Bob Schneider (Universal)
No wonder Sandra Bullock likes him. This easygoing Texas-based alterna-rocker (and Bullock's swain) draws on country, pop, rock, blues and even a touch of Austin rap to create a sound as broad as the Southwest. At one point, on the catchy "Round & Round," Schneider dresses up a childish ditty in evening clothes, adding a sample from an aria sung by Sandra's late mother, opera singer Helga Bullock.
Michigan-born, Schneider lived in Germany during the 1970s, and by age 10 he would don a leisure suit and play drums to back up his musician father, Bob Sr., who taught him to master the pop catalog from the '40s through the '70s. He learned a thing or two about lyrics along the way: His wordplay recalls Randy Newman's on such tracks as the bluesy "Big Blue Sea," the country rap "Bullets" and the well-crafted ballad "The World Exploded into Love." Vocally, Schneider can handle romantic cooing or match Tom Waits's throaty, whiskey-soaked roar. Having won 10 plaques at the 2001 Austin Music Awards, including one for Musician of the Year, Schneider is ready to bust out nationwide.
Bottom Line: Mighty impressive Texas range
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