Less Than Jake is a ska punk band formed in 1992 in Gainesville, USA. Their… Read Full Bio ↴Less Than Jake is a ska punk band formed in 1992 in Gainesville, USA. Their current line-up consists of Chris DeMakes (vocals, guitar), Roger Lima (vocals, bass), Matt Yonker (drums), Buddy Schaub (trombone) and Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone).

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/

Process
Less Than Jake Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've always watched the change
I've watched without a sound
And often wondered why
I don't speak a word out loud
But the world won't stop for me
And I can't stop the world myself
But I often wondered why
The rest of them can't see for themselves

The change I've found
That keeps me bound
Without a sound
There's a process in the world
And no one can stop the change

There's a process all around us
And things never stay the same

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Less Than Jake's "Process" reveal a sense of resignation in the face of an ever-changing world. The singer admits to silently watching as the world changes around them, wondering why they can't speak up and hoping that others will eventually see the truth. However, the singer ultimately acknowledges that there is a process at work in the world that none of us can stop, and that everything is in a constant state of flux.

The themes of "Process" are ones that will likely resonate with many listeners. At some point or another, most of us have probably experienced a sense of powerlessness in the face of the world's unstoppable transformations. The song's lyrics capture this feeling with simple yet poignant language, expressing a sense of resignation that is both melancholy and cathartic.

Overall, the lyrics of "Process" suggest that while we may not be able to stop the world from changing, we can still find a sense of peace by accepting the inevitability of change and focusing on what we can control. While this may seem like a difficult lesson to learn, it is ultimately a valuable one that can help us navigate the ups and downs of life.

Line by Line Meaning

I've always watched the change
I've closely observed the changes happening around me

I've watched without a sound
I have been silently observing the changes

And often wondered why
I have frequently contemplated the reasons behind the changes

I don't speak a word out loud
I do not vocalize my thoughts on the changes

But the world won't stop for me
The world will continue to move forward despite my observation

And I can't stop the world myself
I am not capable of halting the changes on my own

But I often wondered why
I still question the reasons behind the changes

The rest of them can't see for themselves
Others are unable to perceive the changes happening around them

The change I've found
I have discovered the changes happening

That keeps me bound
These changes have captivated me and kept me interested

Without a sound
I have observed the changes silently