Song:Gainesville Rock City
Album:Borders & Boundaries
Less Than Jake started out as a standard power pop group and with some personnel changes and the addition of horns veered into ska territory. They've had their fling with major labels but seem more comfortable on their own label. They started out in high school in Port Charlotte, FL as Good Grief. The group split up when lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Demakes and drummer Vinnie Fiorello moved to Gainesville to attend the University Of Florida and bassist Shaun Grief moved to New York. The two started writing together and met bassist Roger Manganelli. Less Than Jake was born. The band name is about Fiorello's dog Jake being treated better than the rest of the family. They were big fans of the British punk band Snuff so they wanted to add a horn section. They added sax players Jessica Mills and Derron Nuhfer and trombonist Buddy Schaub. They released a couple of EPs and finally released their debut CD Pezcore on Dill Records. This earned them a contract with Capitol Records and they released their major label debut Losing Streak in 1996. Less Than Jake was doing well touring with other ska punk bands but marketing disagreements forced them to buy out their contract in 1998. Gainesville Rock City is from their 2000 CD Borders & Boundaries on Fat Wrcek Chords and the song has turned out to be quite the anthem for the band. They had some other personnel changes including the addition of sax player Pete Wasilewski from the ska band Spring Heeled Jack USA. Borders & Boundaries is currently available as a budget release. They again signed with a major label and the 2003 CD Anthem was on Sire Records. It was their most successful CD but they were unhappy and left in 2007. They now have their own label and their latest CD GNV FLA was released in 2008. Less Than Jake still tours and they are planning a new CD in 2011. Here's the video for Gainesville Rock City by Less Than Jake.
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