Robert Schneider
Encyclopedia
Robert Peter Schneider (born March 9, 1971) is one of the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, along with Will Cullen Hart
, Bill Doss
, and Jeff Mangum
. He is perhaps best known as the lead singer/songwriter behind The Apples in Stereo
.
, South Africa
, Robert Schneider's family moved to Ruston
, Louisiana
. In Louisiana, Schneider befriended Mangum, Hart and Doss and began discovering and playing music with them. After graduating from Ruston High School
, where he was Junior and Senior class president, and spending two years at Centenary College
in Shreveport, Louisiana
, Schneider moved to Denver, Colorado
to attend university. Although he subsequently left school to pursue his musical ambitions, his academic interests still remain strong, being an avid mathematician, focusing on analytic number theory
.
, whom he later married (although years later, they divorced), Jim McIntyre
and Chris Parfitt
, who soon formed the indie pop
band The Apples (which was later changed to The Apples in Stereo
). The group made their first release in 1993 with the Tidal Wave EP that became the inaugural release on Elephant Six's label imprint.
Schneider's prowess in harnessing the sounds of Elephant Six bands became apparent with his distinct production style. In addition to producing all of the albums for The Apples in Stereo, he's produced work for the Olivia Tremor Control and the Minders, but is most well-known for his work on Neutral Milk Hotel's critically lauded In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
. The Wall of Sound
production style implemented by his heroes like Phil Spector
and Brian Wilson
were used on these records and cemented Schneider as the recognizable man behind the bands of the Elephant 6 label.
On March 4, 2010 The Apples in stereo
launched stepthroughtheportal.com, an interactive website where the user can explore the past, present and future of The Apples in stereo with a short film featuring Elijah Wood
, free song, time machine streaming songs from their past album and more.
, began with lo-fi Beach Boys-esque recordings done with Will Cullen Hart, and is the name most of Schneider's solo work appears under. Another, Orchestre Fantastique, is an instrumental venture which recorded a soundtrack for the as-yet unreleased film Dean Quixote. He is also a member of "Thee American Revolution" formed in Lexington, Kentucky
.
Schneider formed a new band in 2004 called Ulysses
and released another Marbles album in 2005. During 2006, it was announced that Schneider was debuting in a new band with his brother-in-law, Craig Morris, called Thee American Revolution
. In August 2006, he began performing children's music under the alias Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine.
") about the show's host, Stephen Colbert
, and then closed the show alongside Chris Funk
(of The Decemberists
), Peter Frampton
and Rick Nielson with an "all-guitar jam".
The Apples in Stereo later performed "Can You Feel It?" on The Colbert Report to celebrate the release of their Japanese 7" vinyl picture disc release of the same song. The Apples in Stereo were officially the first band scheduled to perform twice in the program's history.
Schneider continues to perform as "Robbert Bobbert" and released an album under that name, and is in the process of developing an animated kids television show based on it.
Will Cullen Hart
William "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
, Bill Doss
Bill Doss
Bill Doss is among the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, based in Athens, Georgia, and one of the key creative forces behind The Olivia Tremor Control, one of the leaders of the collective, and later, following the band's break-up, The Sunshine Fix...
, and Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
. He is perhaps best known as the lead singer/songwriter behind The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
.
Life and career
After spending the first six years of his life in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Robert Schneider's family moved to Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. In Louisiana, Schneider befriended Mangum, Hart and Doss and began discovering and playing music with them. After graduating from Ruston High School
Ruston High School
Ruston High School is a 4 year public high school located in the Lincoln Parish School District of Ruston, Louisiana, United States. The school has an enrollment of approximately 1200 students with 85 faculty members; the mascot is the bearcat. The school colors are red and white. Black students...
, where he was Junior and Senior class president, and spending two years at Centenary College
Centenary College
Centenary College can refer to:* Centenary College of New Jersey, a private college located in Hackettstown, New Jersey.* Centenary College of Louisiana, a private college in Shreveport, Louisiana....
in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Schneider moved to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
to attend university. Although he subsequently left school to pursue his musical ambitions, his academic interests still remain strong, being an avid mathematician, focusing on analytic number theory
Analytic number theory
In mathematics, analytic number theory is a branch of number theory that uses methods from mathematical analysis to solve problems about the integers. It is often said to have begun with Dirichlet's introduction of Dirichlet L-functions to give the first proof of Dirichlet's theorem on arithmetic...
.
The Apples in Stereo and Elephant 6
He met Hilarie SidneyHilarie Sidney
Hilarie Sidney is a musician most famously recognized as the longtime drummer for The Apples in Stereo. She was previously married to Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider. Their divorce became publicly acknowledged in 2004...
, whom he later married (although years later, they divorced), Jim McIntyre
Jim McIntyre (musician)
Jim McIntyre is a musician best known as the man behind the Elephant 6 band Von Hemmling. He was also the original bassist for The Apples in Stereo before leaving in 1993. He has written or co-written many early songs for the band, including "Stop Along the Way", "Touch The Water", "To Love The...
and Chris Parfitt
Chris Parfitt
Chris Parfitt is an American guitarist who was one of the founding members of the Elephant 6 indie pop band The Apples in Stereo. Before his 1993 departure, he co-wrote the songs "Tidal Wave" and "Not the Same" with Robert Schneider and his performances appear on the band's original self-titled EP...
, who soon formed the indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band The Apples (which was later changed to The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
). The group made their first release in 1993 with the Tidal Wave EP that became the inaugural release on Elephant Six's label imprint.
Schneider's prowess in harnessing the sounds of Elephant Six bands became apparent with his distinct production style. In addition to producing all of the albums for The Apples in Stereo, he's produced work for the Olivia Tremor Control and the Minders, but is most well-known for his work on Neutral Milk Hotel's critically lauded In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second studio album by American indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released in the United States on February 10, 1998 on Merge Records...
. The Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
production style implemented by his heroes like Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
and Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
were used on these records and cemented Schneider as the recognizable man behind the bands of the Elephant 6 label.
On March 4, 2010 The Apples in stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
launched stepthroughtheportal.com, an interactive website where the user can explore the past, present and future of The Apples in stereo with a short film featuring Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
, free song, time machine streaming songs from their past album and more.
Solo work
Schneider has a number of solo projects. One, a project called MarblesMarbles (band)
Marbles is the solo recording project of The Apples in Stereo singer and chief songwriter Robert Schneider. The project started out in 1993 when Schneider would record his various musical endeavors on cassette for various people he knew, but was somewhat abandoned as the Apples got off the ground...
, began with lo-fi Beach Boys-esque recordings done with Will Cullen Hart, and is the name most of Schneider's solo work appears under. Another, Orchestre Fantastique, is an instrumental venture which recorded a soundtrack for the as-yet unreleased film Dean Quixote. He is also a member of "Thee American Revolution" formed in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
Schneider formed a new band in 2004 called Ulysses
Ulysses (band)
Ulysses is an indie rock band formed by Robert Schneider along with John Ferguson and Ben Fulton in the spring of 2003. Robert Beatty joined later that year. They released their first album, 010, on October 26, 2004 through Eenie Meenie Records...
and released another Marbles album in 2005. During 2006, it was announced that Schneider was debuting in a new band with his brother-in-law, Craig Morris, called Thee American Revolution
The American Revolution (band)
Thee American Revolution is an indie rock band formed in 2004 by Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo, and Craig Morris. Though the song "Subscriptions to Magazines" had been released on the internet, the band did not release any full albums until 2009...
. In August 2006, he began performing children's music under the alias Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine.
Recent work
On December 20, 2006 Schneider appeared on The Colbert Report for the season's rock-themed finale. He performed an original composition ("Stephen, StephenStephen, Stephen
"Stephen, Stephen" is a song by The Apples in Stereo. The song made its debut on December 20, 2006 on the Comedy Central program The Colbert Report where it was performed by Apples frontman, Robert Schneider during Episode number 193....
") about the show's host, Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert (character)
The Reverend / Sir / Dr. / Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A., brain-child of Google, is the persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, as portrayed on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot", the character is a self-obsessed right-wing...
, and then closed the show alongside Chris Funk
Chris Funk
Christopher Lyman Funk is a multi-instrumentalist and member of the Portland, Oregon, indie rock band The Decemberists. He is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana where he worked at Front Porch Music which inspired his love of American Folk Music. He plays guitar, pedal steel, piano, violin,...
(of The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
), Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
and Rick Nielson with an "all-guitar jam".
The Apples in Stereo later performed "Can You Feel It?" on The Colbert Report to celebrate the release of their Japanese 7" vinyl picture disc release of the same song. The Apples in Stereo were officially the first band scheduled to perform twice in the program's history.
Schneider continues to perform as "Robbert Bobbert" and released an album under that name, and is in the process of developing an animated kids television show based on it.
The Apples in Stereo
- Fun Trick NoisemakerFun Trick NoisemakerFun Trick Noisemaker is the debut studio album from The Apples in Stereo, recorded in a house in Los Angeles, in Robert Schneider's portable Pet Sounds Studio. The album is perhaps the most raw example of the Apples, with the rather lo-fi recording values being eclipsed somewhat by their later...
(1995) - Tone Soul EvolutionTone Soul EvolutionTone Soul Evolution is the second album from The Apples in Stereo. It was recorded from February to June and released in September 1997.The vinyl edition of the album was released with a bonus 7" that included the songs "Man You Gotta Get Up" and "The Golden Flower".-Track listing:All tracks...
(1997) - Her Wallpaper ReverieHer Wallpaper ReverieHer Wallpaper Reverie is the third album from The Apples in Stereo.The fifteen tracks listed for the album give the impression that it is about the same length as the band's previous two albums, but only seven of the tracks are "actual" songs. The other eight tracks play a variation of the same...
(1999) - The Discovery of a World Inside the MooneThe Discovery of a World Inside the MooneThe Discovery of a World Inside the Moone is the fourth album from The Apples in Stereo. It received generally good reviews as a showcase for the band’s experimental/psychedelic pop....
(2000) - Velocity of SoundVelocity of SoundVelocity of Sound is an album by The Apples in Stereo. It was the group's fifth album, released in October 2002. The American release has an orange album cover, while the European version is green and the Japanese version is blue...
(2002) - New Magnetic WonderNew Magnetic WonderNew Magnetic Wonder is the sixth studio album from The Apples in Stereo. The album was produced by Robert Schneider with additional production and mixing by Bryce Goggin and was recorded in three separate states...
(2007) - Travellers in Space and TimeTravellers in Space and TimeTravellers in Space and Time is the seventh studio album by The Apples in Stereo. It is the first album by the band to feature new drummer John Dufilho, as well as the first album to cite Bill Doss and John Ferguson as permanent band members...
(2010)
Marbles
- Inverse Gazebo (Cassette Only) (1993)
- Warm Milk and Chocolate (Cassette Only) (1993)
- I ♥ the Animals (Cassette Only) (1993)
- Pyramid Landing (And Other Favorites)Pyramid Landing (And Other Favorites)Pyramid Landing is the debut album from Robert Schneider's solo project, Marbles, containing songs written and performed, usually in their entirety, by Schneider on his 4-track recorder...
(1997) - ExpoExpo (album)Expo is the second album from the Robert Schneider solo project Marbles and is the follow-up to the 1997 release Pyramid Landing . Where as Pyramid Landing was a showcase of experimental pop songs, Expo focuses more sharply on electronic pop music, similar to that of Gary Numan, one of Schneider's...
(2005)
Producing discography
In addition to producing nearly all of the albums for The Apples in Stereo, Schneider has produced many for fellow Elephant 6 bands, including the following.- The Olivia Tremor ControlThe Olivia Tremor ControlThe Olivia Tremor Control is an indie rock band prominent in the mid to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo and Neutral Milk Hotel, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects...
: Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist CastleMusic from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist CastleMusic from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle is the first full length album released by The Olivia Tremor Control of The Elephant 6 Recording Company....
(1996) - Neutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
: On Avery IslandOn Avery Island-Track listing:All songs written by Jeff Mangum except where noted. Horn arrangements by Robert Schneider.#"Song Against Sex" – 3:40#"You've Passed" – 2:54#"Someone Is Waiting" – 2:31#"A Baby for Pree" – 1:21#"Marching Theme" – 2:58...
(1996) - Neutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
: In the Aeroplane Over the SeaIn the Aeroplane Over the SeaIn the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second studio album by American indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released in the United States on February 10, 1998 on Merge Records...
(1998) - The MindersThe MindersThe Minders is a band closely associated with The Elephant Six Collective. Started by Martyn Leaper in Denver, Colorado in 1996, the band's original members included Leaper on guitars and vocals, Rebecca Cole on drums, Jeff Almond on guitar, and Marc Willhite on bass.Leaper formed the Minders in...
: Hooray for TuesdayHooray for TuesdayHooray for Tuesday is the debut album by Denver-based Elephant 6 band The Minders.-Track listing:All songs by Martyn Leaper except where noted.#"Hooray for Tuesday" – 3:12#"Pauline" – 2:24#"Joey's Pez" – 1:52#"Comfortably Tucked Up Inside" – 2:27...
(1998) - BeulahBeulah (band)Beulah was an indie rock band from San Francisco, California, often associated with The Elephant 6 Recording Company.-Early Years: 1996-1998:...
: When Your Heartstrings BreakWhen Your Heartstrings BreakWhen Your Heartstrings Break is the second album by San Francisco indie rock band Beulah. It was released on March 9, 1999 on the Sugar Free Records label. The album went out of print several years afterwards and did not see a reprinting until 2003...
(1999)