EVEN THE STARS TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2018 - 20 to 11

The list that no one was waiting for. Over the next two days we reveal our top twenty albums of the year. Regular readers of the blog won't be surprised by many of these choices of course, but as we keep telling people we do this to champion music we love not to be hipster or with it or even politically correct. We start today with numbers twenty to eleven.

She Makes War - Manchester Castle Hotel - 20th October 2018

Fresh from the various chart successes of her independently released fourth album Brace For Impact, She Makes War made her way to Manchester with her five-piece band to The Castle Hotel for a sold-out sweatbox of a show that focused heavily on the new album with a liberal sprinkling of tracks from her impressive back catalogue.

She Makes War - Brace For Impact

Brace For Impact is She Makes War's fourth album and finds Laura Kidd rocking out like she's never done before without losing her innovative approach to making her music and in the process making her most accessible and intriguing record to date.

TRACK OF THE DAY : She Makes War - Devastate Me

Devastate Me is the first track to be taken from She Makes War's fourth album Brace For Impact which is due out on September 28th ahead of a UK tour. The single represents a departure in style for the musically diverse multi-instrumentalist, but still remains true to her uncompromising independent approach to her music.

She Makes War - Stuttgart Secondhandshop Øbscür - 16th September 2017

Our friends at German site Konzerttagebuch (Mein Zuhause, Mein Blog) caught up with She Makes War as she started off the German leg of her solo tour across Europe in Stuttgart on Saturday night. They've very kindly provided us with a translation of their review and access to their photos to share with our UK audience.

Track Of The Day : She Makes War - Stargazing

Stargazing is the latest single from She Makes War's album Direction Of Travel released to coincide with her upcoming UK tour. The video is set around Clifton Suspension Bridge and Troopers Hill in Bristol and sees her space-obsessed character seek ways of leaving the planet.

She Makes War - Manchester Deaf Institute - 3rd November 2016

She Makes War is opening up for The Wave Pictures on their current UK tour. A long time favourite of Even The Stars, whether playing solo or with her band, she charmed a static Manchester audience with songs from her recent album Direction Of Travel, a couple of old favourites and two great new songs from her fourth album due next year.

She Makes War / She Drew The Gun - Salford St Philips Church - 1st May 2016

The holy surroundings of St Philips Church in Salford provided the backdrop for two great sets in surreal circumstances with light shining through the glazed windows at the start of Sounds From The Other City from She Makes War and She Drew The Gun, both on the promotional circuit for their excellent recent albums Direction Of Travel and Memories Of The Future.

Even The Stars Albums Of The Year 2015 - 8 to 5

It's that time of year again when we reveal our favourite records of the year. There's been so many great albums made this year that not all of them could make the final cut and it's been a hard choice to whittle them down to just twenty. We continue our countdown today from 8 to 5.

She Makes War : Disarm15

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of her debut LP Disarm, She Makes War, aka Laura Kidd, has revisited five of the songs for an EP release to coincide with a short UK tour. We had a listen to see how Laura had reinterpreted songs five years and over four hundred shows on.

She Makes War - Karlsruhe Kohi - 9th May 2015

She Makes War is a regular visitor to Germany where she has gained a big fanbase. Our friend Gudrun from Karlsruhe caught her show at the Kohi and reports back for us.

Duke Special / She Makes War - Bury The Met - 16th April 2015

Duke Special has been treading the boards of the country for over a decade now. A unique performer with a back catalogue that travels through his own material, a multitude of covers but also themed releases around theatrical shows, books and orchestral performances, he’s touring the UK in support of his latest album Look Out Machines! with support from the wonderful She Makes War.

Interview - She Makes War

Before her headline gig at Manchester's Wonder Inn on Friday night, we spoke to Laura Kidd, aka She Makes War, about her new album Direction Of Travel, the special guests on the record, her unique live shows, what it's like to be an independent artist and her plans for the rest of the year.

She Makes War / Louis Barabbas / Forgery Lit - Manchester The Wonder Inn - 27th March 2015

Ahead of the release of her third album Direction Of Travel in late summer, Laura Kidd, aka She Makes War is on a three-week tour of the UK previewing tracks from the album accompanied this time by a band rather than her solo set.  We caught her Manchester date at the rather lovely new Wonder Inn with support by local eccentric hero Louis Barabbas and Bristol's Forgery Lit.

She Makes War - Manchester The Lawn Club - 23rd June 2014

She Makes War is a one woman wrecking ball.  A heady mix of electric guitar, acoustic ukulele, loop pedals, megaphones, xylophone, cymbals and alarm clock.  It shouldn't work, but it does brilliantly.