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/
Robots
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That some things are easier when we walk away
And acting normal means acting like everyone Ellis
And you're better of by not acting like yourself
Are we buy what they're selling
Do we have our eyes open
Life's not a fashion statement
It's just prefect day in our perfect lives
Just as long as we have commericals and things to hide behind
It's a life so real you only watch it
On a moive screen getting so close you can almost touch it
Are we buy what they're selling
Do we have our eyes open
Life's not a fashion statement
It takes more than good intentions
[x2]
They never bought or sold you
They can't image and mold you
To chase something cause we think its new
Thinking that's the best for you
Are we buy what they're selling
Do we have our eyes open
Life's not a fashion statement
It takes more than good intentions
[x2]
Let me tell you what the score is robots 1 humans 0
The song "Robots" by Less Than Jake is a commentary on the modern age and the way in which society is conforming to mainstream ideals rather than being true to oneself. The lyrics suggest that walking away from certain situations is sometimes easier than facing them, however this can lead to people suppressing their true selves and conforming to societal expectations. The song also questions if people are really aware of the choices they make, or if they are blindly following the advertising and media put in front of them.
The line "It's just a perfect day in our perfect lives" is particularly interesting as it suggests a sense of artificiality, as people try to create a facade of an ideal life for themselves despite it not being genuine. The final line "let me tell you what the score is, robots 1 humans 0" is a direct reference to the idea that society is becoming more robotic and conformist rather than embracing individuality.
Overall, the lyrics of "Robots" reflect a growing concern that people are losing their capacity for independent thought and action. The band is urging listeners to break free from societal constraints and embrace their true selves to live fulfilling lives.
Line by Line Meaning
So what have we really learned today
Reflecting on the day's events and trying to understand the lessons we can take away from them.
That some things are easier when we walk away
Acknowledging that it's sometimes better to avoid a situation rather than confront it head-on.
And acting normal means acting like everyone Ellis
Recognizing that society often expects people to conform and behave in the same way as everyone else.
And you're better off by not acting like yourself
Suggesting that it might be more beneficial to pretend to be someone else rather than showing who you truly are.
Are we buy what they're selling
Asking whether we are blindly accepting the messages that we are being sold by advertisers.
Do we have our eyes open
Questioning whether we are paying attention to what's really going on in the world around us.
Life's not a fashion statement
Reminding us that life is not just about appearances and external image.
It takes more than good intentions
Stressing that it's not enough to simply have good intentions; we must also follow through with action.
It's just prefect day in our perfect lives
Sarcastically commenting on how people often try to present their lives as perfect and without problems.
Just as long as we have commericals and things to hide behind
Suggesting that people often distract themselves with material possessions and media rather than addressing real issues in their lives.
It's a life so real you only watch it
Pointing out how people can become so detached from reality that they only experience it secondhand through media.
On a movie screen getting so close you can almost touch it
Describing how people can become emotionally invested in fictional stories and characters, despite how disconnected they are from their own lives.
They never bought or sold you
Asserting that people should resist conforming to societal expectations and being manipulated by corporations.
They can't image and mold you
Reinforcing the idea that individuals should resist being reshaped into something they don't want to be.
To chase something cause we think its new
Condemning the attitude of blindly following trends and fads simply because they are new and exciting.
Thinking that's the best for you
Highlighting how easily people can be fooled into thinking that something is good for them, even if it isn't.
Let me tell you what the score is robots 1 humans 0
Using the metaphor of robots vs. humans to comment on how technology and capitalism seem to be winning out over individual humanity.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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