Twenty-three years after its release, Less Than Jake’s Anthem still stands as one of the defining albums that kept ska punk alive during the genre’s darkest commercial years.
Formed in 1992 in Gainesville Florida, Less Than Jake exploded in popularity during the ‘90s through relentless touring, compilation appearances, and soundtrack placements (Scream 2, The Good Burger Movie, Digimon the Movie, 90210, and more). Most people might cite Hello Rockview (1998) or Losing Streak (1996) as their favorite Less Than Jake albums. Those records captured the band at the height of their popularity during their time on Capitol Records, the same label that once housed The Beatles. Let that skank into your brain for a second. They were a massive part of the ‘90s third-wave ska explosion and we all knew it would stay that way forever!
The Commercial Collapse of Ska
By the early 2000s, ska had become commercially radioactive. Record labels were begging their ska bands to not play any ska on new albums and to stick to pop punk tracks, maybe even ditch the horn section completely. Some bands abandoned ska entirely and found moderate success. Others continued and adapted without losing their identity. I think the best example of this is with Less Than Jake’s 2003 album, Anthem.
The 2000s ska punk slump didn’t affect Less Than Jake’s fan base or touring abilities. Their foundation in punk rock helped them survive the collapse of ska’s mainstream popularity. In fact, in 2001 Less Than Jake did a tour opening for Bon Jovi! That mainstream visibility gave the band momentum heading into the recording sessions for Anthem.
Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake Drummer/Fueled by Ramen Founder) on touring with Bon Jovi:
The Evolution of Anthem and the Songs That Endured
In 2002, the band entered the studio with producer Rob Cavallo (best known for his work on Green Day’s Dookie) after signing to Sire Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. The result was my favorite Less Than Jake album. Compared to the rawer sound of Losing Streak or Hello Rockview, Anthem embraced bigger hooks, cleaner production, and tighter arrangements without sacrificing the band’s energy.
Admittedly, most of the songs don’t rely on traditional ska upstroke guitar rhythms. Chris Demakes found new ways to syncopate clean or clean-ish guitar parts to make a ‘skank’ in new and interesting ways.
The horns still had ripping high energy moments akin to Hello Rockview. One of the album’s best showcases of that evolution is “Plastic Cup Politics.” Roger Lima delivers what might be the fastest and most chaotic bass performance of his career. After the opening bass run, the full band explodes into lightning-fast, pit-ready punk. The horns blast a call to action, like a battle cry stating, “YES, we still have horns and we’re going to prove that we’re more punk than your non-horn playing asses!”
You can’t talk about Anthem without mentioning the smash hit, “The Science of Selling Yourself Short.” The song explores apathy, self-doubt, and the feeling that you’ll never amount to anything. It captures how isolating and dark those feelings can become. This was a time when a lot of us kids growing up in the 2000s were starting to wrestle with anxiety, broken homes, isolation, and the uncertainty that came with that era. Those experiences shaped who we became. Less Than Jake took the ska approach that was very common in the third wave scene and wrote a semi-happy sounding song with dark and serious lyrics to let us know that even though sometimes life sucks, we can sing along and do it with a smile on our faces.
A less popular track from the album remains one of my favorites not only of the album, but of the band’s entire discography. That song is, “That’s Why They Call It a Union”. LTJ drummer, Vinnie Fiorello, is credited with writing the lyrics for this song. He’s mentioned how it’s about how he felt during his parent’s divorce.
“There’s a black cloud over this house that’s been around for three years now. There’s a thunderstorm inside and it won’t go away.”
My discovery of this song was from the video game, “Tony Hawk’s Underground 2”. It wasn’t until my own parent’s divorce in 2008 that it finally hit me and I understood what those feelings looked like for that record.
Some longtime fans criticized Anthem for leaning too heavily into pop punk and moving away from traditional ska rhythms. But that evolution is exactly why the album mattered. Less Than Jake adapted without abandoning the core personality that made the band special in the first place. Even as the genre faded from the mainstream, Less Than Jake never stopped planting their own flag in ska punk.
The album peaked in the US at #45 in the Billboard 200. Videos for "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" and "She’s Gonna Break Soon" (featuring popular Gilmore Girls actress, Alexis Bledel) were regularly played on MTV. Anthem remains a fan favorite. If they didn’t play "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" or "Look What Happened" in concert, the fans would probably be pissed.
Why Anthem Still Matters:
Anthem proved that ska punk could evolve without losing its identity. At a time when labels were abandoning the genre, Less Than Jake delivered an album that balanced melody, relatability, humor, and heart and in doing so helped carry ska into the next generation. You can still hear Anthem’s fingerprints across modern ska punk, from the polished hooks to the balance between emotional honesty and frantic energy. Now we have bands like Kill Lincoln, Bite Me Bambi, Joker's Republic, The Boy Detective, and PWRUP who’ve grown up on these tracks and bring their own energy into the scene and keep the spirit alive.
So a big happy birthday to Anthem!
Thanks Chris, Roger, Vinnie, Buddy, JR, Rob, and Tom for making an album that still deserves a place in the Ska Hall of Fame 23 years later.