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/
Nervous In The Alley
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I put myself to the test would I ever raise a fist
Would I just shut my mouth, would I just block it out?
I've sworn a million times never to be left,
Standing with that feeling
Of hopelessness left standing, just nervous in the alley
When all is said and through
Would I know just what to do
Would I ever raise a fist
Would I just shut my mouth or just block it out
I've sworn a million times never to be left,
Standing with that feeling
Of hopelessness left standing, just nervous in the alley
Is it a change of heart,
That keeps us apart
And you say it's true
And we know it's true
When all we have left is me and you
And it's so strange,
When all I have left to say
Is I wonder what's worth fighting for?
The opening lines of Less Than Jake's "Nervous In The Alley" describe a particular moment - on a Tuesday in the rain - when the singer is forced to confront the potential for violence within themselves. They pose a question about their own reaction to conflict: "If I put myself to the test / Would I ever raise a fist / Would I just shut my mouth, would I just block it out?" This theme of self-doubt and fear of confrontation runs throughout the song, as the singer reflects on their own tendency to feel overwhelmed and powerless in difficult situations.
The refrain - "I've sworn a million times never to be left, / Standing with that feeling / Of hopelessness left standing, just nervous in the alley" - captures the emotional heart of the song. The singer is determined to avoid feeling helpless or alone, but they're also painfully aware of their own limitations. They're haunted by the fear that they won't be able to stand up for themselves or for others when it really matters. The final lines of the song, "And it's so strange, / When all I have left to say / Is I wonder what's worth fighting for?" suggest that the singer is grappling with some larger philosophical questions about the nature of struggle and conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
On a Tuesday in the rain I never thought there'd come a day
I never expected this moment to happen, but it's happening.
If I put myself to the test would I ever raise a fist
If I were faced with a difficult situation, would I have the courage to fight for what I believe in?
Would I just shut my mouth, would I just block it out?
Would I just ignore the situation and pretend like it's not happening?
I've sworn a million times never to be left, Standing with that feeling Of hopelessness left standing, just nervous in the alley
I hate feeling powerless and insecure, and I've promised myself to always stand up for what I believe in, so I never have to feel like that again.
When all is said and through, Would I know just what to do
After everything is over, would I feel confident that I made the right decision?
Is it a change of heart, That keeps us apart And you say it's true And we know it's true When all we have left is me and you
Our relationship has become strained because our feelings have changed, and we both know it's true. All we have is each other.
And it's so strange, When all I have left to say, Is I wonder what's worth fighting for?
It's weird to think that after everything we've been through, I'm not sure what's worth fighting for anymore.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind