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For the 1981 album by Toyah see Anthem (Toyah album).

Anthem
Studio album by Less Than Jake
Released	May 20, 2003
Recorded	Piety Street Recording in New Orleans, Morning View Studios in Malibu
Genre	Ska punk, pop punk
Length	43:58
Label	Sire
Producer	Rob Cavallo
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone link
Less Than Jake chronology
Goodbye Blue & White (2002) Anthem (2003) B Is for B-sides (2004)

Anthem is an album by ska punk band Less Than Jake. Singles released from the record include "She’s Gonna Break Soon" and "The Science of Selling Yourself Short", two of Less Than Jake's most commercially successful songs. The CD packaging included a different piece of artwork for each track, most notably a piece by Shepard Fairey of Obey Giant for "The Upwards War and the Down Turned Cycle" and Chip Wass's design for "The Science of Selling Yourself Short". The latter would inspire the music video for "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" and be immortalized as a toy in Less Than Jake drummer Vinnie's Monkey Vs. Robot collection. Anthem featured 13 new songs (track 13 is two songs, "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out", and "Screws Fall Out") , in addition to a re-recording of "Look What Happened" (originally released on Borders and Boundaries) and a cover of Cheap Trick's "Surrender". The Japanese version of the album includes the B-Side "A.S.A.O.K." in place of "Surrender".

The term 'Anthem' is commonly used by Vinnie and possibly other members of the band to refer to their more grand songs, which are usually the most significant and strongest songs on each album. The title of the album most directly come from a lyric in the song "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out/Screws Fall Out".^{[citation needed]} The song "Best Wishes To Your Black Lung" is written about Pete Anna, who left the band to go back to Chicago after Borders & Boundaries to become a firefighter.^{[citation needed]}

1. "Welcome to the New South" – 2:46
2. "The Ghosts of Me and You" – 3:21
3. "Look What Happened" – 3:06
4. "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" – 3:07
5. "Short Fuse Burning" – 2:19
6. "Motown Never Sounded So Good" – 2:38
7. "The Upwards War and the Down Turned Cycle" – 2:59
8. "Escape From the A-Bomb House" – 3:31
9. "Best Wishes to Your Black Lung" – 2:54
10. "She's Gonna Break Soon" – 3:14
11. "That's Why They Call It a Union" – 3:03
12. "Plastic Cup Politics" – 2:17
13. "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out/Screws Fall Out" – 4:54
14. "Surrender" – 3:45

In addition to the standard Less Than Jake themes of alcoholism, apathy, and alienation, Anthem featured harder-hitting songs about a desperately tense home life (showcased on "Escape From the A-Bomb House" and "That's Why They Call it a Union").^{[citation needed]}

The CD packaging contains cover art, an original piece of artwork for each song, and one additional piece not attached to an individual song, but still present and credited in the booklet. The art direction was done by Vinnie Fiorello and Wendy Dougan, with Fiorello creating the concept for the CD booklet and Dougan designing the booklet itself.

Concept by Stephanie Allen Artwork by Erik Davison

Shawn Hall