Bob Schneider kicked around for years in various bands before embarking on a solo career. 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 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 Horde. In 1997, Schneider went on to co-found The Scabs, which is actually Ugly Americans under a different title. With The Scabs, Bob Schneider made a further name for himself as the frontman. None of these bands gained much national recognition, but built solid reputations on the road. They were also a fixture in the Austin Music culture.
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.