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/
Krazy Glue
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the reasons gone and I just can't seem to shake
What I've been brought up on
And well it hard to say
And its hard to explain
That all the things I've known are feeling strange
I guess I'll always have tradition
To fall back on
Am I supposed to do
Just accept someone else's point of view
And we could ramble on and on and still not know
And what keeps rolling through my brain
It keeps running like a non-stop freight train
Its that tradition seems to stick to you
Just like krazy glue
The Less Than Jake song Krazy Glue is a reflection on the difficulty of breaking away from long-held traditions and beliefs. The lyrics suggest that even when one recognizes that their traditions and beliefs no longer fit their current reality, it can be challenging to let go of them. The opening lines - "It seems I can't explain it all, all the reasons gone and I just can't seem to shake, what I've been brought upon" - highlight this struggle. The singer feels unable to articulate their reasons for feeling out of place with their upbringing and is struggling to let go of what they have always known.
The pre-chorus - "And well, it's hard to say, and it's hard to explain, that all the things I've known are feeling strange" - further emphasizes this point. The singer is grappling with the feeling that they have outgrown their traditions but is unsure of how to move forward. The chorus contains the metaphor of tradition as krazy glue - "It's that tradition seems to stick to you, just like krazy glue." This metaphor suggests that traditions, like krazy glue, can be hard to break away from and can leave a lasting impact.
Overall, Krazy Glue is a thoughtful exploration of the challenges of reconciling new perspectives with old traditions. It is a reminder that the process of growth and change can be difficult but is ultimately necessary for personal development.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems I can't explain it all
I am having difficulty explaining everything that is happening.
All the reasons gone and I just can't seem to shake
I can't find a good enough reason to let go of my beliefs.
What I've been brought up on
My upbringing and traditions.
And well it hard to say
It's difficult to express.
And its hard to explain
It's difficult to put into words.
That all the things I've known are feeling strange
My beliefs feel unfamiliar.
I guess I'll always have tradition
I will always have my childhood and cultural tradition to rely on.
To fall back on
To use as a source of comfort and guidance.
And just what the hell Am I supposed to do
I am unsure of what my next steps should be.
Just accept someone else's point of view
Should I let someone else's beliefs dictate my path?
And we could ramble on and on and still not know
We might debate about it for an eternity, but there might not be a clear answer.
And what keeps rolling through my brain
I can't stop thinking about it.
It keeps running like a non-stop freight train
My thoughts are overwhelming and persistent.
Its that tradition seems to stick to you
Our upbringing and culture tend to influence and cling onto us.
Just like krazy glue
Our background and customs are as adhesive as krazy glue.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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