Ani DiFranco's Lost New York Demo Tape (1988)

Ani Difranco is an indie folk singer-songwriter whose fame stemmed from the 90s and continues well into today. She is known for pushing political issues, being an aggressively strong feminist, and is also a very notable member of the LGBT community. She has stirred up controversy with her relationships, as well (she's cheated on a few of her boyfriends and claims that she doesn't view anything wrong with just "following human nature"). Her albums, especially her live work, have been critically acclaimed. She has become quite prolific, with well over 20 albums released to date.

Despite her dedicated fanbase keeping track of every single surviving recording of DiFranco, one particular recording has never (or, if some fans are to be believed, rarely) surfaced. The demo dates back to 1988 when DiFranco had just turned 18. Just like the lost Kozelek recordings, this was apparently shelved due to some flat/ poor vocal work. Unlike the Kozelek recording, though, the tape has never had any of its songs broadcasted on a radio interview. Therefore, no tracks, or even previews have been made available.

DiFranco has never commented on this demo tape, which has led many to believe it may not even exist. Fans have scoured sources far and wide and still have nothing. The most likely holer of the tapes aside from DiFranco herself would be any record label she sent these songs to. Not even a track listing has been acknowledged, nor has Discogs catalogued it. The recording remains one of the most mysterious lost recordings of its era.