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/
Theme Song For H Street
Less Than Jake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just left yesterday and I know
I know your girlfriend
Couldn't explain why she just moved away
Things are so the same
That all I can really bring myself to says is that I know
And remember when they said
Just how long can your ideals
That kinda nervous laugh
And we just sang along to that song on the radio
And yeah just outside
The conversation's getting old
And I know they're right
Betting smokes that our end is just as close
Thins are so the same
And you were right about
Just how we'd figure oout
Things change but beliefs stay the same
And you were right about
Just how we'd figure out a change of ideas I've known
The lyrics to Less Than Jake's song Theme Song For H Street deal with the theme of change and how it affects individuals and relationships. The song speaks of the singer's friend who left town and his girlfriend who moved away, leaving him to deal with the monotony of everyday life. The lyrics suggest that despite the changes, some things remain the same, including the beliefs of the individuals involved. The singer ponders the length of time that ideals can keep one warm and remembers laughing off the question when posed earlier. However, with the end seemingly close, the singer realizes that his friend was right about the inevitability of change and how it will alter beliefs.
The song's lyrics describe the universal experience of change and how we all have to deal with its effects on our lives. The song touches on the theme of inevitability and the acceptance of change. As we age and grow, we change our perspectives, beliefs and ideas, but some things remain constant. The theme song for H Street speaks to the listener's soul, reminding the listener of the inevitability of change and the importance of adapting to it.
Line by Line Meaning
You know my best friend
I trust you enough to share my personal life story with you.
Just left yesterday and I know
My best friend moved away recently and I feel sad about it.
I know your girlfriend
I am acquainted with your partner well enough.
Couldn't explain why she just moved away
I don't know the reason why she moved away, despite being close to her.
Things are so the same
Life has been monotonous and uneventful lately, which frustrates me.
That all I can really bring myself to says is that I know
I am not good at expressing myself and can only acknowledge that I am aware of the situation.
And remember when they said
I recall a specific incident where people made a comment.
Just how long can your ideals
They questioned the longevity of my beliefs and values.
Keep you warm and we just laughed
We found humor in the idea of ideals keeping us warm.
That kinda nervous laugh
Our laughter was mixed with a sense of uneasiness or anxiety.
And we just sang along to that song on the radio
To ease the tension, we sang along to a hopeful song on the radio.
And yeah just outside
As we speak, something is happening outside of our conversation.
The conversation's getting old
Our discussion has been going on for too long and is becoming tiresome.
And I know they're right
Despite my reluctance to admit it, I know that others are correct about something.
Betting smokes that our end is just as close
We joke about having a limited time left before our own 'end' arrives.
Thins are so the same
My daily routine has not changed in a long time and I am feeling stagnant.
And you were right about
I remember a moment where you previously proved to be correct.
Just how we'd figure oout
We navigated a problem or situation successfully in the past.
Things change but beliefs stay the same
Despite the world changing around us, our core values and beliefs remain the same.
And you were right about
Once again, you proved to be correct about something.
Just how we'd figure out a change of ideas I've known
We are capable of adapting and evolving our thoughts and opinions as situations demand.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
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