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/
Done and Dusted
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
some are on holiday
vacationed eyes help me explain
how I spent my yesterdays and
summer's gone
the Florida sun sums up
the best advice I ever gave was
don't forget just where you came from
summer's on holiday
my vital signs and vacant brain
must be why im still awake
With boredom on my brain
the clouds roll over Tampa Bay
we're waiting on the rain
to wash the past away
These days are gone
done and dusted
and I don't wanna think about it
these days are gone
done and dusted
yeah
We were here
I never thought of us as standing still or being lost
and killing time, we had too much so
when I'm gone
the dust will pile up
on everything i've left undone
I'm sleeping in where I came from
With boredom on my brain
the clouds roll over Tampa Bay
we're waiting on the rain
to wash the past away
These days are gone
done and dusted
and I don't wanna think about it
these days are gone
done and dusted
and I don't wanna think about it
whoa, whoa (and I don't wanna think about it)
With my head up in the head clouds
I can't tell what's important now
with this ringing in my ears
wishing I could disappear
These days are gone
done and dusted
and I don't wanna think about it
these days are gone
done and dusted (dusted, dusted....)
These days are gone
done and dusted
and I don't wanna think about it
these days are gone
done and dusted
and I don't wanna think about it
whoa, whoa (and I don't wanna think about it)
whoa, whoa (no, I don't wanna think about it)
The first verse of Less Than Jake's "Done and Dusted" paints a picture of the passage of time, the bittersweet arrival of winter after a long summer, and the way vacations can mark milestones and periods of transition. The Florida sun serves as a symbol of both nostalgia for a time that has passed and advice for the future to remember where you came from. The singer seems to be struggling with insomnia and feelings of restlessness, a sense that time is slipping away too quickly that the second verse expands upon. The two lines "we were here / I never thought of us as standing still or being lost" suggest a sense of longing for a time when things seemed clearer or more meaningful.
The chorus repeats the phrase "these days are gone, done and dusted" like a mantra, perhaps in an attempt to come to terms with the passage of time and the way memories can feel like they're slipping away. The bridge adds to this feeling of confusion and disorientation with its repetition of the phrase "with boredom on my brain" and the sense of being unable to distinguish between what is important and what is not. The final verse brings the song back to the present moment, with the singer wishing they could disappear and escape the pressures of time and memory.
Overall, "Done and Dusted" conveys a sense of ennui and longing for the past while also acknowledging the inevitability of change and the importance of remembering where you came from.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer's here
The summer season has started
some are on holiday
Some people are on vacation during this time
vacationed eyes help me explain
People who have just returned from vacation can convey their experiences well
how I spent my yesterdays and
The lyrics will describe how the singer spent their past days during summer
summer's gone
The summer season has ended
the Florida sun sums up
The sun in Florida is representative of the summer season the singer is talking about
the best advice I ever gave was
The singer is about to share some advice based on their own experience
don't forget just where you came from
It is important to remember one's roots and upbringing
winter's here
The winter season has started
my vital signs and vacant brain
The singer's body is not doing anything while their mind is idle
must be why im still awake
The singer is awake due to their brain being idle
With boredom on my brain
The singer is feeling bored
the clouds roll over Tampa Bay
Clouds are approaching and covering the part of Florida where Tampa Bay is located
we're waiting on the rain
The singer is looking forward to the rain to help make the situation better
to wash the past away
The rain is symbolic of washing away negative situations and memories
These days are gone
The days that the singer was referring to earlier in the song have passed
done and dusted
The past days have been resolved and are over
and I don't wanna think about it
The singer does not want to dwell on the past days anymore
We were here
The singer acknowledges their past presence in a certain place
I never thought of us as standing still or being lost
The singer never felt as if they were stuck or directionless in this particular place
and killing time, we had too much so
The singer and their companions had a lot of time to burn
when I'm gone
The singer will eventually leave this place
the dust will pile up
Without regular human presence, dust will accumulate on surfaces, symbolizing the passing of time
on everything i've left undone
The singer has left things unfinished in this place, and dust represents the time that has passed without closure
I'm sleeping in where I came from
The singer will return to where they originated from and rest there in the future
With my head up in the head clouds
The singer's mind is scattered and unfocused
I can't tell what's important now
The singer cannot discern what is truly valuable or significant in their current state of mind and being
with this ringing in my ears
The singer is experiencing a literal or metaphorical ringing, perhaps noisy or distracting thoughts
wishing I could disappear
The singer wants to escape this state of mind and being
whoa, whoa (and I don't wanna think about it)
The song's repetition of this phrase symbolizes the singer's avoidance of dwelling on the past
whoa, whoa (no, I don't wanna think about it)
Repetition of this phrase emphasizes the singer's desire to avoid thinking about the past
Contributed by Josiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.