Based loosely on the movie Falling Down, where this guy unravels under the weight of the nerve-wracking oppression of the Establishment, 'Not Economically Viable' is rife with angst and rebellion. The moral of the story is "Life Ain't Fair" and THE METHADONES can relate. A twelve song pop punk ode to life's little inadequacies and what a dehumanizing social and economic system will do to you. That's not to say this is an overtly political record - cuz' it ain't - it's just the Methadones doing what they do best - rock. 12 searing tracks that play fast and fierce without ever forgetting the power of hot licks and hooks. Featuring Dan Schafer (aka Dan Vapid) of Screeching Weasel / Riverdales/ Sludgeworth fame, plus Mike Byrne (x-Vindictives), Pete Mittler and Mike Soucy, this is the Methadones third full length CD and second for Chicago's THICK Records. Once again recorded at Sonic Iguana studios with long time producer and good friend Mass Giorgini (Screeching Weasel, Anti Flag, Rise Against), this is easily their best and most mature record to date. It's been a long ride too.

The Methadones history is a twisted tale with many members and sordid affairs. Okay not really sordid but whatever. Dan Schafer originally formed the Methadones in 1993 as a diversion from his full time bands. However Dan's commitment to his primary posts (as well as his other side projects, Sludgeworth & The Mopes) kept the Methadones on the proverbial back-burner of rock and roll history, playing mostly one off shows and no real recordings to speak of.

Fast forward to 1999. Having just returned from living in our nation's capital, Dan found himself relatively bandless, with a backlog of song songs, and the bug to reinvigorate the Methadones. He recruited fellow Mopes B-Face (The Queers, Groovie Ghoulies) and Dan Lumley (Screeching Weasel, Squirtgun), headed into the studio, and recorded their debut album, Ill at Ease which was released on Anti-Flag's A-F label in early 2001. After extensive touring in support of the 'Ill At Ease' CD (mostly with Anti-Flag), Lumley and B-Face returned to their corners of the country, not able to stay with the band full time because of other band commitments. Vapid set to the task of staffing the band, turned to a cast of revolving characters that at one point or another included Pat Buckley from the Vindictives, Matt Drastic from The Teen Idols, Joe Principe from Rise Against, Dan Panic and Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel... the list goes on and on. Until something clicked.

Dan Vapid and long time Methadones bassist Pete Mittler found kindred souls in former Vindictives guitarist and fellow Chicagoan Mike Byrne, and drummer Mike Soucy, a native of the Rhode Island and D.C. punk scenes. With the line up now complete, almost immediately, the Methadones found themselves with a bunch of new songs, and by the winter of 2002 they were back in the studio recording the follow-up to Ill at Ease. Having recorded 11 new songs at the beginning of 2002, the Methadones set out on the road to test their wares, sharing the stage with such notable acts as the Teen Idols, The Unseen, the Queers, Boris the Sprinkler, the New Bomb Turks, the Eyeliners, the Groovie Ghoulies, Kill Your Idols and the Misfits. By late 2002, the Methadones' new album was mixed and mastered and ready to be introduced, first in Europe by upstart Stardumb Records (Groovie Ghoulies, the Manges, the Apers) and then on Chicago's venerable punk label Thick Records in the United States. A year of touring (J Church, Dillinger 4, The Arrivals, Squirtgun) and the Methadones were ready to head back into the studio. Enter 'Not Economically Viable' and here we go again.

www.methadones.com

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