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Roper (band)
Encyclopedia
Roper was a Christian
pop-punk band formed in Denver, Colorado
. The band consisted of Reese Roper
(former lead singer of Five Iron Frenzy
) on lead vocals, Jonathan Byrnside on lead guitar, Jonathan Till on bass, Matt Emmett on rhythm guitar, and Nick White on drums.
Guerilla Rodeo was a short-lived project founded by Reese Roper
, meant to follow his prior band Five Iron Frenzy. In addition to vocalist Reese Roper, the band was formed by fellow Five Iron member Sonnie Johnston (guitar
), Ethan Luck
(guitar), John Warne
(bass
, background vocals), and Josh Abbott (drum
s). The project yielded only a three-track EP, Ride, Rope and Destroy
, released in 2004. It has been confirmed by both Ethan Luck and Reese Roper that there never was a fourth, unreleased song recorded for the EP. Reese Roper often compared the sound of the band to Letters to Cleo
. Their name was a play on the Rage Against the Machine single "Guerrilla Radio
".
Roper
When the Guerilla Rodeo project came to an end, Reese reformed the band under his own name, Roper. Roper's full length album, Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
, was produced before the band was officially together and released on Five Minute Walk Records. All songs on the album with the exception of "Day of Pigs" and "You're Still The One" were written by Reese Roper, Masaki Liu
, and Ethan Luck
. Because of the incomplete state of the band at the time of the album's release, the only official member appearing on the CD is Reese Roper. As a result, the album features many additional musicians such as Frank Lenz
(drums), Elijah Thomson (bass), Phil Bennett (organ), Bob Schiveley (guitar), Masaki Liu (guitar), Jason White (additional drums), Ethan Luck (guitar), and many additional vocalists. Some of the songs on the album were originally written for Guerilla Rodeo. One of the online forums spawned by this group is the Roper Board in which many fans of both Roper and Reese's previous band Five Iron Frenzy congregate.
Roper issued a statement regarding the status of the band in 2006:
In 2009 Reese Roper told HM that the probability of making another album was "somewhere around 3%." The Roper project sold close to 30,000 albums in total, about the same as Brave Saint Saturn and other Five Iron related side projects. He also stated that, in retrospect, the project was "doomed from the beginning," but that musically it was the highlight of his career.
In March 2010 rumors have surfaced on the Brave Saint Saturn
message boards saying that Roper is back together, however none of the band members confirmed it yet.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
pop-punk band formed in 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...
. The band consisted of Reese Roper
Reese Roper
Michael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
(former lead singer of Five Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy
Five Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
) on lead vocals, Jonathan Byrnside on lead guitar, Jonathan Till on bass, Matt Emmett on rhythm guitar, and Nick White on drums.
Background
Guerilla RodeoGuerilla Rodeo was a short-lived project founded by Reese Roper
Reese Roper
Michael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
, meant to follow his prior band Five Iron Frenzy. In addition to vocalist Reese Roper, the band was formed by fellow Five Iron member Sonnie Johnston (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Ethan Luck
Ethan Luck
Ethan John Luck is a guitarist, photographer, and drummer who has played in many bands, most prominently, the ska band The O.C. Supertones....
(guitar), John Warne
John Warne
John Warne is an American musician who has been active in the Christian rock scene since 1996. He is best known for being the bassist for the Christian rock band Relient K as well as being a founding member of the Christian punk band Ace Troubleshooter...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, background vocals), and Josh Abbott (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s). The project yielded only a three-track EP, Ride, Rope and Destroy
Ride, Rope and Destroy
Ride, Rope and Destroy is an EP by the band Guerilla Rodeo. It is their only release, as the band's founder Reese Roper left to start a new band called Roper.-Track listing:# "Ride, Rope and Destroy" – 2:48# "Stuntman" – 2:35...
, released in 2004. It has been confirmed by both Ethan Luck and Reese Roper that there never was a fourth, unreleased song recorded for the EP. Reese Roper often compared the sound of the band to Letters to Cleo
Letters to Cleo
Letters to Cleo was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts perhaps best known for the 1993 single "Here & Now" from their full-length debut album Aurora Gory Alice...
. Their name was a play on the Rage Against the Machine single "Guerrilla Radio
Guerrilla Radio
"Guerrilla Radio" is the second track from the 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles by the band Rage Against the Machine. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for this song. It has remained one of their signature tracks...
".
Roper
When the Guerilla Rodeo project came to an end, Reese reformed the band under his own name, Roper. Roper's full length album, Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
Brace Yourself for the Mediocre
Brace Yourself for the Mediocre is the only album of the band Roper, released October 19, 2004. It was put together by lead singer Reese Roper before he had put the rest of the band together. The album has a pop punk sound, although HM comments that it "has much more in common with the raw side...
, was produced before the band was officially together and released on Five Minute Walk Records. All songs on the album with the exception of "Day of Pigs" and "You're Still The One" were written by Reese Roper, Masaki Liu
Masaki Liu
Masaki Liu, sometimes referred to as "Saki", is the engineer and producer operating One Way Studio, a digital recording studio in Benicia, California. Masaki has recorded and produced music for many bands, including Five Iron Frenzy, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Echoing Green, The W's and...
, and Ethan Luck
Ethan Luck
Ethan John Luck is a guitarist, photographer, and drummer who has played in many bands, most prominently, the ska band The O.C. Supertones....
. Because of the incomplete state of the band at the time of the album's release, the only official member appearing on the CD is Reese Roper. As a result, the album features many additional musicians such as Frank Lenz
Frank Lenz
Frank Lenz is a drummer from Southern California who has done work for many bands and artists, including but not limited to Starflyer 59, Daniel Amos, Crystal Lewis, Duraluxe, Map, Charity Empressa, Kevin Max, Cush and The Dingees.-Biography:Frank Lenz started taking drum lessons when he was eight...
(drums), Elijah Thomson (bass), Phil Bennett (organ), Bob Schiveley (guitar), Masaki Liu (guitar), Jason White (additional drums), Ethan Luck (guitar), and many additional vocalists. Some of the songs on the album were originally written for Guerilla Rodeo. One of the online forums spawned by this group is the Roper Board in which many fans of both Roper and Reese's previous band Five Iron Frenzy congregate.
Roper issued a statement regarding the status of the band in 2006:
In 2009 Reese Roper told HM that the probability of making another album was "somewhere around 3%." The Roper project sold close to 30,000 albums in total, about the same as Brave Saint Saturn and other Five Iron related side projects. He also stated that, in retrospect, the project was "doomed from the beginning," but that musically it was the highlight of his career.
In March 2010 rumors have surfaced on the Brave Saint Saturn
Brave Saint Saturn
Brave Saint Saturn is a Christian rock band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1999. The band is a side-project of former members of Five Iron Frenzy started by Reese Roper...
message boards saying that Roper is back together, however none of the band members confirmed it yet.
Members
- Reese RoperReese RoperMichael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
– vocals and synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Jonathan Byrnside – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Matt "Emo" Emmett – guitar
- Johnathan Till – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Nick White – drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Stephen Till – guitar
Discography
| Year | Album | Billboard Charts [ ] | Position | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Brace Yourself for the Mediocre Brace Yourself for the Mediocre Brace Yourself for the Mediocre is the only album of the band Roper, released October 19, 2004. It was put together by lead singer Reese Roper before he had put the rest of the band together. The album has a pop punk sound, although HM comments that it "has much more in common with the raw side... |
Top Heatseekers | 46 | |
| Top Christian Albums | 27 |