the Dog But Left the Tractor, Truck, or Other Cherished Means of Transport

Capturing the timeless tale of country woes, this mix is for anyone who knows the real heartbreak isn’t about her leaving—it’s about her taking the dog (but at least sparing some wheels to comfort your grieving heart). Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

4. “I’m a Player, but Let’s Cuddle in Our Satin Pajamas Anyway” Slow Jams

Celebrating the the smooth talkers who prefer a side of snuggles as sultry 90s slow jams sessions warm up (or cool down) the night. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

5. Doom-Laden Dirges with Blackened Screams to Bake Evil Cookies To

Perfect for headbanging while whipping up a batch of snickerdoodles, this mix is the perfect accompaniment for making ghoulish yet delectable monster snacks. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

6. Stepdad Rant Anthems to Blare Through Cheap Earbuds

A perfect mix to secretly blast into your ears while in the basement or in the backseat, this stepdad-dissing mix is full of exaggeratingly passionate letters of despair set to down-tuned seven-string guitars. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker.

7. Songs That Sound Like They Were Recorded in a Bathroom on Purpose 
 

Let’s be real, bathroom acoustics have aesthetic.This mix celebrates the lo-fi, echo-heavy tracks that make you wonder if the studio-owning artist recorded the whole thing in a tiled room purely for vibes. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

8. Stairway to Nowhere: Guitar Solos Long Enough to Fill Out Your Taxes

For when you're ready to rock...and then transition for a while. A mix where epic guitar solos meet life’s ultimate wait times. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

9. Surreal Mix of Smooth Jazz, Lo-fi Beats, and Old-Timey Radio Jingles with Occasional Creepy Dog Barks

A mix for evoking images of Lynchian lost highways and mysterious owls. An ideal backdrop for slowly drinking diner coffee or swaying in the night rain. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

10. Ballads with Strong “I Just Got Dumped by My Vampire Lover in a Victorian Gothic Castle” Vibes

Dreamy, brooding soundscapes packed with just the right amount of melodrama and dark romance, perfect for plot-heavy music videos with corseted protagonists. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

11. Moody Indie Guys Whispering Over Reverb

Introspective with reverb-drenched tunes, this mix will take you on an otherworldly journey of delicate, poetic mutterings. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

12. Songs Dad Claims Were Better When They Were on Vinyl

Because Dad just won't give modern conveniences a pass, this mix is to celebrate his charmingly stubborn nostalgia and constant urgings to try it on the "more nuanced sounding" records. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

13. Wistful Boardwalk Nostalgia-Core About Imaginary Endless Summers

Put on your perpetually flowing sundress and head over to the ice cream parlor with a James Dean lookalike, because this mix will keep you locked inside a vintage summer romance...until it's time to flip to Side B. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

14. Songs to Pretend You Understand Pink Floyd To

When you're not quite sure what's going on, but you're there for the ride. These songs are loaded with metaphors about society set to spacy guitar riffs and blues-laden prog rock so you can sit back and merely mutter, "This is deep." Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

15. Artisanal Lo-Fi Chill-Hop with Vintage Vinyl Crackles

A glorious fusion of ambient, jazz, soul, funk, and electronica with plenty of mysterious cinematic sound clips. Sprinkled in the background are delicate crackles to remind you of the beautiful rawness and authenticity of the production. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

 

16. Post-Apocalyptic Bat-Cave Rave for Dancing in Empty Industrial Warehouses

Put on your tattered fairy wings and liquid eyeliner and head to that abandoned warehouse in the crumbling part of downtown, because it's time to get lost in sinister beats from albums featuring mannequin head cover art. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

 

17. Pop Punk Songs About Almost Leaving Your Hometown for Good

For all those times where you packed your bags and imagined speeding out of town in your Toyota Corolla while blasting your "Bye-Bye Burbs" mix...but didn't quite make it out. Mainly because Mom was making her killer lasagna again. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

18. Hits for a Montage of Trying on Ridiculous Thrift Store Outfits

For those epic musty fitting room sessions where anything goes. Channel your 80s rom-com energy for these bouncy tunes perfect for trying on fedoras with wine-stained wedding gowns and showing your crush your mischievously offbeat side. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

19. Synthesized Stardust Melodies for Robots Learning to Feel in a Retro Future

All your favorite tracks about bonding with mysterious alien visitors and robots on journeys of self-discovery, sprinkled with speculations on humanity's future—set to neon lights and VHS static. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

20. Shoegaze for Drifting Into a Daydream About Being a 19th-Century Lighthouse Keeper with Cats

The soundtrack for closing your eyes on a rainy day, slowly petting your lap cats, and imagining a seaside life to ditch your daily struggles, relish the waves, and guide boats to safety...set to a continuous backdrop of hazy layered guitars. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

21. Rims, Chains, & Late Rent: A Collection of Misplaced Priorities and Unwise Financial Choices

Top tracks about questionable budgeting set to catchy beats and clever rhymes, this mix highlights a lifestyle of forgoing sensible spending habits in favor of status symbols—while creatively dodging pesky landlords. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker. 

22. Whimsically Unsettling Melodies for a Dog Walking Experience That Feels Like a Wes Anderson Movie

Grab the leash and walk your dog to the tune of these airy, charming piano melodies, creating just the right backdrop for waving to quirky neighbors and offering chipmunks nut treats portioned from snack baggies...yet knowing that a plot twist rests right around the corner. Available on a V-neck tee, cotton jersey tee, or sticker.