After a two-album departure in which they explored their pop songwriting capabilities, Less Than Jake have returned to their punk-ska roots with their new release, GNVFLA.



I must say that I really enjoyed 2006's In With the Out Crowd. Sure it was 1996's Losing Streak that got me hooked on punk-ska music, but it was exciting to hear Less Than Jake testing their boundaries with each subsequent record. At first listen, GNVFLA sounds too much like a trip to the late '90s ... almost as if the constant complaints of, "Less Than Jake aren't ska anymore. They don't even need horn players," finally pushed them over the edge.


[GNVFLA album cover]

After a second listen through the record, I decided not to judge GNVFLA by its music style, but rather the songs as individual tracks ... and I loved the entire freakin' thing. Drummer Vinnie Fiorello has always been one of the scene's best-kept secrets, a lyricist who captures moments and delivers them in a way that bring you in. A concept album of sorts about the band's hometown of Gainsville, Florida, GNVFLA is in your face with upbeat, fast-paced, horn-driven songs like "Summon Monsters" and "The State of Florida" and mid-tempo tracks like "Abandon Ship," a song with a chorus, "Treading water with weights around my neck. A shipwreck of wreckless accidents," that's pure metaphoric genius.

While GNVFLA may not change the music industry or make Less Than Jake an overnight success, the band has proven its talents through 16 years and seven full-lengths' worth of material. Less Than Jake will always have their core following, and their undeniably catchy and inspiring tunes are bound to grab the attention of younger punk enthusiasts who are tired of emo bands writing sappy songs about love and who are instead looking for something with more substance ... which Less Than Jake deliver full throttle.

DJ Rossstar's favorite Less Than Jake records:

Anthem
In With the Out Crowd
Bouders and Boundaries
Hello Rockview/Losing Streak/GNVFLA
Pezcore

Saxophonist Peter "JR" Wasilewski spoke with Buzznet a bit ago about GNVFLA. He called it "a return to form," referring to the traditional punk-ska sound the band has become famous for over its 16-year career.

To see the vets in all their glory, be sure to check the band on tour this summer. Dates are below, and additional ones in Canada with Reel Big Fish will be announced shortly.

Less Than Jake tour dates:

6.24: West Babylon, NY @ Looney Tunes (in-store)
6.25: Leominster, MA @ Newbury Comics (in-store)
6.25: Worcester, MA @ Palladium (with Goldfinger)
6.26: New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom (with Goldfinger)
6.27: Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (with Goldfinger)
6.28: Fords, NJ @ Vintage Vinyl (in-store)
6.28: Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony (with Goldfinger)
6.29: Philadelphia, PA @ Penns Landing (with Goldfinger)
7.1: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre (with Goldfinger)
7.2: Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre (with Goldfinger)
7.3: Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave (with Goldfinger)
7.3: Minneapolis, MN @ Electric Fetus (in-store)
7.4: Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest (with Goldfinger)
7.5: Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium (with Goldfinger)
7.7: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant (with Goldfinger)
7.7: St. Louis, MO @ Vintage Vinyl (in-store)
7.8: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues (with Goldfinger)
7.9: Toronto, ON @ Sunrise Records (in-store)
7.9: Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus (with Goldfinger)
7.10: Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom (with Goldfinger)
7.11: Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino (with Goldfinger)
7.12: Poughkeepsie, NewY @ The Chance (with Goldfinger)
7.13: Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall (with Goldfinger)
7.14: Richmond, VA @ Toad's Place Richmond (with Goldfinger)
7.16: New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues (with Goldfinger)
7.17: Houston, TX @ Meridian (with Goldfinger)
7.18: Dallas, TX @House of Blues (with Goldfinger)
7.20: Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre (with Goldfinger)
7.21: Magna, UT @ The Great Salt Air (with Goldfinger)
7.23: Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre (with Goldfinger)
7.24: Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (with Goldfinger)
7.25: San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center @ The Grand (with Goldfinger)
7.26: Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre (with Goldfinger)
7.27: Anaheim, CA @ The Grove of Anaheim (with Goldfinger)
7.29: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues (with Goldfinger)
7.30: Tuscon, AZ @ Rialto Theatre (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.1: San Antonio, TX @ Scout Bar (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.2: Austin, TX @ Antone's (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.16: Hasselt, Belgium @ Pukkelpop Festival
8.17: Erfurt, Germany @ Highfield Festival
8.18: Prague, Czechoslovakia @ Rockcafe (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.19: Wurzburg, Germany @ Soundpark  (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.20: Uebersee, Germany @ Chiemsee (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.22: Reading, United Kingdom @ Reading Festival
8.23: Leeds, United Kingdom @ Leeds Festival  
8.24: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melkweg (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.25: Augsburg, Germany @ Kantine (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.26: Zurich, Switzerland @ Abart (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.27: Ravena, Italy @ Rock Planet (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.29: Weisen, Germany @ Weisen Festival (with Big D and the Kids Table)
8.30: Ludinghausen, Germany @ Area 4 Festival (with Big D and the Kids Table)
9.12: Seattle, WA @ Show Box (with Rancid)
9.13: Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory (with Rancid)
9.14: Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theatre (with Rancid)