- Capital Punishment’s sole release Roadkill is set to be reissued, imminently by Captured Tracks. Captured have a good track-record, having re-released some of my favourite guitar groups – namely The Wake, The Verlaines, and Cleaners From Venus. Capital Punishment compliments their catalogue, serving up a diverse set of tracks that are indicative of the scene that the record emerged from.
One of its selling points and -if you know anything about the band you'll know this- is that the drummer/backup-singer is none other than Ben Stiller - an interesting if not entirely forgotten footnote in his career. It reminded me that Chevy Chase played drums in a psych-pop band called Chameleon Church. Comedians and their drums.
Stiller was thirteen when the album was recorded with his freshmen friends. The most obvious musical comparison to be made (in my mind) is to Chandra – a twelve-year-old singer who also put out a single record in the early '80s. Both embody the looseness of the Downtown scene, where no-wave, disco and DIY attitudes collided. I vaguely remember downloading this album a decade ago off one of my favourite blogs (I still have the mp3s, miraculously). Ahhh 2008, when no-wave and DFA reigned supreme. It will all come back with a vengeance in another ten years.
The album has some silly songs, some minimal synth tracks and some interesting instrumentals. Roadkill, Confusion and Muzak Anonymous are right up my alley – dissonant post-punk tracks with groovy basslines. Things change pace with All Just In Passing, a wholesome slice of jangle-pop. Creature of the Dark (Night) seems to be a whacked out version of Riders On The Storm. Then there are the strange ambient/tape collage tracks like Necronomicon, Cosmos and John’s Forgotten Land (Parts 1,2,3).
Although some might slag it off as being amateurish at times (which it might be), it’s an enjoyable listen nonetheless. There is something agelessly appealing about the sound of youth – whether it be Phil Spector harnessing it for his Wall of Sound, Brisbane’s own Mallrat or young Downtown punks. Amateurish is an adjective jaded old people use.
- Hillfolk.