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The Methadones

Not Economically Viable (2004)
Thick Records

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Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on November 16th 2004

The third full-length from The Methadones and second from the solidified lineup of Dan Vapid (Screeching Weasel / Riverdales / Sludgeworth), Mike Byrne (ex-Vindictives), Pete Mittler, and Mike Soucy finds the band taking a somewhat different route than the band's past endeavors. Not Economically Viable, an album loosely based on the movie Falling Down (in which a disgruntled office worker takes revenge on those causing his disposition), takes cues from both classic punk (yes, they still channel the Ramones a good deal) and the mature side of early 90s Lookout pop, both likely due to Vapid's past projects (see above), and is a little more guitar-driven this time around, with scattered solos thrown about, and devoid of any post-20th century influence whatsoever (yes, the use of parentheses in this paragraph is unnecessarily liberal).

Hower, despite the album being overall a relatively solid, forty-minute chunk of pop-punk, there's some noticable filler in the early-to-mid setting, . Nearly every track on the disc is catchy, even if the record ends up suffering from "every-song-sounds-the-same" syndrome as a result. "Bored Of Television," "Mess We Made," and "Million Miles" are three of the best examples showing off the band's inherent ability to hook you like sidestage cane antics, but to be honest, it's tough to say how much lasting value the record as a whole has. The first couple spins I found myself relatively enjoying the album, if not drifting off around the aforementioned filler parts. Flash foward several listens later, I still drift off towards the same parts, and the ones I enjoy just seem less overwhelming than they were at first. The themes the album claims to have loosely attached itself too are even then a bit abstract to be noticeable - except for "Suddenly Cool," with its comments towards "climbing the social ladder" - and don't do much, if anything at all, to reward close attention to such.

Not Economically Viable is a good album, and perhaps the band's best effort yet, but suffers drastically from a first half in need of serious stitchwork and some tighter threading in the remaining portions.

MP3
Bored Of Television

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Anonymous (June 17, 2006)

just great and simple pop punk. I love it!

ozmanx (June 1, 2006)

Chinatown is a fucking idiot. DEP are the shittiest of shit.

Anonymous (November 19, 2004)

Eh, I'll take hydrocodone over methadone.

Anonymous (November 19, 2004)

I don't know Brian - I think you may have missed the ball on this one. I just got my copy today and on the third listen I think it's a solid solid solid CD. I can understand why you think there's a lull in the middle - probably because the first three songs are THAT good (Bored of Television is the sound track to my life). But Annie (5) and Hit A Nerve (9) are two of my favorites, and the bands foray into powerpop on some of the others work really well. The end is as good as the beginning with Transistor Radio and Suddenly Cool. I like the falling down theme, but after reading the lyrics, I'd think this record has more to do with love lost then revenge. Regardless, I love it!

Anonymous (November 19, 2004)

you can listen to the entire methadones album on purevolume.com (at least for a few more days) http://www.purevolume.com/themethadones

i think it's an AWESOME cd. favorite song: Transistor radio.

Anonymous (November 19, 2004)

You should post mine just to piss everyone off. Warning: it won't have a lot of "punk releases," so some might get peeved.

-Chinatown

Anonymous (November 18, 2004)

methadone is a fun drug

inagreendase (November 18, 2004)

It's more or less the usual case...if we agreed to post one reader-submitted review, then we'd have to post every reader-submitted review. And it's surefire most of you would get sick of seeing dozens of top ten lists in the waning days of December.

TheOneTrueBill (November 17, 2004)

I asked if they would do that last year and they said they wouldn't because it would add to the already chaotic review section.

bizzlebrizzle (November 17, 2004)

Like I said Chinatown, I can't please everyone...

My guess is that my list will have better ones than anything the punknews staff will come up with at the end of the year, maybe I'll write up an actual review for it at the end of the year and see if they'll accept it.

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

Oh, that is much better.

-Chinatown

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

Damn, I meant to give that previous post a 3.

-Chinatown

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

By the way, yes, I misspelt his goddamn name. Who gives a fuck?

-Chinatown

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

This score is for bizzlebrizzel's selection. There were 3 good records (Strung Out, DEP, Pulley) on his list.

-Chinatown

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

Only because "falling down" is one of my favorite movies!
-notfeelingcreative

bizzlebrizzle (November 16, 2004)

Good choices putting Pulley, Some Girls, DEP, and Converge, but the rest are a bit... blah to me

Can't please everyone, but i just looked at the new releases I've bought this year and picked out my favorites.

TheOneTrueBill (November 16, 2004)

Good choices putting Pulley, Some Girls, DEP, and Converge, but the rest are a bit... blah to me

slippy (November 16, 2004)

Gotta love the Methadones. Haven't heard this one yet though.

bizzlebrizzle (November 16, 2004)

Top Ten Of The Year(In No Particular Order)

Strung Out - Exile In Oblivion
Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counterculture
Break The Silence - Near Life Experience
Converge - You Fail Me
Error - S/T
Still Crossed - Love And Betrayal
Pulley - Matters
Minus The Bear - They Make Beer Commercials Like This
Some Girls - All My Friends Are Going Death

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

meh - it's alright - a little too poppy - i was hoping it would be a little more raw, like the screeching weasels

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

me gusta los methadones mucho!!!!!!

need to hear this NOW!!!!!!

Anonymous (November 16, 2004)

never heard this band but now i wanna check them out just cause they referenced Falling Down in the album name. Awesome fuckin movie, anyone who hasnt seen it, rent that shit!

TheOneTrueBill (November 16, 2004)

Hello again Methadones review

I picked this up at the record release show, and this will undoubtedly be in my tp 10 at the end of the year