#6: Less Than Jake

My American dream is to have it a little bit better than my parents ever had it

Next is Less Than Jake, who were for a while back in high school my #1 favorite.

Wiki Says: Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative rock, third wave ska, punk pop and punk revival. To date, the group has released eight full-length studio albums and a number of singles and compilations. The current lineup comprises guitarist/vocalist Chris Demakes, bassist/vocalist Roger Manganelli, drummer/lyricist Vinnie Fiorello, trombonist Buddy Schaub and saxophonist Peter "JR" Wasilewski.

On June 24, 2008 the band released their latest studio album, GNV FLA, on their own label Sleep It Off Records.

Discovery: Pezcore (1995)
Losing Streak (1996) -Favorite album all time #14
Hello Rockview (1998)
Borders and Boundaries (2000)
Anthem (2003) -Favorite album all time #20
In With the Out Crowd (2006)
GNV FLA (2008) -#18

Other Releases: Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand (1996)
Greased (1997)
Goodburger Soundtrack (1997)
Goodbye Blue and White (2002)
Rock Against Bush vol. 1 (2004)
B is for B-Sides (2004)
Absolution for Idiots and Addicts (2006)

Favorite Songs: 20. We're All Dudes (Featuring Kel Mitchell)
19. Devil in My DNA
18. Escape From the A-Bomb House
17. Dopeman
16. National Anthem
15. Short On Ideas
14. Shindo
13. The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out/Screws Fall Out
12. 107
11. City of Gainesville/The State of Florida
10. Automatic
9. My Very Own Flag
8. How's My Driving
7. All My Best Friends Are Metal Heads
6. Plastic Cup Politics
5. The Last One Out of Liberty City
4. Look What Happened
3. Al's War
2. Best Wishes To Your Black Lung
1. Johnny Quest (Thinks We're Sellouts) -Favorite song all time #10

Years Active: 1992-Present

Seen Live: 4 times
July 2007-Sayerville, NJ
April 2008-Baltimore, MD
July 2009-Oceanport, NJ
June 2010-Baltimore, MD

Once again a top 10 band with only 1 top 100 favorite song. Less Than Jake is great on a much larger scale, hence why they have 3 of my top 25 favorite albums. I have 174 tracks by them on my iTunes, by far the most by any band. Their first 3 albums were of the big ska craze and very much some of the better ska-punk albums out there. Then they went a bit more pop-y following the fade of the ska craze. Then they went to a major label and put out a great pop-punk with horns (and still some ska) album, but a very non-LTJ sounding cd. Anthem is great if you look at it for what it is, fun, fast songs with horns, some ska. Their next full length was pretty horrible, and they know it and joke about it. Upon their release from the major label and starting their own they've gone back to their older sounds of fast ska/punk and it has been great.

Up Next: Another band I found through Tony Hawk's Underground.

Top 21 Albums, 16-12

So to continue the countdown, here are albums 16-12.
(21-17 )




16: "Revolutions Per Minute" by Rise Against (2003). The second album by Rise Against, and one of the first punk albums I ever bought is just great. From start to finish this album pumps you up, just as the band intended to do. This was one of the first albums that after just one listen, I thought nothing but "wow". It blew me away. They do a great job of covering topics from relationships to politics. Tim is flawless at balancing his singing with his screaming, unlike all the other scene-hardcore bands out there. Rise Against gets angry when its appropriate, putting them so far ahead of most bands in terms of ability. "RPM" was a great way for me to get introduced to the band, and I highly recommend this album. It should be noted that I first bought because of "Like the Angel" was featured in "Tony Hawk's Underground", but even from that one song I knew I wanted to get more. Plus, it ends with a great cover of Journey's "Anyway You Want It"
Favorite Song: "Broken English"






15: "Get Warmer" by Bomb the Music Industry! (2007) When I first downloaded (for free from here) I wasn't to fond of the whole thing. I liked a couple songs, but I also got their (his?) previous three albums at the same time, so I had a lot of BTMI! to juggle. After some time, I listened to the whole thing beginning to end and then realized exactly what an amazing CD this is (did I mention its FREE?). I will say its not for everyone, but for an artist who gives out their music for free you can't expect perfect quality. "Get Warmer" is great despite this. You really have to appreciate Jeff Rosenstock and his career to really appreciate his music. But never the less, "Get Warmer" is a lot of fun, and in my mind very easy to enjoy with every listen.
Favorite Song: "No Rest For the Whiny"







14: "Losing Streak" by Less Than Jake (1996). The major label debut for Less Than Jake is far from selling out (Despite what Johnny Quest might think). It might be poppier than "Pez-core" was, but they still do a great job of mixing punk, pop, ska, and their share of metal as well. I don't have much to say about "Losing Streak" besides that it is in every way a great album.
Favorite Song: "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts"








13: "Scrambles" by Bomb the Music Industry! (2009) Again, I was not overly impressed by BTMI at first, but then i took to time to really listen. I used to think all the piano-heavy tracks were boring, but boy was I wrong. Those songs are some of the band's best, and really do a great job to capture Rosenstock's struggles as a musician in a non-flashy way. Every time i listen to one song, I feel obligated to listen to all the ones that follow since the album flows so well. Again, this album is FREE here, so feel free to listen for yourself guilt-free.
Favorite Song: 25!






12: "Turn the Radio Off" by Reel Big Fish (1996). The second, and most notable release from Reel Big Fish is far from overrated in my mind. It has their most popular songs ("Sell Out", "Beer", "Everything Sucks", "SR", "She has a Girlfriend Now"), and those songs are the most popular for a reason. I always love how so many people claim to not like ska, but say "I love this song!" when "Beer" will come on. Reel Big Fish has survived the late-90's ska craze better than most other bands, and still are great to see live. Why are they still so good live? I don't think its a coincidence they still play most of the tracks off this 13 year old album.
Favorite song: "Beer"

Top 21 Albums, 21-17

So in Romo fashion of doing a top 20 countdown, I've decided to do a countdown/review of my 21 favorite albums. Why 21? Two reasons. 1) This way I can devote a full post to #1 as opposed to something small, and 2) I couldn't make the cut on the last 2 albums, so I left it at 21. There wasn't much criteria for these, just i looked them all over and decided which ones I truly love listening to, which ones are in my car, which ones don't get old, which have the most songs I like, and possible sentimental value.

21: "Anthem" by Less Than Jake (2003). "Anthem" has gone through some drastic changes in terms of how i felt about it over time. When I first got it, it was my first Less Than Jake album and I LOVED it. As I got into older LTJ, and their newer stuff was getting bad, I started to look at this as just some pop-punk album that wasn't that good. Then I realized that it is just a pop-punk album, and a really, really good one. Sure they stopped playing ska for the most part, but if you look at this as a pop-punk album with horns its on its own level of ability. The songs are fast, catchy, really fun live.

Favorite song: "Plastic Cup Politics"

20: "No Self Control" by the Planet Smashers (2001). You know those albums that when you listen to them again they remind you of where you were when you first got it and listened? Well "No Self Control" reminds me of spring break 08 in Florida, just sitting on the deck and listening. I still love listening to this one from stat to finish, even though its not really anything special, I just love to listen to it.

Favorite song: "Blind"

19: "More Noise and Other Disturbances" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (1991). The second album from the Bosstones, every track on this I love. The songs live up to the title, within the first 3 tracks are the lines "I like noise that's why I'm living where I am" and "WHHHAAAAAAA????? WHAT ARE THESE NOISES??????". They really demonstrate how mixing two very different genres (at least in 91), ska and hardcore, can come off so well. This album got them on the soundtrack and into the movie "Clueless", where they preform the second track, "Where'd You Go?". Even seeing them live 18 years later, these songs still come off great.

Favorite Track: "Doctor D"

18: "GNV FLA" by Less Than Jake (2008). The most recent release by Less Than Jake, and their return to their "older" sound. The first 30 seconds of reggae on the first track, "The City of Gainseville" made me right away declare it was better than 2006's "In With the Out Crowd". They use their horns more, they play ska more, they play more hard punk and have a less poppy sound while still being catchy. It is really just a perfect blend of their pop-punk of "Anthem" with their harder punk-ska from the 90's, all into one great return to glory album. Less Than Jake acknowledges that their previous album, "In With the Out Crowd", wasn't exactly a fan favorite despite being something they were proud of, but they also have said that this is something both they and their fans love.

Favorite song: "Devil in My DNA"

17: "Minority Rules" by Whole Wheat Bread (2005). Debut album from Florida punk/hip-hop trio, Whole Wheat Bread does not disappoint. From a great punk track "Broke" to the three untitled rap songs at the end, this album has no dull songs. Since this their songs have, in my mind, gotten better, but this album as a whole just has a special place to me. I saw them at one of my first live shows and despite being the only non-ska band there, they blew me away. Three black guys from Florida who play punk? I thought it was the greatest thing ever then. Now I appreciate them for their music, for their ability to play multiple genres, and for their ability to Soulja Boy on stage. Like they say in the first song, "It aint because [they're] black", its for their music.

Favorite Song: "Broke"