'Generation X' band still going strong after 16 years

Much like your local 7-Eleven location, the guys in ska/punk band Less Than Jake always seem to be right around every corner.

"That's awesome," said Peter 'JR' Wasilewski, who joined the band in 2000. "I take that as a compliment, and to even be thought of in that way is really cool. To be able to keep going is totally sweet and I want to keep doing it."

Formed 16 years ago in Gainesville, Fla., the band released seven full-length albums, numerous singles and compilations and has consistently circled the world several times over, touring venues large and small.

That said, it's a much different time now than it was when Less Than Jake, named for drummer Vinnie Fiorello's family dog — an 80-pound pit bull — back in Jersey, first got together in 1992.

You could say they're a Generation X band — perhaps one of the last still writing, recording and touring in their original formation — as opposed to the so-called Generation Y acts of today.

"We work and we're not afraid to work," JR said. "We don't bitch about it, because we're happy to be working. So many bands now feel deserved.

"They're Generation Y — 'why isn't my band bigger?' 'Why haven't we sold more records?' 'Why aren't we signed?' It's like: 'stop asking questions and do something.' "

Not wanting to sound like his grandfather, but at the same time joking that perhaps he had indeed grown up to be a "bitter old man," JR, 31, recalled that no one had ever merely given his band anything other than opportunities.

But it was what they did with those opportunities that has enabled Less Than Jake — Chris Demakes, Roger Manganelli, Buddy Schaub, Fiorello and JR — to survive as a creative entity in spite of changing times and a fickle music business.

Originally a power-pop trio the band quickly evolved from influences of both third wave ska and punk rock with twinges of hard rock and metal. A year after forming the group added their first horn player, Jessica Mills, whom JR would replace in 2000.

Although they've been a rather self-reliant band, the group has twice ventured into major label record deals — first with Capitol Records (1996-2000) and most recently with Warner Bros./Sire Records (2003). They recently parted ways with Warner Bros., forming their own label, Sleep It Off Records.

In that time Less Than Jake has toured with everyone from the Descendents and Bad Religion, to Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy, as well as Bon Jovi. The band has been featured on the Warped Tour three times (1997, 2001 and 2004) as well as on the Linkin Park package known as Projekt Revolution, which also featured Korn, Snoop Dogg and The Used.

"We worked our (explicative) off playing in front of kids eating nachos," JR said. "We're all in our thirties. We're not little kids, but we were all going for it everyday like we were 22 and had something to prove."

It was on those tours that Less Than Jake proved their talent to a mass audience. The group showed that regardless of what anyone thinks of punk music, namely ska punk, Less Than Jake is definitely one of the genre's better live bands. That is precisely why today — in a Generation Y dominated soundscape - the band remains viable . The band is getting ready to self-release its eighth album.

"If anybody says they knew (that) when they started a band it was going to be this thing that lasted, they're liars," JR said, "and you should call them a dirty liar.

"I started playing music because I heard you get free beer and somebody said there would be girls there. Those are two things I really like and, oh, I get to play music. This is cool, but I never thought it would be my career.

"Low and behold this is what I do," he continued, "and I don't take it for granted. I know that I'm lucky and I'm blessed to be living the dream, man, living the dream."

The dream continues June 24 with the release of "GNVFLA" (pronounced Gainesville, Florida), the first record released through the band's own label.

"I don't want to say it's us getting back to our roots, because that sounds so lame," JR said. "It's a progression forward to where we are now as a band, but it brings back some elements that were missing in previous records.

"Definitely more horns and it's definitely a little more aggressive and faster. It's definitely a ska punk record. It's very much Less Than Jake."

Deliberately stopping short of saying the record is "the next great thing," JR related the recording process as being "unbelievable, stressful, crazy and worth it."

With a 100 percent say on the project and no outside distractions the band made a record for themselves and in the process they hope they made a record their longtime supporters will be happy with.

"It's like being in a relationship for a long time," JR said. "You always wonder — keeping it fresh, keeping it new and keeping it exciting. We try to keep it fresh. If we can keep it fresh amongst the five of us, then I guess we can keep it fresh for our fans.

"There's no stopping. This is all we do because this all we know how to do and we do it the best that we can."