Less Than Jake (MySpace) saxophonist JR doesn’t particularly like phone calls—or music reviewers (more on that later). So we feel pretty privileged that he sat down to talk with us about life with Less Than Jake, his perfect mix CD, the inaccuracy of Six Feet Under (his father is a funeral director) and his band's new album, GNV FLA.

What can you tell me about the new CD? Any favorite tracks?
My two favorite tracks are the first two on the album, "City of Gainesville" and "State of Florida". They work together. I just think that they're really cool songs. The lyrics are really strong and they have good melodies. Those two songs pretty much encompass the band in four minutes. I also really like "Abandon Ship". The bridge is best part of that one. But the whole album is good. Overall, this is one of the strongest we've done.

How has your experience been releasing the latest CD on your own label [Sleep It Off Records] instead of someone else's?
It's a lot more work than any of us really anticipated but it's definitely satisfying. We don't have to ask anyone for approval before we do anything, and that's liberating. We have this freedom when playing live, too. There's no one to answer to.

We just did this acoustic in-store performance and the radio DJ who introduced us said [his voice gets very low and serious] "And now, ladies and gentlemen, Less Than Jake" in this really macabre voice. So Vinnie [Fiorello, the band's drummer] said, "Thanks for that explosion of an intro" and was talking shit and busting his balls and I started laughing. Then Vinnie was like, "Shit, should I not have done that?" and I was like, "No, you absolutely should've done that. Who's gonna call and yell, the label? That's not gonna happen." It makes it fun. It's really satisfying.

Some critics have said you're trying too hard to recreate the past or return to the old sound with this release. What are your thoughts on that?
There was no attempt to do anything like that. We just wrote songs. There are people who are in the know and people who think they know. I want to know how people get a job as a reviewer. I mean, what makes your musical opinions that much better than anyone else's? I went to music school. I know when a record is shit and when a record is good. For them to listen to my record then turn around and say, "That's shit or that's not real or that's trying too hard," it's shit talk. It's just their nature. I can't get really frustrated or pissed. Actually, I would rather no one review our records. Then I don't have to read them. Because when I read them, that's when I get mad.

Writers will typically find some good things, they'll find some bad things, and they'll say "it’s really good, BUT…" Well fuck you, you go make a record. Unless you walk a mile in somebody's shoes, shut the fuck up. Love it or hate it. It's unfortunate that it's just part of the industry. We wrote this record and we're psyched on it. I love our record. [For the, uh, record, we love it too.]

I usually don't read any reviews. I don't like talking to reviewers. [At this point, this Phillyist hastily reassured JR that she is not really a music reviewer.]

We're not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything like that. We're just trying to be Less Than Jake. That's it. I don’t think we ever claimed to be anything but that.

So how do you feel about being compared to other bands then?
We try things. We're not afraid to take chances. We take a chance, we fail, whoops. We'll try something else. At least we tried. A lot of these guys just go out and they're status quo. They just do what they need to get by and that's it. We don't do that. That's not our philosophy. That's not who we are as people and not who we are as a band. We get up every day and work hard, whether it's on stage, off stage or whatever. That's what's sustained us for so long. As Chris [Demakes, the band’s guitarist and singer] likes to say, we're not a one-hit wonder but a 15-year failure.

You named this release after Gainesville, Florida, the band's hometown. Is that still your favorite place to play, or is there another city that stands out for great Less Than Jake shows?
We just played a show in Orlando and Orlando was great. The UK was great; they're all great... it doesn't matter how many kids are there as long as they come out and there's energy. But you can't beat Gainesville. It is our hometown. Overall, a show is a show is a show and I'm just happy to be doing this. I thank my lucky stars that this is what I do. It's sweet. I'm gonna keep doing this until they tell me I can't do it anymore.

My favorite CD is a mix my brother made for me years ago. Less Than Jake is on it along with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Reel Big Fish, Dancehall Crashers, Operation Ivy, Save Ferris, Goldfinger, Rancid, and a few others. I know that you have toured or will be touring with a some of those bands, like Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish & Rancid. So if you were making a mix CD with Less Than Jake music on it, who else would be on it?
I'd put some Descendents on there. I'd put an All song on there. I'd put Iron Maiden—probably "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," just to piss people off because it's 14 minutes long. I'd put it right in the middle of the CD. Let's see… I'd put some Elvis Costello on there, Billy Bragg, Snuff… I'd probably put a Fallout Boy song on there… I'd put Newfound Glory, the Beach Boys, an MC5 song, a Stooges song and a Public Enemy song. Yeah. Somehow I think it would all work together.

I loved your cover of "You're the One that I Want," and you were known for a while for the Jeffersons and Laverne & Shirley covers. Are there any other songs that you'd like to give the Less Than Jake treatment?
We've been talking about possible covers for last five years but don't know what we might do. Now that we're on our own label, we have the opportunity to do whatever we want. There's nothing out there right now that we feel like "we've gotta do this now." But there might be something that comes along, you never know.

Obviously there's the summer tour that's under way. Then what's next for you guys?
We'll be doing some shows in the UK and around Europe, festivals and such. Then there are the west coast shows with Rancid and the Canadian ones with Reel Big Fish. Possibly early next year we'll end up in South America, Australia and Japan. In Japan there's this short cheer right after we finish a song, then they're deathly quiet waiting to hear the next song.

I thought we'd wrap up with a few questions from the Proust Questionnaire.
[JR, like the Japanese audiences, is deathly quiet for a moment.]

OK, so… what is your present state of mind?
Right now I'm calm, but that changes hour to hour.

What is your most marked characteristic?
I'd like to think it's my sense of humor. Or my gift of gab.

How would you like to die?
Quickly. My father is a funeral director, and I've been around death my whole life. I definitely want to go fast.

So, were you a fan of Six Feet Under?
Yeah, but you know, on a technical level they were off on a couple of things. They didn't do enough research. But it was pretty close, I suppose.

What is your motto?
Do unto others as you'd have them do to you. And hopefully they'll treat you the same way. And my philosophy is work hard.

Your idea of happiness?
A place where the phone doesn't ring, where nobody complains, and it's 72 degrees all the time with a slight breeze.

That sounds amazing. Any final thoughts you'd like to leave our readers with?
Don't download the record! Please go buy it. It doesn't cost that much money and I need to make payments on my house. Or download it off iTunes. But don't steal it.

Less Than Jake
The Paul Green School of Rock Music Festival
Sunday, June 29, gates at 11:00 AM, show at noon
Penn's Landing
Tickets: $37.50

Photo by Dennis Ho.