Soccer Mommy | Tue 4 Sep | Hare & Hounds | £9
The Swiss born, Nashville raised Sophie Allison, has a profile at twenty years old most musicians can only dream of. Recording as Soccer Mommy, her beguiling and sweet melancholy is by turns exhilarating and downbeat, a DIY bathe in pop sensibility and poignantly touching lyricism. Debut studio album Clean, released earlier this year, is essential listening. www.skiddle.com

Geowulf | Tue 4 Sep | Sunflower Lounge | £6.60
As our summer inevitably begins to wind down what better time than now for the deliriously upbeat beach pop of Geowulf to glide into town from Australia’s Sunshine Coast. The duo from down under weave intricate webs of dreamy sonic magic laced with lazy beats and lilting electronica, it’s a heady mix.  Support comes from local indie rocker George Pannell and melodious beatboxing champs White Flag Dares. www.seetickets.com

Kaleidoscope #7 | Thu 6 Sep | Night Owl | Free
Number seven of the blistering mash up of arts and music that is Kaleidoscope, already established as an absolutely crucial event for keeping fingers on the cultural pulse of Birmingham. Keep it to yourselves (shhh) but surely they could be charging big quids for this. Live noise this time around comes from the sophisticated brash jazz and hip hop of Delta Autumn, the psyched out head fuckery of Kinds of Light and synth poppers Sofa King. Artists exhibiting (and selling) include Molly Cleaver, Afrokin Creations and Lottie Canto with the usual roster of vinyl junkies keeping the beats rolling until the early hours.  www.facebook.com

The The | Fri 7 Sep | Digbeth Arena | £49.75
Performing live for the first time in 16 years, Matt Johnson’s gravel voiced genius is as potent as ever as he embarks on the cheekily titled Comeback Special tour. A trailblazing innovator for nearly four decades the Infected album still stands as one of the greatest records of the eighties, blinding funk electronica submerged in a post punk haze as seductive now as it was in 1986. Part of the Skyline series of events that has seen several major acts lighting up Digbeth this year. www.skiddle.com

The Brummies | Fri 7 Sep | Dark Horse | Free 
Sonic Gun bring The Brummies, who are actually from Birmingham, Alabama, to what is surely their spiritual home for a session at The Dark Horse. These guys produce great swirls of psych tinged pop with a delightfully winsome laid back vibe, like arms reaching out for a warm and gooey musical hug, well, we are all Brummies after all, join the love. www.facebook.com

Grandmaster Flash | Sat 8 Sep | Town Hall | £27.50
Hip Hop innovators and legends certainly don’t come any more renown than Joseph Saddler aka Grandmaster Flash. With his Furious Five he was the first hip hop act to be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, telling recognition of a career that has spanned more than four decades and introduced the world to scratching, mixing and cutting. In this exciting and unique interactive visual experience, Grandmaster Flash takes his audience on a journey through the history of Hip Hop from the original seventies breaks that started it all through to the present day. www.thsh.co.uk

The Darling Buds | Sat 8 Sep | Hare & Hounds | £12
Eighties indie darlings The Darling Buds enjoyed large scale chart success with their infectious brand of revved up pop melodies and alternative sensibilities. Inevitably lumped in with Transvision Vamp and The Primitives, The Darling Buds upbeat, almost impossibly chirpy, songs set them apart from their peers. Listen to Burst and we challenge you to not smile and feel all fuzzy and invigorated, it’s impossible. Kings Heath will be a mass of gurning grins and warm nostalgic fuzziness Saturday night. www.skiddle.com