Bob Schneider
| Bob Schneider | |
|---|---|
Bob Schneider
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| Background information | |
| Born |
October 12, 1965 Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, rock, folk, country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Labels | Kirtland |
| Associated acts | The Ugly Americans, The Scabs, Joe Rockhead, Texas Bluegrass Massacre, Lonelyland |
| Website | www |
Bob Schneider (born October 12, 1965) is an Austin, Texas–based musician and former lead-singer of Ugly Americans. He has released around a dozen albums, mostly on his own Shockorama label. Lonelyland (2001) was licensed through Universal Records, while in 2005 distribution deal with Vanguard Records saw his albums made widely available. In 2009 he signed to Kirtland Records and put out Lovely Creatures, A Perfect Day, and Burden of Proof. His record The King Kong Suite was released on Shockorama Records in 2015.
Schneider was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan to Bob Sr. and Katie Schneider (a teacher) and raised in El Paso and Munich, Germany together with his sister. The son of an opera singer, he moved with his parents to Germany when he was two, while his father received instruction from noted vocal teachers. It led to a marginal existence as “my parents had this big plan, but my dad just didn’t have the voice". He learned guitar and piano at an early age, and performed at his parents' parties.
Before performing solo, he performed for years in various bands. He dropped out of the University of Texas at El Paso where he studied art, while performing in his first band, a funk-rock outfit called Joe Rockhead. The band independently released three albums before disbanding. Schneider subsequently performed with Ugly Americans who were an opening act for the Dave Matthews Band and signed with the revived Capricorn Records. In 1997, Schneider co-founded The Scabs, a funk ensemble that regularly played in around Austin and described as " inspired by The Rugburns (right down to the suits and ties) [with] bawdy show tunes and puerile blues in the beginning, but eventually the powerhouse funk took over when the Grooveline Horns were added".
In 1999, Schneider formed a solo act, initially under the name Lonelyland, which became the title of his record released through Universal Records. His style has been described as "acoustic based songs with electronic beats and noises in the background (..) and other types of cross genre music. His live shows are known for improvisation [and] audience involvement".
He went on to record the major-label solo albums Lonelyland (2001) and I'm Good Now (2004), which garnered him significantly more national attention and some critical acclaim. "Big Blue Sea" from the Lonelyland album received significant radio play, as did "Come With Me Tonight" from I'm Good Now. "Metal & Steel" from Lonelyland is, to date, Schneider's most played song.
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