The members of Less Than Jake don't run from the past, they embrace it.

Though the ska/punk movement that blossomed in the United States in the 1990s has withered, Less Than Jake remains true to its roots.

"That's what we are," said JR, the band's saxophone player. "Why hide from it? Yeah, we're a ska band. We play some different styles of music as well, but that's who we are. We got that label and I guess we'll keep it.

"I'd rather be a ska/punk band in 2008 than a nu-metal band, right?"

Less Than Jake, which will perform Wednesday at the Chameleon Club in downtown Lancaster, also keeps close ties with its geographical past.

The band's latest album, released earlier this year, is titled "GNV FLA," shorthand for Gainesville, Fla. The album is about the city and state that spawned the band.

"We wrote the record there," said JR, whose parents named him Pete Wasilewski. "Everything kind of happened there. A lot of the songs are about the times spent there. I think, ultimately, we didn't approach it as a concept record, I think it just sort of came out that way."

The album — propelled by the rhythmic combination of ska riffs and tough power chords and punctuated by exuberant horns — is a rollicking ride from start to finish.

It's sure to please those fans disappointed by the band's previous album, "In With the Out Crowd," which some thought suffered from too much of a pop sheen.

It's probably not a coincidence that "GNV FLA" is Less Than Jake's first album on its own label, Sleep It Off, having severed its ties with Sire Records, a division of Warner Bros.

"It's like the hooker getting away from the pimp, you know what I mean," JR said. "(Rapper) Ice-T said that best: The labels are the pimps and the artists are like the prostitutes. It's nice to break free and do everything on your own."

Less Than Jake, known for its wise-guy humor and ebullient live show, formed in 1992 and released its first album, "Pezcore," three years later. Three of the original members (Chris Demakes on guitar and vocals; Roger Manganelli on bass and vocals; and Vinnie Fiorello on drums) are still with the band. Trombonist Buddy Shaub joined a short time after its formation and JR, who previously played with the Connecticut ska band Spring Heeled Jack, came on board in 2000.

The band has released seven full-length albums of original material, a number of compilations and countless 7-inch singles.

Less Than Jake, which opened for Bon Jovi in 2000, reached its commercial peak in 2003 with the release of "Anthem," which included the songs "She's Gonna Break Soon," "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" and "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out."

JR said he's not exactly sure where Less Than Jake fits in the contemporary music scene, but doesn't spend much time worrying about it.

"In some logical way, we're needed in music for whatever reason it may be, whether it's because of what we do onstage, what we play, what we write. I don't know where we fit in modern music.

"We're an influence that people refer back to, and I think that's cool."

Less Than Jake, Wed., 6 p.m., Chameleon Club, 223 N. Water St., $16 advance, $18 day of show, 299-9684.

E-mail: jferguson@lnpnews.com