If you’re one of those
people who would blurt out, “You’ve got to be shitting me!” At an art gallery
after the artist of a plain piece of paper tells you, “It’s a modern work that
is supposed to make you question, ‘What is art?” You would also be one to be asking random strangers, “What
is this?” after finishingLess Than
Jake’s new album TV/EP. Consisting of sixteen songs, TV/EP takes a total of eleven minutes
and twenty-three seconds to finish. In each trackLess Than
Jake put their own twist on catchy commercial jingles like that one we
can’t get out of our heads by the Free Credit Report.com guys, and classic TV
show themes such as “Scooby-Dooby-Doo.” Each one has their own little energetic,
ska tune; but once you realize the whole album is song after song of nonsensical
jingle and show tracks you begin to ask why the album was even made.

Less Than Jake brought
in a few interesting elements to build a theme throughout the album. They titled each track as channels to
give a distinct TV feel; “Channel 1,” for instance is the redone TV theme song
to, popular Disney Channel special, “I-Carly.” They also added typical TV sounds in between tracks, replacing
the usual silence with clicks from a channel changer and static from lost
reception. Finally, they added aLess Than Jake flavor to the classic
Looney Toons TV show to create the album art for the whole CD.

Over all, however, the
album TV/EP seemed lackadaisical. You can claim they brought back good’
ole fashioned commercials selling classic family games such as “Hungry, Hungry
Hippos,” seen in “Channel 2.” Or they tried to play with our nostalgia in songs
from TV greats such as, “Married with Children.” You could say they tried to
send a message that we need better TV theme songs as seen in the show, “Malcolm
in the Middle.” But let face it,Less Than Jake accomplished a whole
lot of nothing in this album. They
almost mock young artists working hard to make it in the music business with
tracks like, “Channel 14,” a remake of the Toys-R-Us theme.

If one thing can be
said about the whole album, at least a few of the tracks are funny. Like the Big Mac jingle in “Channel 4”
where a guy quickly raps his order for a Big Mac burger to a stoned cashier,
but the cashier, being stoned, couldn’t comprehend the whole order. Then there is an amusing, and surprisingly
accurate, cover of the “SpongeBob Square Pants” theme song which is light and
fun.

So, if you appreciate
old and new TV jingles and addictive commercials for all ages thenLess Than Jake’s new album TV/EP will be well worth the eight bucks
to throw down for new sounds on some of TV’s best tunes. For the rest of you, TV/EP is that plain piece of paper in
music stores across the country that will make you ask, “Is this seriously an
album, or are you guys messing with me?” 
In the end, TV/EP will be left
for the eyes (and ears) of the individual beholder, but will probably never
score big anyone’s heart.

1.5 stars