ROPE
After years of searching and experimenting, Josh Clark, the founder of Rope, has finally found the band he's been looking for! As co-owner of The Seaside Lounge Recording Studio (Brooklyn, NY) and as a multi-instrumentalist, Clark has recorded an album's worth of material primarily on his own, but with valuable input from many of the bands he's produced such as Antietam and Federale. Pulling from this same network of friends and colleagues, he has put together Rope's current line up with John Stendrini and Jesse Cohen (both of Federale) on guitar and bass respectively, Zachary Cale on guitar, and Aaron Gemmill on drums. Together they deliver tuneful melodies over monumental riffs. Rope's debut single “Montagne” will be available through All Hands Electric in early 2010.
ROPE
Montagne
7”
DISCOGRAPHY:
“Montagne” is the recording debut of the Brooklyn band Rope. Originally a one man band studio project by Josh Clark, Rope has recently coalesced into a fully operational machine. Playing no-holds-barred rock, somewhere between the slow-burn chug of Crazy Horse and the power pop metal of Thin Lizzy. Rope favors all things guitar. With guitarists John Stendrini (Federale) and Zach Cale (Illuminations) flanking Josh, a natural chorus effect materializes between the guitars that supplies the band with a sonic palette for constructing mammoth sounding riffs.
On side A we have “Montagne”, a thunder ode to the most intimidating of nature’s creations. With guitars that scream like supernovas shot out of a cannon over a driving bass-line “Montagne” gets things moving quickly. Almost kraut rock like in structure, the song never strays from the hard hitting rhythm established in the first bar, simulating a locked groove that creates a broad plain for Josh’s voice to stretch out over. Josh sings “I stared at this mountain for a year now, it’s all I can take!”. By the time of the last chorus the guitars, breaking up from tube volume, sputter and crash to the floor in what seems a fitting close, but seconds after the fade the guitars creep back into the mix climbing up into an angular blues stomp.
On the flip is “I Can’t Pretend to Understand”, a four-chord barnstormer, both haggard and heartworn, as Josh sings “It was winter in the arctic ten years too long, you couldn’t figure it out. You can’t cry the sun in the sky.” Clark has a great ear for melody and his lyrics ring out clearly, never hiding beneath the layers of guitar. It’s a memorable song with its call and response vocal phrasing and melodic guitar breaks between verses, and a nice contrast to “Montagne’s” full speed ahead approach. With these two rock gems in the can, we can’t wait to see what this band does with a full length record!
1. Montagne
2. I Can’t Pretend to Understand
PHOTO: JOSH CLARK
