Your Food

Although short-lived, only lasting for a few years during the early '80s, Your Food ended up being one of Louisville, Kentucky's most influential and legendary post-punk bands. The group played a strange, offbeat brand of lo-fi rock that was unconventional without being overtly experimental, and humorous without containing obvious jokes. Their songs typically had nervous, throbbing rhythms, somewhat cryptic lyrics, and occasional bursts into hardcore punk fury. Guitarist John Bailey and bassist Wolf Knapp formed a group called Orange-Orange with drummer Tari Barr during the early '80s, and were soon joined by vocalist Doug Maxson. Charles Schultz suggested that the group change its name to Your Food, so the bandmembers began playing under that moniker, and recorded a demo on a 1/4" reel. Barr left the group after a year, and Schultz became the band's drummer. This lineup recorded Your Food's only album, Poke It with a Stick, which was self-released in 1983. While the album received positive feedback and Your Food ventured to the East Coast for shows, their van died while driving back from an early-1984 gig in Washington, D.C., and they called it quits. Knapp later joined Christmas and Antietam, and Your Food reunited for a pair of gigs in the early '90s. The group and its sole full-length retained a small but passionate fan base, with the likes of Slint and Steve Albini singing their praises. In 2018, Drag City reissued Poke It with a Stick for the first time. ~ Paul Simpson