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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 20:06:04 |
Despite a rock 'n' roll resume that includes such ill-natured, indocile and alienated monikers as Joe Rockhead, The Scabs, The Ugly Americans and Lonelyland (the name of his first solo act), Bob Schneider is actually quite affable, good-natured and light-hearted: all qualities heard in his melodic ballads and universal lyricism.
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Singer/songwriter and Austin, TX-native Bob Schneider offers comfortable folk, rock and blues backed by quirky lyricism and charming stage presence. See for yourself when Schneider plays a pair of Colorado shows Oct. 23 and 24. (Photo courtesy of www.zlew.net)
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And while the Austin, Texas native has been likened to everyone from Jack Johnson, to Dave Matthews, to James Taylor -- and even former Pixies frontman Frank Black -- Schneider manages a decidedly different style of songwriting that eases from the morose to the amusing. With dark swagger and dangerous charm, Schneider channels a handsome Frankenstein monster composed of pieces of everyone from Paul Simon to Leonard Cohen.
"(My music's) real eclectic," Schneider said. "There's nothing that I won't do, no musical genre that I don't utilize. You'd really have to listen to a lot of my songs to get an idea of what it is I do."
But in the meantime, take my word for it when I tell you this guy can pen a damned likeable tune, complete with self-effacing mawkishness and cunning satire. In the single "The Effect," Schneider adds an absurd atmosphere to love's atypical storyline: "And there's a planet in outer space/ And on this planet, there lives an alien race/ I know a girl there, she's got a bone through her nose/ And she dances like she's drowning when she takes off all her clothes." But to label Schneider a sentimental, folk wannabe would be foolish, as tracks like "Flavors Too Strong" broach hip-hop farce with fierce tongue-in-cheek delivery: "I'm the rhyme-sayer, the fat player/ So what you gonna do later?/ Nothing slayer/ I'm a clothes-shopper, name-dropper/ Show up in the club, genuine show-stopper."
Because Schneider's carefree style reveals so much of himself through his songwriting, his live performances are a warm change from the current wave of indie pop narcissism that tends to hide behind big hooks and heavy-hitting chords.
"Basically, I like to just create a party environment," Schneider said. "If you create an environment where there's pretty girls and everybody's having a fun time, people are going to show up. Then it becomes more of a scene."
Schneider's scene is as warm as a blazing fire, offering up home-style, acoustic cooking, complete with distinct, Southern flavor. While the sphere of singer/songwriters is increasingly saturated by sentimentality and gimmicks, Schneider elevates himself above the field with a healthy dose of demure and congeniality.
"When I play live, especially, I'll do songs differently night to night and set to set," Schneider said. "It makes them more interesting, and gives them more energy and I think the audience picks up on that."
Aside from being a recognized staple of the overwhelming Austin music scene, Schneider has toured with a handful of former bands and is coming off a recent Canadian tour with contemporary country trio, The Dixie Chicks. Schneider's current tour is coming Oct. 23 and 24 to the Bluebird Theater in Denver and the Fox Theatre in Boulder, respectively. Schneider praised Colorado, a place where he's had plenty of success in the past.
"I love playing (in Colorado) and I think it's a great place for live music," Schneider said. "It's a beautiful space, for sure."
For more information on Bob Schneider, visit his website at bobschneidermusic.com or visit his MySpace page at myspace.com/bobschneider.
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