Emerging: The Ropes

(photo by Bo Streeter)

"You can all go fuck yourselves/ You can all go burn in hell".  So begins "I Don't Like To Get Dirty" from our newest NYC band crush, The Ropes.  Sure, they're like other boy/girl indie duos (cf. The Kills minus the violent sexual tension, Matt & Kim minus the zero sexual tension, et al.), but what sets these guys apart is, well, everything but the fact that there's two of them.  The two utilize chugging, drenched in reverb guitars and alternative-leaning drum fills, simple bass progressions and singer Sharon Shy's sweaty, yearning sulk, creating some of the most attractive and engaging capital-R rock songs we've heard coming out of Gotham in some time now.  The lyrics are wonderfully simple and spiteful, true to form for any vengeful ingenue who's tired of playing second banana.  "Cry To The Beat" and "Kill Her Off", both from the band's first full length, are ace stompers, but one listen to "I Don't Like To Get Dirty" and we're sure you'll be sold on The Ropes.

(mp3)    The Ropes – Kill Her Off

Godspeed!