Described by the band as pop-punk with synth "as played by an 80's hair-metal band", Roper is a band formed in 2004 by former Five Iron Frenzy vocalist Reese Roper following the disollution of Guerilla Rodeo.
The band was announced before there was a lineup, or a website, or even an announcement that Guerilla Rodeo, which had released a three song demo only months before and was still thought to be in the process of recording its first full CD, had broken up. Later it was confirmed that the band had disbanded amicably over creative differences.
Information release was scarce over the next few weeks. Roper (the person, not the band), who was an active member of the Five Iron Frenzy messageboard, posted some lyrics that he was working on, but other than that little was known. (These lyrics, changed in places, later became Red Eye to Miami and Quicksilver on the band's debut album.)
Eventually, a website located at http://www.roperisdumb.com offered some basic information and a message board. The band's album, "Brace Yourself for the Mediocre", was set to be released late in 2004, with the instruments played by session musicians while Roper and his long-time label, Five Minute Walk, searched for permanent members.
The band filled out, eventually, with Reese Roper on vocals and synth; Jonathan Byrnside on lead guitar; Johnathan Till on bass; Stephen Till, previously of Dance, Mexican, Dance on rhythm guitar; and Nick White, formerly of Divot, on drums. The band has another connection to Five Iron Frenzy: Stephen Till's wife is FIF sax player Leanor "Jeff" Ortega.
The band began touring in September, 2004, and on October 19th Brace Yourself for the Mediocre was released to positive reviews. While it isn't a product of the current iteration of Roper--FIF producer Masaki Liu, formerly of Dime Store Prophets and Rivulets and Violets; and Ethan Luck, a member of the ill-fated Guerilla Rodeo and currently guitarist for the Supertones wrote most of the music (Roper some music and all of the lyrics)--the band plays it on tour.