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/
Cheez
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Chorus:]
Don't call me Rich
don't call me George
just call me cheez
that's who [alt: what] I am
[x3]
I'm Cheez
Civilized until the keg runs dry
and he's tried
to drink from 9 to 5
and then from 5 to 9
always drunk and going crazy
(always) drunk, going [alt: and] crazy
you better believe it
[Chorus]
Chesterfield, where the keg's never dry
it's always filled
have another beer with fear
have another beer or two
then he'll show you his cheese tattoo
always drunk, going crazy
you better believe it
[Chorus]
(alt: Don't call me Rich
don't call me George
just call me cheez
that's what I am
[x3]
not Rich Allen George
I'm Cheez)
The song "Cheez" by Less Than Jake is an anthem for someone who has a reputation for always being drunk and going crazy. It starts with the announcement "Everyone to the bar!" which sets the tone for the song. The lyrics in the chorus imply that the singer doesn't want to be called by his real name, but prefers to be known as "Cheez." This name suggests that he's a cheesy guy who loves to have fun.
The rest of the song describes the singer's behavior, drinking habits, and even his tattoo. He seems to be a regular at the Chesterfield, where the keg is never dry, and he can always have another beer. The singer is proud of his wild ways, as he mentions that he's always drunk and going crazy, and the listeners better believe it. The song is a fun and light-hearted take on someone who loves to party and doesn't take themselves too seriously.
Overall, "Cheez" is a catchy and upbeat song that's easy to sing along to. It's a tribute to the wild and crazy ones who love to have a good time, and it celebrates their way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't call me Rich
Do not address me by the name Rich.
don't call me George
Do not call me by the name George.
just call me cheez
Refer to me as Cheez.
that's who what I am
I identify as Cheez and that is my true self.
not Rich, not George
My identity is not defined by the names Rich or George.
I'm Cheez
My identity is defined by the name Cheez.
Civilized until the keg runs dry
I am well-mannered and respectful until the keg of beer is finished.
and he's tried
I have experimented with various types of alcohol.
to drink from 9 to 5
I consume alcohol from early morning until late afternoon.
and then from 5 to 9
I continue consuming alcohol from late afternoon to late evening.
always drunk and going crazy
I am frequently intoxicated and acting erratically.
you better believe it
This statement is truthful and should not be questioned.
Chesterfield, where the keg's never dry
Chesterfield is a place where the beer keg is always full.
it's always filled
The beer keg never runs out in Chesterfield.
have another beer with fear
Despite being afraid, I will continue to drink more beer.
have another beer or two
I will drink at least two more beers.
then he'll show you his cheese tattoo
Once I am intoxicated enough, I will display my tattoo of cheese.
(alt: Don't call me Rich
This is an alternate version of the chorus.
don't call me George
Do not address me by the name George.
just call me cheez
Please call me by the name Cheez.
that's what I am
I identify as Cheez and that is my true self.
not Rich Allen George
My identity is not defined by any combination of the names Rich, Allen, or George.
I'm Cheez
My identity is defined by the name Cheez.
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@teikouarc
I've always loved this song, it's so much fun! Thanks for putting it up!
@ladysnake8449
🍶🍾🍷🍸🍹🍺🍻 Always drunk going crazy you'd better believe it!
@chinesecooking1757
This song is deadass about my uncle
@pseudofox
Superb! :-D
@utubeeducatedrockafella6336
drunk and listening to this
@SkaMasta097
Check out their song "Three Quarts Drunk" as well :)
@FTWorWTF
@SkaMasta097
NOW I'M
@whoohaaXL
@@FTWorWTF OUTTA TIME!
@Jt-0101
Just saw this in person for the first time
@liptonchickennoodle
awsome