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/
Channel 15
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give us any chance we'll take it
read us any rule, we'll break it
we're gonna make our dreams come true
doin' it our way
Nothing's gonna turn us back now
we're gonna make our dreams come true
doin' it our way
There's nothing we won't try
never heard the word impossible
this time, there's no stopping us
we're gonna do it
On our mark, get set and go now
got a dream and we just know now we're gonna make our dreams come true
And we'll do it our way, yes our way
make all our dreams comes true
And we'll do it our way, yes our way
make all our dreams comes true
And we'll do it our way, yes our way
make all our dreams comes true
And we'll do it our way, yes our way
make all our dreams comes true
for me and you
The lyrics to Less Than Jake's song Channel 15 express a powerful message of determination and resilience in the face of adversity. The song starts off by proclaiming that the band is willing to take any opportunity that comes their way, irrespective of the difficulties they may encounter along the way. The lyrics encourage listeners to have faith in their ability to achieve their dreams and to never give up, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
The repeated phrase "doin' it our way" is a defiant statement that encapsulates the band's ethos of individuality and creativity. The song's chorus emphasizes that anything is possible, and that with the right attitude and mindset, anyone can achieve their goals. The lyrics to Channel 15 are a testament to the power of self-belief and the importance of relentlessly pursuing one's dreams.
Overall, the song's upbeat and energetic tone is infectious, and it's easy to see why it has become such a beloved anthem for fans of Less Than Jake and other punk and ska bands. The lyrics are an inspiration to anyone who has ever struggled to achieve their dreams, and they serve as a reminder that nothing is impossible if you have the courage and determination to see it through.
Line by Line Meaning
Give us any chance we'll take it
We will take any opportunity that comes our way
read us any rule, we'll break it
We are willing to break any rule that stands in our way
we're gonna make our dreams come true
We are determined to achieve success and fulfil our dreams
doin' it our way
We are doing things based on our own rules and principles
Nothing's gonna turn us back now
We are not going to be stopped by any obstacles or challenges
straight ahead and on the track now
We are focused and moving forward towards our goals
There's nothing we won't try
We are willing to attempt anything and everything to achieve our dreams
never heard the word impossible
We believe that anything is possible if we work hard enough to make it happen
this time, there's no stopping us
We are so determined that nothing can stop us from reaching our goals
On our mark, get set and go now
We are ready to start working towards our goals
got a dream and we just know now we're gonna make our dreams come true
We have a clear picture of what we want to achieve and are confident that we will succeed
And we'll do it our way, yes our way
We are committed to achieving our dreams on our own terms and principles
make all our dreams comes true
We are working hard to turn our dreams into reality
for me and you
Our goals and dreams are not just for ourselves, but also for the people we care about
Contributed by Jayce C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.