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/
Short Fuse Burning
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be exploding tonight
And why this chip on my shoulder
Feels like a mile wide
It's from the overwork
Overtime compromise
So I'm looking tonight
Maybe then I'll find some strength inside
'Cause I've lost any hope of ever changing
I'm a short fuse burning
And remember who I
Who I used to be
Just this one-trick pony
So strung on routine
Yeah, stuck on repeat
Like you couldn't even believe
So I'm looking tonight
For some peace of mind
Maybe then I'll find some strength inside
'Cause I've lost any hope of ever changing
I'm a short fuse burning
And everybody don't forget me
Forget me
And everybody don't forget me
I'm not who I used to be
And everybody don't for
And everybody don't for
And everybody don't forget me
I'm not who I used to be
So I'm looking tonight
For some peace of mind
Maybe then I'll find some strength inside
'Cause I've lost any hope of ever changing
I'm a short fuse burning
And everybody don't forget me
Forget me
And everybody don't forget me
I'm not who I used to be
And everybody don't for--
And everybody don't for--
And everybody don't forget me
I'm not who I used to be
The lyrics to Less Than Jake's "Short Fuse Burning" explore the frustration and anxiety that can come from feeling overworked and stuck in routine. The song's protagonist starts the track by listing all of the reasons why they are feeling explosive and angry, including overwork, compromise, and feeling like they have lost their sense of self. They go on to reminisce about the person they used to be before they became so bogged down by work and routine, feeling like they are now just a "one-trick pony." The chorus repeats the idea that the singer is a "short fuse burning," suggesting that they are at their breaking point.
In the second verse, the singer continues to grapple with their frustration and the sense that they are stuck in a never-ending cycle. They express a desire to find some peace of mind or strength within themselves, but feel like they have already lost hope of ever being able to change their situation. The bridge repeats the idea that the singer is not who they used to be and begs the listener to "not forget me." This could be interpreted as a plea to be seen as a whole, complex person rather than just a product of their current circumstances.
Overall, "Short Fuse Burning" is a poignant exploration of the toll that work and routine can take on a person's mental health and sense of self. The song's repetitive structure mirrors the monotony and frustration of the singer's daily life, while the explosive lyrics and urgent vocals capture the feeling of being on the brink of collapse.
Line by Line Meaning
These are all reasons why
The singer is listing out reasons for why they will explode tonight
I'll be exploding tonight
The singer will have an outburst tonight
And why this chip on my shoulder
The singer has some type of grudge against someone or something
Feels like a mile wide
The grudge the artist is holding onto feels very intense and strong
It's from the overwork
The artist's grudge may stem from feeling overworked or stressed
Overtime compromise
The singer may have given up a lot to work overtime and is now feeling the effects of it
So I'm looking tonight
The singer is searching for something to ease their mind
For some peace of mind
The artist wants to find some tranquility or inner calm
Maybe then I'll find some strength inside
By finding peace, the artist hopes to regain some emotional or mental strength
'Cause I've lost any hope of ever changing
The artist feels stuck in their current situation and doesn't believe they can change it
I'm a short fuse burning
The singer is about to have an explosive outburst
And remember who I
The artist is reminding themselves or someone else to remember who they used to be
Who I used to be
The singer is referring to a time when they were different than their current self
Just this one-trick pony
The singer feels like they are a one-trick pony or have limited skills
So strung on routine
The singer is very stuck in their daily routine and finds it difficult to break out of
Yeah, stuck on repeat
The artist feels like they are living the same day over and over again
Like you couldn't even believe
The artist can't believe how mundane and repetitive their life has become
And everybody don't forget me
The singer is pleading to not be forgotten
I'm not who I used to be
The singer feels like they have changed into someone they don't recognize
And everybody don't forget me
The artist is again reminding not to be forgotten
And everybody don't for--
The artist gets cut off mid-sentence
And everybody don't for--
The artist again gets cut off mid-sentence
And everybody don't forget me
The singer's final plea to not be forgotten
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER DEMAKES, LOUIS JAMES SCHAUB, PETER JOHN WASILEWSKI, ROGERIO LIMA MANGANELLI, VINCENT PHILLIP FIORELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind