The Vinyl Record That's Illegal to Buy in 8 U.S. States (And Why)

Rock, punk and metal artists are no strangers to pushing the envelope to promote their music. But one punk band recently went to such great lengths that they ended up releasing a vinyl single that can't even be sold in eight of the United States.

The band in question? The Ataris, the Indiana punk rockers best known for their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer."

In May 2025, the group released "Car Song," their first new material in 15 years. The song was accompanied by a Breaking Bad-inspired music video (which you can watch below) and a limited edition 7-inch single that featured the ashes of lead singer Kris Roe's late father, William Charles Roe, mixed into the vinyl.

A portion of the proceeds from the "Car Song" 7-inch sales went to Shatterproof, a nonprofit dedicated to ending addiction. (Roe's father died in 2014 due to complications related to alcoholism.) Unsurprisingly, the limited pressing sold out quickly — even though its contents were illegal in eight states.

Why Was the Ataris' 'Car Song' 7-Inch Single Banned in 8 States?

A note on the "Car Song" vinyl sales page explains that it's illegal to sell human remains in certain parts of the United States.

"While it is perfectly legal to sell human remains in the United States in 42 states, it is illegal in exactly 8 of them," the note says. "Those 8 states are (in alphabetical order): Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. DO NOT ORDER THE WILLIAM CHARLES ROE MEMORIAL ASHES VARIANT IF YOUR DELIVERY ADDRESS IS IN THESE 8 STATES. To that end, we fully reserve the right to cancel orders with a delivery address in these 8 states. We apologize that the Ataris fans in these 8 states can't have the William Charles Roe Memorial Ashes Variant delivered to them, but the laws of those states govern what we can and cannot do."

Still, these sales restrictions couldn't put a damper on the heartfelt motivation behind the "Car Song" vinyl single.

“I’ve always been so lucky to have my dad’s unwavering support for The Ataris," Roe said in a press release at the time of its release. "He wasn’t just a fan — he was a fixture of our community. He would often interact with fans on the band’s message board, film live sets, and share them with everyone—everyone knew him. He was a huge part of the band’s journey. When I read about a service that would press a loved one’s ashes into vinyl, it instantly hit me. What better way to honor my dad than making him a permanent part of the music he always loved? It felt like the most meaningful tribute I could give him.”