The Yum Yum Children are a Christian band originally from Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, now located in northern Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

. Their music is similar to that of They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...

 or 1970s style art rock

Art rock

Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...

.

Background

Prior to his involvement with the Yum Yum Children, Leon was in a "psychedelic

Psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...

-thrash-garage" / hardcore band called The Clergy. The Clergy was fronted by a female vocalist, Chris Simonatti, and completed by Jim Swanson. They released only one album, RUAMI, in 1993 on Broken Records. RUAMI was recorded live in the studio and featured an overall sound similar to that of X or early Concrete Blonde

Concrete Blonde

Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...

. One reviewer stated that their style "switches gears faster than a Lamborghini

Lamborghini

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...

" and that the band displayed an excellent songwriting sensibility. The Clergy toured with Crashdog

Crashdog

Crashdog was one of the first Christian punk bands and was active primarily in the early 1990s. Most of their albums were released by Grrr recordS, which has also been home to Headnoise, Resurrection Band, and Glenn Kaiser, among others....

 and the Jesus Freaks in the spring of 1994.

Following RUAMI, the Goodenoughs created the Yum Yum Children with a reformed lineup of players and a new sound, which was now comparable to the general market bands The B-52's

The B-52's

The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...

, or Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...

, or in Christian markets Fat and Frantic

Fat and Frantic

Fat and Frantic were a London-based pop music group who wrote all their own material, playing a wide variety of musical styles ranging from manic skiffle through rock 'n roll to acapella which they sometimes described as "piffle" - a mix of punk and skiffle....

. Speaking about the transition to the Yum Yum Children, True Tunes News

True Tunes News

-Background:John J. Thompson founded True Tunes News out of his Wheaton, Illinois Christian record shop, True Tunes. The store itself, founded in 1989, with Chris Langill, was relatively unique because it focused exclusively on alternative Christian music at a time when Christian bookstores...

reported that the Goodenoughs' "seem to have eaten some bad cheese and have gotten all goofy on us." Their songs generally have complex and imaginative structures and arrangements, with lyrics that match in complexity and silliness. Their lyrics are based in their Christian viewpoint, although at times the message is not easily decipherable.

Yum Yum Children has been associated with Boot To Head Records, Five Minute Walk Records, and Quiver Society for the releases of their records.

Discography

• 1994: Tastythanks
• 1995: Dufisized (Boot to Head)
• 1996: Used to Would've (5 Minute Walk
  5 Minute Walk
  5 Minute Walk is an independent record label founded by Frank Tate in April, 1995. Their operations were based in Concord, California in the back offices of "The Screem", a live alternate music club operated by Tate. They only carried Christian bandsDryve: Yeah, that was like the first thing...
  
  )
• 2007: Bulletin of the Returner (Quiver Society)
• 2008: The Sparkle In Someone's Eye

Members - Original Lineup

• R. Leon Goodenough - vocals, guitar
• Jennifer Goodenough - vocals
• Bob Sable - percussion
• Dennis Childers - keyboard
• Craig Smith - jazz bass, vocal

Other Performers and Studio Musicians

• Mark McCary - drums
• Brock Dittus - bass
• Jon Weller - keys