When you attend a show with little knowledge of either band, it could either be labeled as adventurous or plain torture. So walking into The Echo last Saturday gave me the strangest sensation. Luckily, one of Brooklyns finest, The Rogers Sisters and Texas strangely titled I Love You But Ive Chosen Darkness walked a fine line between adventure and entertainment.
The Rogers Sisters are a crazed trio that personified gritty New York fuzz rock. Nonchalantly taking the stage, Jennifer and Laura Rogers and honorary sister, Miyuki Furtado, insanely paraded their way through song after song without as much as losing their east coast cool. Opening with the condensed track, Sooner or Later, off of their latest album, The Invisible Deck, the Sisters brought the slightly menacing rifts of Brooklyn garage rock to the streets of Echo Park. Song three, I Dig A Hole, showcased Furtados choppy vocals and the bands Gang of Four mentality. As Furtado feverishly gyrated from an up and down bass playing position, Jennifer Rogers amplified her lead guitar work by incorporating a sexy side to side sway. Song seven, Why Wont You, offered a brash mix of sinister guitar combos and a drowning bass undertone. Furtado and Jennifer Rogers combined vocals created a wall of force that amplified as the song progressed. Closing with the distortion saturated track, The Littlest World, the Rogers Sisters never faltered throughout their relentless 10 song blitz of rugged bass lines, deeply rooted drum patterns and threatening guitar notation.
I Love You But Ive Chosen Darkness opened with an ambient array of intense noise by means of the track, The Day We Chose Places. Building up to a crashing climax, the I Love Yous sent pulsating chills up and down your spine. Lead singer Christian Goyers hauntingly lonesome lyrics and melancholic deliveries were supported with a wide assortment of backing instrumentation. Ernest Salaz’s layered guitar melodies communicated effortlessly with Edward Roberts discreet bass lines. The I Love Yous headlining set jumped from moody, to beautifully atmospheric with a varying return to dance grooves within minutes. Such a varied assortment of song selections kept the audience on alert and intrigued. Song three, According to Plan took page one from The Faint and page two from The Notwist. Perhaps the most sincere tracks of the night came courtesy of Goyers turn at the keyboard. Last Ride and Worst is Your Best teamed Goyers soft spoken vocals with a sympathetic assembly of keys. Closing with as much bravado as they began with, I Love You But Ive Chosen Darkness certainly has an unconventional sound that parallels the strange dynamic of their own name.
