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/
Lockdown
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Urban sprrawl, from urban blight
something's not right
when history turn into a building site
locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound
Something's not right
when downtown is just all blinking lights
when strip malls and condos are at your every side
The lyrics to Less Than Jake's "Lockdown" speak to the homogenization and commercialization of urban spaces. The opening lines "Something's not right, Urban sprawl from urban blight" indicate the sense of unease and dissatisfaction with the transformation of urban environments from vibrant and diverse spaces to generic and commodified ones. The line "when history turn into a building site" speaks to the loss of historic landmarks and the prioritization of profit over cultural preservation.
The lyrics also touch on the issue of gentrification and the displacement of communities. The lines "locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound" convey a sense of helplessness and powerlessness in the face of rapid changes that push out long-term residents and small businesses. The line "when strip malls and condos are at your every side" reinforces the sense of sameness and lack of character that plagues many urban areas.
Line by Line Meaning
Something's not right
There is a feeling of unease or wrongness in the surroundings.
Urban sprawl, from urban blight
The city is expanding and developing, but it is doing so in a way that is harmful and detrimental to its citizens and environment.
Something's not right
The feeling of unease persists.
When history turn into a building site
The destruction of historical landmarks and cultural sites in order to make room for new developments.
Locked out, fenced up, closed down without a sound
Access to public spaces and resources is being restricted or removed, often without warning or explanation.
Something's not right
The feeling of unease continues.
When downtown is just all blinking lights
The commercialization and homogenization of city centers, reducing them to soulless, brightly lit expanses of consumerism.
Something's not right
The unease persists once more.
When strip malls and condos are at your every side
The proliferation of monotonous, generic shopping centers and housing developments, robbing cities of their individuality and charm.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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