Years active 2005 (2005)– Website theropesmusic.com | Associated acts Tricky Members Sharon Shy
Toppy | |
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Origin New York City, New York, United States (2005) Albums What They Do for Fun, Post-Entertainment Genres Dream pop, Indie rock, Shoegazing, Noise pop Record labels Discos de Kirlian, Mission X Records, SINLO Records Similar Ajimal, Be Forest, Ought, James Yorkston, Sin Fang | ||
The Ropes are an indie rock duo from New York City, composed of vocalist and bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist "Toppy". Sharon Shy and Toppy founded The Ropes as a duo in 2005. They briefly began performing with a full band in 2006, but after describing working with other band members as “a living hell,” they chose to officially be a duo in early 2008. The Ropes have toured throughout the US and UK, opening for acts such as Crocodiles, Innerpartysystem,The Bravery, Chapel Club and Sunday Girl. They have been compared to The Cure, Interpol, Garbage, Poe, The Knife, and the Velvet Underground, and they cite 1950s French New Wave as an influence. French magazine Les Inrockuptibles named The Ropes as one of their 5 bands to watch.
Contents
The Ropes released an EP titled Cry to the Beat in 2007, with drums performed by Blake Fleming from Mars Volta, and on May 6, 2008 released a full-length album entitled What They Do For Fun. Music critic Allan Raible chose What They Do For Fun as No. 15 on the ABC News 50 Best Albums of 2008. In March 2009 they released their first EP as a duo entitled Be My Gun, followed by another EP that August, Clubs in Europe Forever. They released the Love is a Chain Store and I Miss You Being Gone EPs in early 2010. The song "I Miss You Being Gone” was playlisted by Irish radio station Phantom 105.2, and "Love is a Chain Store" was playlisted by NME Radio in March 2010. In 2011, the band released the Lack of Technology Made Me a Killer EP along with a video that was premiered at the 2012 SXSW music and film festival. The single "Lack of Technology Made Me a Killer" was chosen as Song of the Day by KEXP (90.3 FM) of Seattle. In October 2013 they released The Man Who Refused to Be Born EP. 2 more EPs were released in 2014, I Want It All, So I Can Have Nothing and Sadness Is the Rich Man’s Drug.
The latest LP from the band is "Post-Entertainment", which was released in February 2013. According to an interview The Ropes did with IndieRay, "Post-entertainment is an examination of artist vs. entertainer. They are not one and the same. They are mutually exclusive. In a broader sense, it is an examination of the 'function' that music and art play in life. If art were to win the battle vs. entertainment – you would have Post-entertainment. Currently, one side is decidedly outnumbered."
Tricky sampled The Ropes' song "Love is a Chain Store" on the lead single "Does It" from his 2013 album "False Idols".
Discography
Songs
Love Is a Chain StoreLove Is a Chain Store · 2010
Kill Her OffWhat They Do for Fun · 2008
Cry to the BeatWhat They Do for Fun · 2008