August 23, 2001 - The Arizona Republic (The Rep Supplement)
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Citysearch Online: SXSW
By Tara Hall
He's an Austin enigma, a musical chameleon. The vocal genius behind not one or two but four distinctive bands, Bob Schneider walked away with seven Austin Music Awards and eight other mentions at last year's gathering. But before the accolades came the labor. Consider his yearlong stint at the Black Cat with Joe Rockhead, his time at Steamboat with the Ugly Americans—and don't forget the Scabs' Tuesday night party at Antone's, for which there were lines around the club. His present-day act showcases him as the introspective singer-songwriter fronting Lonelyland, also billed as the Bob Schneider Show. Regardless of his personality du jour, whether it's dirty funk or intimate feeling, it's obvious that people like him-including Universal, which recently added him to its list of artists.
What CDs define this time in your life?
Pedro the Lion, Randy Newman, OutKast, Ricki Lee Jones, Dr. Dre 9, Elliott Smith. Anything by these artists.
What inspires you to write songs?
The world around me. I just get real still and write whatever comes to mind down. It's pretty simple.
There seem to be two separate Bob Schneiders—the uninhibited, outspoken lead singer of the Scabs and the contemplative leader of Lonelyland. Which one is more like the everyday Bob?
It depends on how well you know me. The demure, soft-spoken one is the one you'll get if I don't know you well. If I know you well, you could get anything and everything.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Writing, recording, suffering and smiling.
Who do you look forward to seeing at South by Southwest?
The Good Witch of the West.
You spent a lot of time shopping around for the right record label. How does it feel to have Universal accept your album "Lonelyland" as is?
I feel that they really connected with what is special about the album and didn't want to mess with that magic.
You've explored a variety of musical styles with Joe Rockhead, Ugly Americans, the Scabs and Lonelyland. How do you explain Lonelyland's success in comparison to the others?
I feel that this album really stands up as an entity unto itself, where the other projects were more about what was happening in the live show environment. This doesn't take away from the other albums, either; it's just a different approach.
You have a busy schedule playing with Lonelyland, the Bob Schneider Show and the Scabs. What do you consider the best part of being a notable musician?
People tend to come out to see you play if they know who you are. It sucks when you are the only one in the house when it comes time to play.
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August 3, 2001 - The Dallas Morning News
Flying solo
By ROB CLARK
Bob Schneider has turned plenty of heads with Lonelyland. It's his first solo album, an impressive collection of introspective and thoughtful tracks.
And frankly, that wasn't expected from the frontman of bands the Ugly Americans and the Scabs. The reputation was for raunchy funk and bawdy party tracks, not for smooth harmonies and mellow maturity.
"I've always toyed with the idea of doing a solo project," the Austin singer-songwriter says. "I've always written the type of songs on Lonelyland. But in the Ugly Americans and the Scabs ... quieter songs didn't fit those formats. It wasn't necessarily about the band, it was more about the songs."
But those songs have opened his music up to a whole new audience. Lonelyland, released independently in Austin last year and nationally in March by Universal, is remarkably diverse. There's the dreamy beauty of "Big Blue Sea" and the easy pace of "Round & Round," which throws in an operatic loop for the chorus. It's jarring at first, but seamless soon after.
And he's funny. He wrote "Tokyo," the gloomy rant about isolation, the night after a party where "no girls would give me any play" and he "felt like a ... [expletive] leper."
Such self-deprecating comments are standard for Mr. Schneider, who seems completely taken aback by the interest in Lonelyland. (It has sold more than 13,000 copies just at Waterloo Records in Austin.) He swept the Austin Music Awards two years in a row and earned widespread acclaim upon the album's national release. And now he's opening for Stevie Nicks on a tour that stops at Smirnoff Music Centre on Friday.
"I'm always a little suspect with that kind of attention and that kind of excitement, to tell you the truth," he says. "Believe me, I was tickled pink that I received all those awards and that people were excited about the record. At the same time, you can't take that kind of stuff too seriously. You start to think you know what you're doing, and I don't. I have no clue. I'm still amazed I make a living doing what I do."
The spotlight has inevitably glared into Mr. Schneider's private life. He's dating actress Sandra Bullock, as has been widely (and at times, overly) reported.
"Well, I never know what to say," Mr. Schneider admits about the media attention.
"My concern is people could write me off. The only thing they hear is that 'he's dating a celebrity.' I can't stop people from thinking that. But it worries me, for sure.
"It doesn't indicate whether I'm a good musician and whether the songs are good and whether I'm a good entertainer. That's my only concern."
Despite that combination – an acclaimed record and a high-profile relationship – Mr. Schneider remains grounded. He's open about his own awkwardness, which he explores in "Tokyo" and the wistful "2002."
"I've always been uncomfortable," he says, "especially in groups and with people I don't know. ... There are all these rules: Who you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to say. It's hard to keep track of all that. It kind of shuts me down."
Onstage, it's a different story. He's built a reputation as a charismatic live act, both as a solo artist and with the Scabs (the band still plays an occasional gig). Entertaining the crowd has never been a problem.
"It's complete freedom and where I feel most comfortable," he says. "I love that feeling, being able to do or say anything."
