New York Cool - November 2005

She Makes War and nEPo
Sunday 13th November 2005
Parkside Lounge, 317 East Houston

So I recently ventured away from fine arts reporting once again to cover the New York debut of British singer/guitarist Laura Kidd. Settling in for a Sunday night of live music, I took in the red and black décor of Parkside Lounge’s faded class, and I thought, “yeah, I can dig this,” ordered a drink and prepared myself to sit through two other sets before Miss Kidd took the stage.

My evening began with the rhythmically evocative sound of Brooklyn based nEPo, hailing from a self described “ElectroChestral weed pop” genre, and I admit, I was pleasantly surprised.

With enough bass to make it a little bit funky, nEPo achieved a good balance with their electronic components, using their “three humans and a droid” line up to create a kind of layered consistency to the sound, using both gritty yet upbeat rock and the atmospheric sexy smooth. Although they are looking to fill a vacant keyboardist slot, I was impressed that it was just the three of them on stage.

And dare I say Progressive? only in that they take ballsy step away from the secure bosom of New York rock canon and actually don’t sound like the Strokes. In fact, I might even go so far as to say they have a unique sound, resulting from a careful combination of mature technical experience and a very immature sense of fun.

Dark but playful, and without taking themselves too seriously, nEPo (www.nepo.biz) boasts a sound that won’t allow audiences to sit still though their performance. I imagine Spike Jonze would have a visual field day with this stuff.

I missed the intermediate performance of the Volcanoes as I was otherwise occupied drinking, smoking—outside of course (Bloomberg, I will take my resentment to the grave) and dominating the pool table, thanks of course to my teammate, the lovely and talented Laura Kidd. It was during this time I had the opportunity to chat with Miss Kidd, and I found her to be a delight—sweet, cheerful, and a little bit spunky. So when she took the stage shortly after, I was a bit taken aback by her choice of musical expression.

“I swear I’m quite jolly in real life,” she confessed between songs, and although the audience giggled in understanding, who would believe her? Accompanied by her acoustic guitar, the weapon of choice of jilted women everywhere, her lyrics lamented the pieces of her broken heart.

Cradling the guitar like it was her most precious possession, she enticed out if it dark melodies so perfect for those moody days when all you want is to be left alone with your misery. Swaying between emotionally fatigued whispers and a scored assault, and it was this movement that gave the acoustic sound a textured vibrancy that, coupled with her lovely, sultry voice, held your attention.

A seasoned musician, Kidd earns her bread as a professional bass player in hometown London, where she also gained some notoriety with She Makes War, an all girl “home grown” punk rock group. Keeping the tenacious name, Kidd transformed She Makes War into a vehicle for her solo career, of which the performance I saw was her New York debut. Braving a Sunday night on the Lower East Side, she was undaunted by the small turnout, “Everyone loves live music, but getting people out is always the hard part.”

Kidd is undeniably talented, and commands a presence that is both sensual and mysterious while harboring a potential for the more violent (as her name would suggest) that makes the whole package all the more sexy. I would love to see her step away from break-up music, and expand into a more contemplative expression and I am excited to experience her musical achievements as her solo work develops.

Kidd headed back to the UK after her performance, but who can stay away from New York too long? Watch out for her return during warmer climes and in the mean time check out her sound first hand at www.shemakeswar.com.

Erin Mallay


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