Less Than Jake
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| Less Than Jake | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Gainesville, Florida, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Ska punk, Pop punk | |
| Years active | 1992–present | |
| Label(s) | No Idea, Capitol, Fat Wreck Chords, Fueled by Ramen, Sire | |
| Website | http://www.lessthanjake.com/ | |
| Members | ||
| Chris Demakes Roger Manganelli Vinnie Fiorello Buddy Schaub Peter "JR" Wasilewski |
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Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio with heavy punk rock influences. The band is known among fans for a high sense of humor and a fixation with Pez candy.
Contents |
[edit] History
Less Than Jake metamorphosed into a ska-inspired punk rock/power-pop band with the addition of several members from 1993 to 1995. Vocalist and guitarist Chris Demakes, bassist Shaun Grief and drummer Vinnie Fiorello were the first incarnation of the group. However, Grief later became the group's roadie, and was eventually replaced by Roger Manganelli, who picked up bass just to join the band. During the years 1993-1994, the group added their first horn player, Jessica Mills, and soon after came trombone player Buddy Schaub. Right before their first tour, however, Schaub went to Europe with friends, so saxophonist Derron Nuhfer filled in for shows during his absence.
With various 7" releases under their belt, Less than Jake debuted in 1994 with the album Pezcore, on Dill Records. Losers, Kings and Things We Don't Understand and Greased followed on No Idea Records until the group signed with Capitol Records for their major label debut, 1996's Losing Streak. The album was full of the band's wry, fast-paced brand of ska-punk anthems, producing such fan favorites as "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts" and "Jen Doesn't Like Me Anymore." Upon the album's completion, Jessica Mills left to pursue teaching. Jessica later played guitar and drums in the Gainsville all-girl hard core band Reina Aveja (Queen Bee). Later (ex-Slapstick trombonist) Pete Anna came on board. Around this time, Vinnie Fiorello also started his own record label, Fueled by Ramen, with friend John Janick. Hello Rockview followed in 1998, and spawned a minor college radio hit with "History of a Boring Town (#39 Billboard 40)." In the fall of 2000, the band released Borders & Boundaries on Fat Wreck Chords, as well as landing the opening spot on Bon Jovi's North American tour.
Derron Nuhfer left the band after the album's recording (and later went on to join Gunmoll), and Less Than Jake found his replacement in ex-Spring Heel Jack horn player Pete Wasilewski-- though to avoid any name confusion within the band, the second Pete was dubbed JR, and he is still called JR even after the first Pete decided to leave soon after the 2001 Warped Tour. Over the years, Less Than Jake has issued more 7" and limited-edition vinyl releases than most people can keep track of, so the bandmembers compiled some of their favorite tracks on one record for 2002's Goodbye Blue and White, named in honor of their original tour van. Anthem followed in 2003 for Sire. It featured it hit singles in both the US and the UK, with "She's Gonna Break Soon" (TRL), "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" (#36 Billboard 40), and "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out" featuring Billy Bragg (UK Top 40). B Is for B-sides was issued a year later, comprised of tracks that did not make it to Anthem's final cut. The DVD retrospective People's History of Less Than Jake appeared a month later.
Most recently, the band released its four-song Absolution for Idiots and Addicts (EP) in April 2006, with their next full-length, In with the Out Crowd, following a month later on Warner Brothers Records. The latter album was also issued in a limited edition that came in a leather-bound case complete with bonus multimedia discs that contained a plethora of music videos, bonus tracks and an elaborate photo gallery.
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Current members
- Chris Demakes - guitar, vocals
- Roger Manganelli - bass, vocals, second guitar (occasionally live and while recording)
- Vinnie Fiorello - drums, lyrics
- Buddy "Goldfinger" Schaub - trombone, bass (whenever Manganelli plays second guitar live), vocals (occasionally live)
- Peter "JR" Wasilewski - saxophone, vocals (occasionally live)
[edit] Past members
- Shaun Grief - bass
- Jessica Mills - alto saxophone
- Derron Nuhfer - tenor and baritone saxophones
- Pete Anna - trombone
- Chris Campisi - bass
[edit] Guest musicians
- Lars Nylander - trombone
- Vinny Nobile - trombone
- Chris Rhodes - trombone
- Kevin Fry - lead singer
- Cut Chemist- Turntables
- Kel Mitchell - Lead singer
- Billy Bragg - Lead Singer
- Scott Ian from the band Anthrax - Trombone (While Buddy had to take a short leave for a hand surgery)
[edit] Interviews
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
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[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | UK Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "All My Best Friends Are Metal Heads" | 51 |
| 2001 | "Gainesville Rock City" | 57 |
| 2003 | "She's Gonna Break Soon" | 39 |
| 2003 | "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" | 78 |
| 2006 | "Overrated (Everything Is)/ Still Life Franchise" (double A-side) | 61 |
| 2006 | "Rest of My Life/Don't Fall Asleep On The Subway (double A-Side)" | 77 |
| 2006 | "P. S. Shock The World" | 96 |
[edit] Other
Compilations, live records, miscellaneous releases
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Bootleg a Bootleg, You Cut Out the Middleman | Self-Released |
| 1999 | Pesto | Very Small Records |
| 1999 | Live from Uranus | EMI |
| 2000 | The Pez Collection | Moon Ska Europe and Rapido |
| 2002 | Goodbye Blue and White (#36 Billboard Independent) | Fueled By Ramen |
| 2004 | Live in Minneapolis | (download only) |
| 2005 | B is for B-sides (Remixed) | Fueled By Ramen |
| 2006 | Absolution for Idiots and Addicts (EP) | Sire |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The People's History of Less Than Jake | Fueled By Ramen |
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Avant Tarde | Fueled By Ramen |
Songs contributed to compilations and soundtracks for films and video games
| Title | Contributed to | Label, Year |
|---|---|---|
| Liquor Store | Songs About Drinking | Very Small Records, 1995 |
| The Summer Of '69 | Wood Panel Pacer Wagon With Mags | Very Small Records, 1996 |
| Cheese | Liverache': Tales From The Livers' Edge | Very Small Records, 1997 |
| We're All Dudes (Feat. Kel Mitchell) | Good Burger | 1997 |
| I Think I Love You (The Partridge Family Cover) | Scream 2 | 1997 |
| All My Best Friends Are Metalheads | Street Sk8er | EA Sports, 1998 |
| Digimon: The Movie | 2000 | |
| Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | 2002 | |
| Sugar in Your Gas Tank | Street Sk8er | EA Sports, 1998 |
| Help Save the Youth of America From Exploding | Drive Me Crazy | 1999 |
| Anchor | Short Music for Short People | Fat Wreck Chords, 1999 |
| Surrender (Cheap Trick Cover) | ATV Offroad Fury | Sony, 2001 |
| Motown Never Sounded So Good | ATV Offroad Fury | Sony, 2001 |
| Faction | Uncontrollable Fatulence | Fat Wreck Chords, 2002 |
| Look What Happened | Grind | 2003 |
| The Ghosts Of You and Me | NHL 2004 | EA Sports, 2003 |
| Scooby Doo | ||
| Short Fuse Burning | Gran Turismo 4 | Sony, 2004 |
| That's Why They Call It A Union | Tony Hawk's Underground 2 | 2004 |
| The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out (Feat. Billy Bragg) | Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 | Fat Wreck Chords, 2004 |
| A Still Life Franchise | Madden 07 | EA Sports, 2006 |
[edit] Miscellaneous information
- Less Than Jake's name came from Vinnie's dog - Jake. Everything was referred to either Less Than Or Greater Than Jake.
- Vinnie is the owner of independent record label Fueled by Ramen, as well as a toy company called Wünderland War originally called Monkey Vs. Robot. The name was changed due to legal issues. Vinnie has also started a second toy company with a friend called Symptoms Wherein. Fueled By Ramen has signed various bands including Punchline, The AKAs, Gym Class Heroes, Incendiary, Forgive Durden, and Days Away, as well as more popular bands including; Panic! At the Disco, Yellowcard, The Academy Is... and Fall Out Boy.
- Roger has a side-project called Rehasher, who have recorded an album Off Key Melodies on Gainesville based record label No Idea Records. He plays guitar (not bass) for Rehasher, and is also their lead singer.
- JR was featured playing saxophone in the last track from Rehasher's album Off Key Melodies. He composes his own solo music on top of working with a promoting company called the CT Mafia. He contributed one track to the Drive-Thru Records tribute to Bob Dylan, under the name "The Stay at Home Joneses" which also featured secondary vocals by Roger. He was also in the prominent Connecticut Ska Band, Spring Heeled Jack, which still attracts fans and publications.
- Roger and Vinnie have an unexplained fondness for Pez candy. They reportedly have sizeable Pez dispenser collections. This love for Pez is so intense that they named one of their albums Pezcore (parodying 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. Vinnie will appear on the Pez documentary titled PEZheads - The Movie.
- Roger's employment history includes working at a smoke shop in the band's hometown Gainesville, Florida known as Knuckleheads which has since been transformed into a similar establishment named Smoke, which is now out of business. 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 Bruce Lee band now have a new album out featuring the progressive rock band RX Bandits as backup musicians.
- 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 removed the brass at the beginning of the song that was featured in the previous recording. The re-recording features guest vocals by Heather from Teen Idols. They have also re-recorded many other songs, including "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts", "Jen Doesn't Like Me Anymore", "Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin", "History of a Boring Town", and "Shotgun".
- They are largely responsible for, though unaffiliated with, the (Florida Ska Revival Movement) in their home state of Florida, which is a movement started by a group of Florida bands to bring ska music back into the mainstream.
- The band has written and recorded over one hundred songs.
- Actress Alexis Bledel, known more for her role as Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, is a fan of the band and appeared in the video for She's Gonna Break Soon, where she played a girl who destroyed her bedroom during the song.
- Many of the band members are known to enjoy heavy metal music. Roger lists the legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden as a favourite, and Chris has frequently been sighted wearing metal band t-shirts.
- The song from Anthem, Best Wishes To Your Black Lung is written about Pete Anna, who left the band to go back to Chicago after Borders & Boundaries to become a firefighter.
- Buddy is involved in a side band called PB&J; in which he provides the bass, vocals and occasional trombone.
- During Less Than Jake's set at the Orlando Warped Tour on 6/25/06, JR, whose hair had been long for years, had Fat Mike come on stage and cut it short, apparently due to losing a bet.
- Contrary to popular belief, Less Than Jake have never covered The Proclaimers' iconic hit "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". Drummer, lyricist and band spokesman Vinnie has joked that it is the band's 'most downloaded song', despite the fact that they have never recorded their own version of it. Another popular myth among Less Than Jake fans is that their song, "Liquor Store" wasn't written by them, but actually Reel Big Fish. This started when the group gave a tour in Minneapolis and Chris made a statement that they couldn't sing the song because of copyright infringement.
- The song All My Best Friends Are Metal Heads was featured on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.
