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Bob Schneider

Fayetteville Flyer

Muddy Bottom Blues

Program #270 (December 3 at 8pm and December 4 at 3pm)

Bob Schneider is a fixture on the Austin scene, having kicked around for years in various bands before embarking on a solo career in 1999.

Born in Michigan and partially raised in Germany, he dropped out of the University of Texas at El Paso to front his first band, the funk and rap outfit Joe Rockhead. The band released three independent albums before disbanding immediately prior to signing with a major label.

A stint with a jammy, slightly Phishy outfit called the Ugly Americans followed, which experienced some success as an opening act for the Dave Matthews Band. In 1997, Schneider went on to co-found the Scabs, where he made a further name for himself as a crotch-grabbing frontman. He then became a solo act in 1999, although performing at first under the band name Lonelyland.

Schneider's musical approach as a solo artist proved to be as eclectic as the diverse musical styles of his former bands, combining the traditional singer/songwriter aesthetic with elements of funk, country, rock, and folk. His scruffy good looks and strong, husky voice attracted some attention, too, but it was Schneider's music -- redolent of '70s icons from Neil Young to Paul Simon, with a slightly more modern sensibility reminiscent of Beck and edgy lyrics about alienation, drug addiction, and lost romance -- that maintained his high profile around Austin.

He began courting a national fan base with 2001's Lonelyland, his major-label debut for Universal Records, and followed its release with 2004's I'm Good Now. Schneider left Universal later that year and moved over to Vanguard; meanwhile, he continued to release albums by various "side projects" via his own label, Shockorama Records.

(provided by Allmusic)

Paul Hitchcock earned his Masters in Communications from Morehead State University and Bachelors in Radio-TV/Psychology from Georgetown College. A veteran broadcaster for more than 40 years and an avid fan of blues, jazz and American roots music. Hitchcock has been with WMKY since 1986 and was named General Manager in 2003. He currently hosts "Muddy Bottom Blues" (Fri., 8pm-9pm), "Nothin' But The Blues" (Sat., 8pm-12am), "Sunday Night Jazz Showcase" and "Live From The Jazz Lounge" (Sun., 8pm-9pm) and "The Golden Age of Radio" (Sun., 2pm-3pm). He also serves as producer for "A Time For Tales" and "The Reader's Notebook."