In with the Out Crowd

In with the Out Crowd is the sixth studio album by American ska-punk band Less Than Jake, released on May 23, 2006 on Sire Records. Produced by Howard Benson, who had previously worked with the band on their third studio album, Hello Rockview (1998), the album was preceded by the single "Overrated (Everything Is)" and an EP of material recorded during the same sessions, entitled Absolution for Idiots and Addicts.

In with the Out Crowd
Studio album by
Less Than Jake
ReleasedMay 23, 2006
RecordedNovember 2005
StudioBay 7 Studios, Valley Village, California; Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, California
GenrePop punk, ska punk, pop rock
Length39:08
LabelSire
ProducerHoward Benson
Less Than Jake chronology
B Is for B-sides (Remixed)
(2004)		 In with the Out Crowd
(2006)		 GNV FLA
(2008)
Singles from In With the Out Crowd
  1. "Overrated (Everything Is)"
    Released: March 1, 2006
  2. "The Rest of My Life"
    Released: August 28, 2006
  3. "P.S. Shock the World"
    Released: November 13, 2006

Background

Prior to the album's release, Vinnie stated that the album:

"won't be a throwback record. It isn't like anything we've done before. There's slow, The Specials influenced ska, very minor chord ska, over the top, catchy pop-punk, some Foo Fighters influences too. Doing the same record twice would short change the people who like the band. You know, things can't feel redone. You have to try to keep pushing the genre and the band style forward."[1]

Similarly, guitarist, Chris Demakes, notes that the band:

"jumped out of the box a little bit and we did something a little different. I think we’re up to like 140 songs as a band, and you release some songs and a bunch of kids bitch about it. “Oh, this band is over with!” It’s like, “We tried something different. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t.”[2]

Upon its release, drummer and lyricist, Vinnie Fiorello, described the record as "a mix of [previous albums] Hello Rockview, Borders and Boundaries and Anthem."[1] The album is notable for featuring far less involvement from its horn section than on past albums. In an interview promoting the band's subsequent album, GNV FLA (2008), saxophonist JR noted, "There was a lot of backlash from our last record from a lot of our core fans. And whether it was deserved or not is neither here nor there. It's not worth fighting about, because my opinion of our last record has never changed; it's an awesome record, and I love it."[3]

Recording took place at Bay 7 Studios in Valley Village, California and Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, California. With Howard Benson acting as producer, Mike Plotnikoff oversaw recording. Paul Decarli recorded horns and did Pro Tools editing with assistance from engineer Hatsukazu Inagaki. Benson also performed keyboards and did programming, while Lenny Castro played percussion. Plotnikoff mixed the majority of the songs at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California with assistance from Ian Suddarth. Chris Lord-Alge mixed "Overrated (Everything Is)", "Fall Apart", "Hopeless Case" and "The Rest of My Life".[4]

Artwork

The album artwork features a photo collage of pictures sent in by fans. The band members themselves are mixed throughout.

Release

In February and March 2006, the band went on tour with A Wilhelm Scream, Damone and Rock n Roll Soldiers.[5] On February 16, three songs – "Overrated (Everything Is)", "A Still Life Franchise" and "The Rest of My Life" – were posted on Alternative Press. The band asked fans to pick which one they think should be the album's first single.[6] Eventually, "Overrated (Everything Is)" was chosen as the first single. On March 1, a live video of the group performing "Overrated (Everything Is)" was posted online.[7] On March 11, "Soundtrack of My Life" was posted online. Absolution for Idiots and Addicts, an EP, was released on March 14 featuring "Overrated (Everything Is)", "Negative Sides of Optimistic Eyes", "We, the Uninspired" and "The Rest of My Life".[8] On March 22, the album's track listing was revealed, and the music video for "Overrated (Everything Is)" was released.[9]

From late March to late April, the band went on a tour of Europe, with Bullets to Broadway on select dates.[9] On April 11, "Let Her Go" was made available for streaming.[10] An Overrated (Everything Is) EP, featuring the title-track, "A Still Life Franchise" and the non-album track "Only Human", was released on May 1.[11] On May 20, In with the Out Crowd was made available for streaming via Warped Tour's website, and was released on May 23 through Sire Records.[12] A special edition of the album was also released, which featured a DVD.[13] The band headlined the 2006 edition of the Warped Tour in the summer.[6] On August 8, a music video was released for "The Rest of My Life".[14] On August 22, an animated video was released for "Overrated (Everything Is)", and an alternative version of the song was made available for streaming.[15]

"The Rest of My Life" was released as a single on August 28, with "Don't Fall Asleep on the Subway" as the B-side.[16] In September and October, the group went on a headlining US tour titled the Circus of Outcasts and Idiots. For the first half, they were supported by New Mexican Disaster Squad, the Loved Ones and Catch 22. For the remaining half, New Mexican Disaster Squad was replaced by Set Your Goals.[17] "P.S. Shock the World" was released as a single on November 13, with a live version of the song as the B-side.[18] On May 21, 2007, the band announced they had left Sire. Fiorello explained: "It became obvious to me and everyone else that its time to move on and in a new direction as band."[19] In July, the band went on a co-headlining U.S. tour with Reel Big Fish, with support from Streetlight Manifesto and Against All Authority.[20]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk.net(81%)[21]
AllMusic[22]
Entertainment WeeklyC+[23]
Melodic [24]
Punknews.org[25]
Rock Hard8/10[26]

The album reached number 78 on the Billboard charts.[27]

In 2016, bass guitarist Roger Lima reflected on his dissatisfaction with the overall writing and recording process, stating: "I wanted to write songs that were a little bit faster, edgier and more punk rock sounding, but the producer that we were working with at the time, Howard Benson, who we’d worked with previously on Hello Rockview, was kind of curving us in the direction of a softer, more slow-tempo mainstream sound. So this album kind of rubbed me in a bit of a weird way. Overall I like the songs, I just wish the production was a little bit more on the punk rock side of things, and I don’t feel like this album was the best representation of how we wanted to sound at that time.”[28]

Track listing

All songs written by Less Than Jake, except where noted.[4]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Soundtrack of My Life"Less Than Jake, Shelly Peiken2:59
2."A Still Life Franchise" 3:28
3."Overrated (Everything Is)"Less Than Jake, Holly Knight3:10
4."Fall Apart" 3:09
5."In-Dependence Day" 2:48
6."Don't Fall Asleep on the Subway" 3:16
7."Landmines and Landslides" 2:58
8."The Rest of My Life"Less Than Jake, Mark Hoppus3:33
9."Mostly Memories" 3:13
10."Let Her Go" 2:23
11."Hopeless Case"Less Than Jake, Peiken3:58
12."P.S. Shock the World" 4:06

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[4]

Singles
SingleUSUK
"Overrated (Everything Is)"-61
The Rest of My Life-77

Special Edition

A special edition of the album was also released. It included:

  • In with the Out Crowd CD
  • a DVD featuring twenty minutes of studio footage
  • a data disc including 319 photos, 26 MP3s of live songs, 13 live videos (MP4/QuickTime files), 4 buddy icons, 4 wallpapers and a screensaver

B-Sides
  • "Negative Sides of Optimistic Eyes"
  • "We, the Uninspired"
  • "Only Human"

"Negative Sides of Optimistic Eyes" and "We, the Uninspired" were included on the EP Absolution for Idiots and Addicts which was made available prior to the release of In with the Out Crowd. It was available on CD and in the iTunes Store. "Negative Sides of Optimistic Eyes" and "Only Human" are also available as part of other albums/singles in other regions.

There is a fourth song that was dropped from the album. It is currently unreleased and its title is unknown, as it has no vocal track and thus is not high on the band's list of priorities.

Known Demos
  • "Even Trophy Boys and Girls Sing the Blues" (released as a bonus track on iTunes)
  • "Misfits And Malcontents" (B-side to the "Rest of My Life" single)
  • "A Song For Everyone That Survived The Season" (currently unreleased)

References
  1. Less Than Jake - 11.22.05 - Interview - AbsolutePunk.net
  2. Less Than Jake: Latest CD Is 'A Quintessential LTJ Record' | Interviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com Archived 2008-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  3. MORE THAN SURVIVORS | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
  4. In with the Out Crowd (Booklet). Less Than Jake. Sire Records. 2006. 9362-49984-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. "A Wilhelm Scream lose bassist; band continue touring". Alternative Press. February 7, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  6. "AP Exclusive: Less Than Jake debut new songs on AltPress.com!". Alternative Press. February 16, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  7. Winberg, Par (March 1, 2006). "New Less Than Jake Live Video". Melodic. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  8. Winberg, Pär (March 11, 2006). "New Less Than Jake Song Online". Melodic. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  9. "Less Than Jake post e-card, tracklisting for new LP; Euro dates". Alternative Press. March 22, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  10. "New Less Than Jake song posted". Alternative Press. April 11, 2006. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  11. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/overrated-everything-is-still/id150098578
  12. "Less Than Jake post entire album online for streaming". Alternative Press. May 20, 2006. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  13. Winberg, Pär (April 20, 2006). "Less Than Jake Special Edition". Melodic. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  14. "Less Than Jake post new music video". Alternative Press. August 8, 2006. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  15. "Less Than Jake post alternate audio, video of "Overrated"". Alternative Press. August 22, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  16. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/rest-my-life-dont-fall-asleep/id182233582
  17. Paul, Aubin (August 4, 2006). "Less Than Jake / the Loved Ones / Catch 22 / NMDS / Set Your Goals". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  18. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/p.s.-shock-the-world-single/id203805761
  19. "Less Than Jake leave Warner Bros./Sire". Alternative Press. May 21, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  20. "Less Than Jake/Reel Big Fish co-headlining tour dates posted". Alternative Press. April 12, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  21. link
  22. [In with the Out Crowd at AllMusic]
  23. Pastorek, Whitney (May 19, 2006). "In With the Out Crowd: Music Review:Entertainment Weekly". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
  24. Winberg, Pär (August 5, 2006). "Less Than Jake - In with the Out Crowd". Melodic. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  25. Link
  26. Schleutermajnn, Marcus (June 16, 2006). "Less Than Jake - In with the Out Crowd". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  27. AllMusic Charts: In With the Out Crowd Accessed 19 October 2007
  28. "Less Than Jake rank their albums, from worst to best". Team Rock. May 12, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
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