Bob Schneider
Encyclopedia
Bob Schneider is an Austin, Texas
-based musician and artist. He currently resides in Bee Cave, Texas.
, and raised in Munich, Germany. The son of an opera singer, he moved with his parents to Germany when he was two. He learned guitar and piano at an early age and made his first live appearances performing at his parents' parties.
He performed for years in various bands before embarking on a solo career. He dropped out of the University of Texas at El Paso where he studied art to front his first band, the funk-and-rap outfit Joe Rockhead. The band independently released three albums before disbanding immediately prior to signing with a major label.
A stint with a jamming outfit called the Ugly Americans followed, which experienced some success as an opening act for the Dave Matthews Band
and H.O.R.D.E. festival.
In 1997, Schneider went on to co-found The Scabs, which later merged with the Ugly Americans. With The Scabs, Bob Schneider made a further name for himself as the front man.
None of these bands gained much national recognition, but built solid reputations on the road. They were also a fixture in the Austin live music culture.
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, Bob's most played song.
His contract with his labels (signed with Universal in 2001, and then with Vanguard in 2004) allowed him to release albums as "side projects" on his own label Shockorama Records. Among the albums that have been self-released are, Galaxy Kings and I've Seen The End of the World and It Looks Like This. All of these side projects were re-released by Vanguard corresponding with the release of his 2006 album The Californian. Previously, these albums were of limited availability and only roughly 10,000 of the albums were printed. After releasing The Californian, he released Greatest Hits Live, recorded in Austin on July 17, 2006, by Shockorama Records, which was only available through his website.
Bob remains committed to playing smaller venues and thrives on the energy of the stage. He currently has a long standing Monday night residency at the Saxon Pub, and plays the legendary Antone's in Austin, Texas, with both his band and, on occasion, the Scabs, all while maintaining a tireless touring schedule. Although he tours nationwide, he is still known best as a true Austin musician. His musical influences spread into the far reaches of musical culture—funk, soul, folk, lounge, rap, punk, even some melodic experimental-ism.
He is also known for having dated Sandra Bullock
. It is speculated that the breakup following their relationship became fodder for his music, although Schneider has been known to deny autobiographical content in his music.
to release his critically praised album Lovely Creatures, released September 29, 2009. Lovely Creatures features the single "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)", which has received significant national radio play - peaking at #14 on the AAA Radio Chart. The album and also features Patty Griffin
on the track "Changing Your Mind." Bob released a second album under the label entitled "A Perfect Day" on April 19, 2011, featuring the single "Let The Light In."
11/14 - Austin - Saxon Pub
11/18 - Salem, MA - WXRV's RiverFEAST @ The Peabody Essex Museum
11/19 - Annapolis - Rams Head On Stage
11/20 - Stanhope, NJ - Stanhope House
11/21 - Milford, CT - Daniel Street
11/22 - NYC - City Winery
11/25 - New Braunfels - Gruene Hall
11/26 - Houston - House Of Blues
11/28 - Austin - Saxon Pub
12/10 - Fredericksburg - Luckenbach Dance Hall
12/22 - Houston - Mucky Duck
12/31 - Austin - Paramount Theater
1/27 - San Marcos - Texas Music Theater
2/11 - Dallas - Kessler Theater
4/21 - Austin - Old Settler's Festival
Not counting those awarded to The Scabs, Joe Rockhead and Ugly Americans, Bob Schneider has won 24 Austin Music Awards including:
• 2009-10: Band of the Year
• 2009-10: Musician of the Year
• 2009-10: Song of the Year, "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)"
• 2009-10: Album of the Year, Lovely Creatures
• 2009-10: Male Vocalist of the Year
• 2009-10: Songwriter of the Year
• 2009-10: Producer of the Year, Dwight Baker for Bob Schneider's Lovely Creatures
• 2008-09: Best Male Vocals
• 2008-09: Best Blue Grass Band, Bob Schneider’s Texas Bluegrass Massacre
• 2008-09: Band of the Year, Lonelyland
• 2004-05: Album of the Year, I’m Good Now
• 2004-05: Song of the Year , “Cap’n Kirk”
• 2003-04: Musician of the Year
• 2001-02: Best Male Vocals
• 2001-02: Best Singer-Songwriter
• 2001-02: Musician of the Year
• 2000-01: Album of the Year, Lonelyland
• 2000-01: Best Male Vocals
• 2000-01: Best Singer-Songwriter
• 2000-01: Best Songwriter
• 2000-01: Musician of the Year
• 1999-00: Best Male Vocals
• 1999-00: Best Songwriter
• 1999-00: Musician of the Year
The Scabs
Ugly Americans
Joe Rockhead
, however Schneider began making this content available for download on his own website in early 2009, with content dating back to September 2007.
Schneider's current appearances and tour dates are regularly updated on his MySpace page. Schneider will begin a West Coast tour with Smile Smile in February 2010.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
-based musician and artist. He currently resides in Bee Cave, Texas.
Early career
Bob was born in Ypsilanti, MichiganYpsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
, and raised in Munich, Germany. The son of an opera singer, he moved with his parents to Germany when he was two. He learned guitar and piano at an early age and made his first live appearances performing at his parents' parties.
He performed for years in various bands before embarking on a solo career. He dropped out of the University of Texas at El Paso where he studied art to front his first band, the funk-and-rap outfit Joe Rockhead. The band independently released three albums before disbanding immediately prior to signing with a major label.
A stint with a jamming outfit called the Ugly Americans followed, which experienced some success as an opening act for the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
and H.O.R.D.E. festival.
In 1997, Schneider went on to co-found The Scabs, which later merged with the Ugly Americans. With The Scabs, Bob Schneider made a further name for himself as the front man.
None of these bands gained much national recognition, but built solid reputations on the road. They were also a fixture in the Austin live music culture.
Solo career
In 1999, Schneider became a solo act, though performing at first under the band name Lonelyland (which he later dropped as a band name, but titled his first major label album after). Schneider's musical approach as a solo artist has proven as eclectic as the diverse musical styles of his former bands—a little bit singer/songwriter, a whole lot of bits and pieces of funk, country, rock, and folk. Because of the sexual nature of some of his lyrics, Schneider's music has been labeled as "adult alternative" by some.He went on to record the major label solo albums, Lonelyland
Lonelyland
Lonelyland is the second solo album by Bob Schneider and his first released by a major label, released on March 13, 2001. It is produced by Carl Thiel.The album is offered in CD format or as a download from the iTunes Music Store...
(2001) and I'm Good Now
I'm Good Now
I'm Good Now is the third solo album by Bob Schneider, released on April 13, 2004.The album is offered in CD format or as a download from the iTunes Music Store.-Track listing:#"Come With Me Tonight" – 4:29#"Medicine" – 3:20...
(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, Bob's most played song.
His contract with his labels (signed with Universal in 2001, and then with Vanguard in 2004) allowed him to release albums as "side projects" on his own label Shockorama Records. Among the albums that have been self-released are, Galaxy Kings and I've Seen The End of the World and It Looks Like This. All of these side projects were re-released by Vanguard corresponding with the release of his 2006 album The Californian. Previously, these albums were of limited availability and only roughly 10,000 of the albums were printed. After releasing The Californian, he released Greatest Hits Live, recorded in Austin on July 17, 2006, by Shockorama Records, which was only available through his website.
Bob remains committed to playing smaller venues and thrives on the energy of the stage. He currently has a long standing Monday night residency at the Saxon Pub, and plays the legendary Antone's in Austin, Texas, with both his band and, on occasion, the Scabs, all while maintaining a tireless touring schedule. Although he tours nationwide, he is still known best as a true Austin musician. His musical influences spread into the far reaches of musical culture—funk, soul, folk, lounge, rap, punk, even some melodic experimental-ism.
He is also known for having dated Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
. It is speculated that the breakup following their relationship became fodder for his music, although Schneider has been known to deny autobiographical content in his music.
Kirtland Records
In 2009, Bob signed with Kirtland RecordsKirtland Records
Kirtland Records is a record label based in Dallas, Texas. It was founded by John Kirtland, who was formerly the drummer for Deep Blue Something.-Artist roster:*Burden Brothers*Bush*Bril*The Flys*The Hourly Radio*Sarah Jaffe*Pat McGee Band...
to release his critically praised album Lovely Creatures, released September 29, 2009. Lovely Creatures features the single "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)", which has received significant national radio play - peaking at #14 on the AAA Radio Chart. The album and also features Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
on the track "Changing Your Mind." Bob released a second album under the label entitled "A Perfect Day" on April 19, 2011, featuring the single "Let The Light In."
Tour Dates
11/7 - Austin - Saxon Pub11/14 - Austin - Saxon Pub
11/18 - Salem, MA - WXRV's RiverFEAST @ The Peabody Essex Museum
11/19 - Annapolis - Rams Head On Stage
11/20 - Stanhope, NJ - Stanhope House
11/21 - Milford, CT - Daniel Street
11/22 - NYC - City Winery
11/25 - New Braunfels - Gruene Hall
11/26 - Houston - House Of Blues
11/28 - Austin - Saxon Pub
12/10 - Fredericksburg - Luckenbach Dance Hall
12/22 - Houston - Mucky Duck
12/31 - Austin - Paramount Theater
1/27 - San Marcos - Texas Music Theater
2/11 - Dallas - Kessler Theater
4/21 - Austin - Old Settler's Festival
Soundtrack Contributions
- 2000 - "Blue Skies for Everyone" was played during the opening sequence of the movie "Gunshy," starring Liam Neeson.
- 2000 - "Bullets" was used in the movie "Miss Congeniality," starring Sandra Bullock.
- 2001 - "Bullets" also appeared on the "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" soundtrack
- 2002 - "Big Blue Sea" was used in the movie "40 Days & 40 Nights," starring Josh Hartnett
- 2002 - "The World Exploded Into Love" appeared in the movie "Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," starring Sandra Bullock
- 2006 - "The World Exploded Into Love" closed out the first episode of the television sitcom "Men in Trees," starring Anne Heche.
- 2009 - "Love Is Everywhere" is featured in the film and soundtrack of the movie "All About Steve," starring Sandra Bullock
- 2009 - "Changing Your Mind" is featured in the indie film "Harmony and Me," where he also has a role as a wedding singer
Bob Schneider's Austin Music Awards Highlights
"Not counting those awarded to The Scabs, Joe Rockhead and Ugly Americans, Bob Schneider has won 24 Austin Music Awards including:
• 2009-10: Band of the Year
• 2009-10: Musician of the Year
• 2009-10: Song of the Year, "40 Dogs (Like Romeo And Juliet)"
• 2009-10: Album of the Year, Lovely Creatures
• 2009-10: Male Vocalist of the Year
• 2009-10: Songwriter of the Year
• 2009-10: Producer of the Year, Dwight Baker for Bob Schneider's Lovely Creatures
• 2008-09: Best Male Vocals
• 2008-09: Best Blue Grass Band, Bob Schneider’s Texas Bluegrass Massacre
• 2008-09: Band of the Year, Lonelyland
• 2004-05: Album of the Year, I’m Good Now
• 2004-05: Song of the Year , “Cap’n Kirk”
• 2003-04: Musician of the Year
• 2001-02: Best Male Vocals
• 2001-02: Best Singer-Songwriter
• 2001-02: Musician of the Year
• 2000-01: Album of the Year, Lonelyland
• 2000-01: Best Male Vocals
• 2000-01: Best Singer-Songwriter
• 2000-01: Best Songwriter
• 2000-01: Musician of the Year
• 1999-00: Best Male Vocals
• 1999-00: Best Songwriter
• 1999-00: Musician of the Year
Discography
Bob Schneider- Songs Sung and Played on Guitar At the Same Time (1998)
- LonelylandLonelylandLonelyland is the second solo album by Bob Schneider and his first released by a major label, released on March 13, 2001. It is produced by Carl Thiel.The album is offered in CD format or as a download from the iTunes Music Store...
(2000-Shockorama) & (2001-Universal) - Underneath The Onion Trees (with Mitch Watkins) (2000)
- The Galaxy KingsThe Galaxy KingsThe Galaxy Kings is an album by Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter Bob Schneider, released in a limited edition of 1000 copies by Vanguard Records in 2002.-Track listing:#"Tumblin" Dice" – 2:14#"Candyman" – 5:02#"Sunkist" – 2:21...
(2002) - I Have Seen the End of the World and It Looks Like This (2003)
- I'm Good NowI'm Good NowI'm Good Now is the third solo album by Bob Schneider, released on April 13, 2004.The album is offered in CD format or as a download from the iTunes Music Store.-Track listing:#"Come With Me Tonight" – 4:29#"Medicine" – 3:20...
(2004) - The CalifornianThe Californian (Bob Schneider)The Californian is the fourth solo album by Bob Schneider, released on August 8, 2006.The album is offered in CD format or as a download from the iTunes Music Store.-Track listing:#"Holding in the World" – 5:03#"Game Plan" – 2:30...
(2006) - Greatest Hits Live (2006)
- Songs Sung And Played On Guitar With People In The Room (2007)
- When the Sun Breaks Down On the MoonWhen the Sun Breaks Down On the MoonWhen the Sun Breaks Down on the Moon is the fourth solo studio album by Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter Bob Schneider, released in a limited edition in winter 2007....
(2007) - Love Is Everywhere EP (2009)
- Lovely CreaturesLovely CreaturesLovely Creatures is the eleventh solo album by Bob Schneider, released on September 29, 2009. It was produced by Dwight Baker.The album is offered in CD format or as a download from the iTunes Music Store or Amazon.com.-Track listing:#"Trash" – 3:09...
(2009) - Live At The Paramount Theatre (2009)
- ChristmastimeChristmastime (Bob Schneider album)Christmastime is a Christmas themed extended play released by American rock music artist Bob Schneider. Released on November 24, 2009, the EP is available for purchase as a download or as a dual CD/mp3 package from the iTunes Music Store or Amazon.com....
(2009) - A Perfect Day (2011)
The Scabs
- Freebird (1998)
- Bombtracks (1998)
- More Than a Feeling (1999)
- Destroyer (2000)
Ugly Americans
- Ugly Americans (1993)
- Ugly Americans (Live) (1994)
- Stereophonic Spanish Fly (1996)
- Boom Boom Baby (1998)
Joe Rockhead
- Party Till You're Dead (1991)
- Crazy (1992)
- No Going Back (1992)
Live shows
Almost every one of Bob Schneider's live show are recorded and made available (generally sold as a double-disc set) to his audiences afterwards. These recordings are released under the label "Frunk". These recordings were rarely made available to the public, although Frunk recordings (and other bootlegs) were occasionally uploaded to the Live Music ArchiveLive Music Archive
The Live Music Archive , part of the Internet Archive, is a collection of over 60,000 concert recordings in lossless audio formats. The website is known for its extensive collection of Grateful Dead recordings.-History:...
, however Schneider began making this content available for download on his own website in early 2009, with content dating back to September 2007.
Schneider's current appearances and tour dates are regularly updated on his MySpace page. Schneider will begin a West Coast tour with Smile Smile in February 2010.
External links
- Bob Schneider's official web page
- http://bobschneidermusic.com/frunk/ — provides streaming audio (and some video) of live performances
- Archive.org Listing — Live performances available for download through archive.org
- [ AMG: Bob Schneider]