Few bands weather change like Less Than Jake. Since forming at the University of Florida in 1992, the ska-punk legends have navigated multiple shifts in the music industry, the murky waters of major label interest in punk rock and their fair share of personnel alterations. With the exception of 2006's In With the Out Crowd, however, their sound — fast, boisterous and at times jocular — has not changed much at all. And while this might strike some as stagnant or regressive, the motif perfectly suits Less Than Jake, a band that's made its bed in a subculture that rewards consistency.

To be sure, punk rock is as much an idea as it is a sound, an ethos that manifests itself in ways completely devoid of dyed hair, sloppy power chords and frenetic, galloping beats. But it was the sound, or, more accurately, a poppy strain of the sound, that major labels were interested in once Green Day tipped the scales with Dookie in 1994. The ensuing wave that ushered Blink-182, Sublime, The Offspring and others to mainstream prominence also caught up with Less Than Jake, who signed to Capitol in 1996. Losing Streak arrived soon after, a landmark that ultimately meant more to critics and fans than the buying public: Despite being littered with undeniable hooks through and through, the record failed to replicate the success that greeted others of its ilk. Its follow-up, Hello Rockview, fared better based on the strength of the single "History of a Boring Town," but Less Than Jake were still far from being a household name by the time the broader public's fascination with punk waned at the turn of the century.

For Less Than Jake, though, mainstream success has always been an ancillary concern at best. So the "failure" to generate popular acclaim never derailed the band; their sights were focused on writing great songs and connecting with like-minded artists and fans in the ever-vibrant trenches of punk rock. For some artists — Fugazi's Ian MacKaye inevitably comes to mind — thriving in this world means denying a corporate role at all costs. Less Than Jake are less extreme. In their approach to business and art, the band has over the years found a way to adhere to the authenticity of its DIY roots without feigning a hatred for everything that smells of the "establishment," the moderation of which is refreshing.

This dynamic comes to bear in Less Than Jake's acceptance of an opening slot on a Bon Jovi tour just months before they hit the road with Anti-Flag in the early aughts. Or how, a few years later, the band traversed Europe with Bad Religion before kicking off each night of the Project Revolution tour featuring punk luminaries such as Linkin Park, Korn and Snoop Dogg. The most ardent gatekeepers of the scene would rightly call these moves contradictory, and likely also assert that the band had sold out. Less Than Jake probably don't care either way. "Johnny Quest (Thinks We're Sellouts)," one of the band's classics, addressed these concerns on their very first LP: "Is it that we're not punk enough or ... you think ska just sucks," singer Chris Demakes asked wryly in 1995, with no real concern for the answer.

Don't confuse Less Than Jake's openness for a weak commitment to punk rock's idealism or sense of humor, though. To the former, the band is just as politically opinionated as their peers and have always done their part to nurture the community of bands around them. (Notably, drummer Vinnie Fiorello co-founded the Fueled By Ramen label in 1996, although he's no longer involved.) To the latter, the band's most recent release, issued themselves on their Sleep It Off imprint, is an 11-minute medley of TV theme song and product jingle covers, with not a single in sight — not exactly sell-out material.

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