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/
Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that I've only wound up living
weekend to weekend
getting by just simply "trying"
And I should be out looking for a job
but only wind up heading for a stiff drink
left with nothing else but to think
"it's time to stumble home"
and I say bottoms up to better days
I've been so busy denying
that I've always wound up living
paycheck to paycheck
scraping by but hardly trying
what will it take to get me out of bed
when half the check goes to rent
the other half goes to debt
I should be out looking for another job
Instead I stumble home, i stumble home
So I say Hello to wasted hours
and I say bottoms up to better days
As i stumble home
Another day not trying
As i stumble home
there's no one left to blame
it's just the routine and the repetition
I've spun out of control
So I say Hello to wasted hours
and I say bottoms up to better days
The lyrics to "Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems" by Less Than Jake are an introspective look at the hardships of living paycheck to paycheck, denial of one's current state, and the cyclical routine of trying to make ends meet. The singer portrays themselves as just getting by, always trying but never really living, and ultimately turning to alcohol to cope with the struggles of day-to-day life. The song speaks to the universal struggle of finding meaning and purpose in a world that demands just surviving.
The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is stuck in a cycle of working just to make ends meet, and not having the time or resources to pursue anything beyond survival. The singer expresses feeling drained and overwhelmed, constantly chasing an illusory idea of success. Drinking malt liquor becomes a crutch for this person, a way to escape the difficulties of their life, but only temporarily. The song speaks to the idea that we often use substances or distractions to avoid the problems in our lives, rather than facing them head-on.
Overall, "Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems" is a poignant reflection on the challenges of modern life, and the ways in which we cope with them. The song speaks to the cyclical nature of poverty and the mental toll it takes on those experiencing it, while also acknowledging the difficulties of breaking free from this cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
And I've been so busy trying
Despite putting in effort, I have not accomplished much
that I've only wound up living
My attempts to succeed have resulted in me barely existing
weekend to weekend
My life consists of waiting for weekends
getting by just simply "trying"
I am just barely scraping by with my attempts
And I should be out looking for a job
I should be actively seeking employment
but only wind up heading for a stiff drink
Instead, I gravitate towards drinking alcohol
left with nothing else but to think
Drinking leaves me with no other distractions but my own thoughts
"it's time to stumble home"
I am aware that I need to go home because of my intoxicated state
So I say Hello to wasted hours
I acknowledge that I am wasting time by drinking
and I say bottoms up to better days
I drink to hope for better days in the future
I've been so busy denying
I have been avoiding facing my problems
that I've always wound up living
My neglect of my issues has resulted in me merely existing
paycheck to paycheck
I am barely surviving financially
scraping by but hardly trying
Even though I am barely making it, I am not putting in much effort
what will it take to get me out of bed
I am struggling to find motivation to get up and face my responsibilities
when half the check goes to rent
Half of my income goes to paying for housing
the other half goes to debt
The rest of my income goes to paying off debt
I should be out looking for another job
I should be searching for different employment opportunities
Instead I stumble home, i stumble home
But instead, I end up going home intoxicated
So I say Hello to wasted hours
I acknowledge that I am wasting time by drinking
and I say bottoms up to better days
I drink to hope for better days in the future
As i stumble home
I continue on with my routine of drinking and going home
Another day not trying
I continue to not put much effort into my life
As i stumble home
I continue on with my routine of drinking and going home
there's no one left to blame
I am aware that the only one responsible for my current state is myself
it's just the routine and the repetition
My life consists of repetitive and monotonous routines
I've spun out of control
I have lost control of my life
So I say Hello to wasted hours
I acknowledge that I am wasting time by drinking
and I say bottoms up to better days
I drink to hope for better days in the future
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.