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/
Magnetic North
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's been times misidirection's found me
There's been clear heads and there'll be clean slates
And times we'd find we'd pass the night away thinking
Everyone here hates everyone here
For doing the same thing that they do
There's been new starts and they'll be no sleep
And there's been walls built and there's been worse days
And times we'd find we spent the night awake thinking
All those people they keep watching me
All those people that hate me
All those people they watch me
All those people are just like me
The lyrics of Magnetic North by Less Than Jake delve into the themes of boundaries, self-doubt, and empathy. The first stanza of the song deals with the idea of borders and how they limit us from truly understanding each other. The line "Everyone here hates everyone here for doing the same thing that they do" speaks to how people often judge others for things they also do themselves. This verse highlights our tendency to create boundaries between ourselves and others based on our own biases and misunderstandings.
The second stanza begins with the idea of new starts and inspiration, but quickly shifts to the idea of walls and bad days. The line "All those people they keep watching me, all those people that hate me" shows the singer's insecurity and self-doubt, as they feel as though everyone is judging them. However, the song takes a hopeful turn when it declares that "all those people are just like me." This line shows that despite our differences and perceived faults, we all share a common humanity that can help us empathize with one another.
Overall, Magnetic North is a song about breaking down barriers and finding common ground with others. It encourages us to recognize our own prejudices and biases in order to better understand and relate to those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
There's been borders and there'll be boundaries
There have been physical and metaphorical barriers in the past, and there will be more in the future.
And there's been times misidirection's found me
At times, I have lost my way and made wrong decisions.
There's been clear heads and there'll be clean slates
There have been moments of clarity and there will be opportunities for fresh starts in the future.
And times we'd find we'd pass the night away thinking
There have been moments where we have spent long hours contemplating things.
Everyone here hates everyone here
There is a strong sense of animosity and negative feelings among us.
For doing the same thing that they do
The source of this animosity is the fact that everyone is engaged in similar activities.
There's been new starts and they'll be no sleep
There have been moments of excitement and change, but they have also been accompanied by sleepless nights.
And there's been times when inspiration's found me
There have been moments where I have been struck by inspiration or motivation.
And there's been walls built and there's been worse days
There have been moments where barriers have been erected, and there have been days of immense difficulty.
And times we'd find we spent the night awake thinking
There have been moments where we have been unable to sleep due to excessive contemplation.
All those people they keep watching me
I feel as though people are constantly observing, scrutinizing, or judging me.
All those people that hate me
I feel as though there are many people who dislike me.
All those people they watch me
I feel as though people are constantly observing, scrutinizing, or judging me.
All those people are just like me
However, I understand that those people are most likely similar to myself and are just experiencing similar difficulties or feelings.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind