The band's name derives from a bird Vinnie had while growing up, which was treated better than the rest of the family. It's also a reference to the phrase "everything is jake," which is an old phrase meaning everything is cool.
Less Than Jake released their debut album, Pezcore, in 1995, following a series of independent seven-inch single releases. The band's subsequent two studio albums, Losing Streak (1996) and Hello Rockview (1998), were released on major label, Capitol Records, leading to increased exposure. The band's fifth studio album Anthem (2003) was their most commercially successful to date, featuring the singles, "She's Gonna Break Soon" and "The Science of Selling Yourself Short".
In 2008 the band founded its own label, Sleep It Off Records, and released its seventh full-length album, GNV FLA. The band has recently stated its preference for EP releases, and independently issued Greetings from Less Than Jake (2011) and its counterpart, Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake (2012). In late 2012, the band combined the two to create the compilation album, Greetings and Salutations (2012) Their eighth studio album, See the Light, was released on November 12, 2013.
Miscellaneous Info:
Vinnie was previously the owner of the independent record label Fueled by Ramen, as well as a toy company called Wünderland War (formerly Monkey Vs. Robot). This label has signed bands such as Fall Out Boy, Punchline, The AKAs, Gym Class Heroes, Panic! At The Disco and Days Away. Roger, meanwhile, is in a second band, called Rehasher, for whom he composes lyrics and plays guitar. JR played sax on the last track of Off Key Melodies. JR works with a promoting company called the CT Mafia, as well as composing solo music. He contributed one track to the Drive-Thru compilation tribute to Bob Dylan, using the band name The Stay At Home Joneses (Roger sang backup for this track).
Roger and Vinnie have an unexplained fetish for Pez candy and they reportedly have sizeable dispenser collections. This love for Pez goes so far as to name one of their albums, Pezcore (parodying of the way in which many bands are described as [something]-core, starting with hardcore) and Pez dispenser motifs are a common feature of their merchandise.
Roger's employment history includes a smoke shop in the band's hometown Gainesville, Florida known as Knuckleheads which has since been transformed into a similar establishment named Smoke. Band member haunts have included Eddie C's, the Hardback (which was transformed into the Lyric), and Insomnia (which used to be the Covered Dish, and is now the new location of Common Grounds).
The members of Less Than Jake also served as backup musicians for Asian Man Records owner Mike Park in the B.Lee Band (once called "the Bruce Lee Band", changed for legal reasons).
The track "Look What Happened" appeared on two of their albums, "Borders & Boundaries" (2000) and "Anthem." (2003) The "Anthem" version is completely re-recorded, and has eschewed the brass at the beginning of the song that was featured in the previous recording. The re-recording features guest vocals from Teen Idols/Bullets To Broadway's Heather.
They have also re-recorded many other songs, including "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts," "Jen Doesn't Like Me Anymore" and "Shotgun".
They recorded the main theme song "We're all Dudes" for the 1997 film "Goodburger" based on the sketch from the Nikelodeon TV show "All That." The song features Kel Mitchell (main character, Ed, in the movie). The song is based off of the jingle "Ed" would always sing while waiting for the next situation to come up in the Goodburger sketches. At the end of the song Mitchell says "Ah, Ed and Less than Jake, oh, uh... no?"
In 2004, Less Than Jake appeared on the Projekt Revolution Tour, joining such artists as The Used, Snoop Dogg, Korn, and the headlining band: Linkin Park.
Lineups:
Chris DeMakes - vocals and guitar (1992–present)
Roger Lima - vocals and bass (1993–present)
Buddy ''Goldfinger'' Schaub - tenor trombone and backing vocals (1993–present)
Peter ''JR'' Wasilewski - tenor saxophone and backing vocals (2000–present)
Matt Yonker - Drums (2018–present)
Past members:
Jessica Mills - alto saxophone (1993–1998)
Derron Nuhfer - tenor and baritone saxophone (1995–2000)
Pete Anna - tenor and alto trombone (1998–2001)
Vinnie Fiorello - drums (1992–2018)
Website: http://www.lessthanjake.com/
Bigger Picture
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From one sided conversations
Burning out from all the minor misconceptions
That just play on your frustrations
Your self doubt has your head so turned around
There's not a catch phrase that can save you
And it's not that hard to figure out
Disappointment doesn't have to cut to a commercial now
I'm breaking down I'm burning out
And it's not funny like on television
When your self doubt turns you inside out
It's still not funny like on television
I'm passing time since I've been right
And it's not funny like on television
Those times I've cracked with no laugh track
And it wasn't funny like on television
The opening words in this Less Than Jake's song Bigger Picture brings to mind a person who is at a breaking point due to constant insults directed at them. The person is trying their best to put up with one-sided conversations that do nothing but add more frustration to their already chaotic life. They feel burnt out from the numerous minor misconceptions and insecurities that they deal with on a daily basis, which only worsens their self-doubt. In their head, there's no catchy phrase that can inspire them, and they find it challenging to navigate through their struggles.
The frustration eventually builds up, and the person begins to break down and burn out. They feel as though people think it's funny, just like it's depicted on television shows. However, in reality, they are going through a hard time, and they cannot just laugh it off like it's scripted. They are stuck in a loop where they keep passing time because they are not okay, and the people outside do not seem to comprehend. Sometimes, they crack under the weight of it all, and there are no laugh tracks, no canned laughter to ease the tension. The song tries to portray the reality that people go through, and not everything is as comedy gold as the media depicts it.
Line by Line Meaning
Breaking down from every insult that you've taken
The constant insults you've endured have taken a toll on your emotional state and have caused you to feel fragile.
From one sided conversations
You feel as if you are the only one trying to keep a conversation going, and that the other person is not interested or invested.
Burning out from all the minor misconceptions
The small misunderstandings and miscommunications are slowly draining you and wearing you down.
That just play on your frustrations
These minor issues are only serving to amplify your existing frustrations and exacerbate the situation.
Your self doubt has your head so turned around
You are doubting yourself so much that it has caused you to lose your sense of direction and perspective.
There's not a catch phrase that can save you
No witty or clever phrase will be able to alleviate the doubts and stress that you are feeling.
And it's not that hard to figure out
The gravity of the situation and the impact of self-doubt on one's mental health and wellbeing is not difficult to comprehend.
Disappointment doesn't have to cut to a commercial now
There's no way to escape or avoid disappointment, and it can't be edited out like it is in commercials or on TV shows.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind