Ben Stiller’s school punk band Capital Punishment unearths debut album ‘Roadkill’

[Hogg]

Two songs not included on the band's original LP feature on the deluxe reissue

Ben Stiller’s high school band have re-released their debut album, called ‘Roadkill’.

Post-punkers Capital Punishment, who met at Manhatten’s The Calhoun School and once had Stiller on drums, first shared the record with the world in 1982.

As Consequence of Sound reports, ‘Roadkill’ was recorded over the course of a year, with between 500 and 1,000 copies pressed. The records were dropped off at random New York City record shops and consignment stores and became collectors’ items in later years.

‘Roadkill’ is being reissued by Mike Sniper’s Captured Tracks label and includes two bonus tracks, one recorded in 1979 and another from 1983. The band previously shared ‘Muzak Anonymous’ and ‘Confusion’.

Sniper told Newsweek about his first reactions to the record before he knew about Stiller’s involvement. “I thought these were people playing at Max’s Kansas City. I had no idea they were high school kids.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone in August, Stiller recalled his nerves while recording the record.

“I remember being very nervous. ‘Cause I just really didn’t play the drums hardly at all”, he said.

“I remember feeling like I just wanna get through this and actually be able to play something that’s usable. … I wasn’t, you know, know, really that good at playing the drums, which you can pick up if you listen. You don’t even have to listen that closely to get that.”

Capital Punishment’s ‘Roadkill’ is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify now.