Cariss Auburn | Tue 17 Jul | Kitchen Garden Cafe | £5
Supremely talented singer songwriter from Wolverhampton destined for great things, possessed of a rich soulful voice and masses of talent she brings her true groove to the delightful surroundings of the convivial Kitchen Garden Cafe. Supporting Cariss are the all female ambient indie rock duo Iceberg. www.wegottickets.com

The Weeks | Tue 17 Jul | Sunflower Lounge | £13.44
The sludge noise energy of their early albums has been fine tuned into a perfect Southern rock confection of muddy hooks and lyrical flair very reminiscent of the Kings of Leon though always retaining a Mississippi twinkle of their own. Led by twin brothers Cain and Cyle Barnes (vocals and drums) there is a switched on telepathy about The Weeks’ music that grows with the band, check out 2017’s ‘Easy’, their fifth long player, a record that connects with an easy brooding familiarity its title implies. www.seetickets.com

Only Sun | Wed 18 Jul | Sunflower Lounge | £6.60
Breezy high energy indie pop noise wearing a big friendly smile from possibly the busiest band of 2018 as they endeavour to release a new single every month throughout the year. Our favourite is the chirrupy joy of So It Goes, a relentlessly upbeat anthem with a catchy sunshine chorus that perfectly encapsulates what Only Sun are about. www.seetickets.com

Siksa | Thu 19 Jul | Centrala | Free
The stunning 100 Years So What exhibition, reflecting on the centenary of women’s voting rights being afforded in several countries including Poland and the UK, continues with an appearance from Polish punk performance artists, SIKSA. Challenging, uncompromising and at times downright frightening, the duo, featuring Alex and Bury, are unforgettable and possessed of a raging fuck you attitude. It’s Perfo-punk, infantile, anti-social and effective. Read more about the 100 Years of So What exhibition here. www.facebook.com

Pram | Fri 20 Jul | The Edge | £12
Great experimental musical tremors are shifting the soul of Birmingham again as the pioneering and genre defying Pram set up to launch a new album into our consciousness and in so doing unleash a litany of sound that will unsettle, unwind and ultimately seduce. The four piece from Moseley are that kind of band. Across the Meridian comes creeping on the heels of 2007’s The Moving Frontier, an album that hauled its listener into an at times malicious soundscape of sonic deviancy, a very personal soundtrack that teetered uneasily between nightmare and ecstasy dependent on mood, play it again and everything changed, possibly the first shapeshifting record. Once you plug in there is no off switch. Support comes from Ed Dowie, Grandmaster Gareth and Klub Katusi.  Promoted in alliance with Club Integral Midlands.  www.wegottickets.com

The Blockheads |Fri 20 Jul | mac | £22
One of the most legendary backing bands in musical history, The Blockheads, will be pumping out the delicious funk based tunes that propelled them and Ian Dury to success in the seventies and eighties in the mac’s outdoor arena, a perfect summer time marriage. Following Dury’s untimely death in 2000, the band have constantly toured and retain original members Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher, with Derek ‘The Draw’ Hussey, former Dury chaperone, taking on vocal duties. macbirmingham.co.uk

Bad Girlfriend | Sat 21 Jul | Dig Brew Co | Free
Birmingham swamp rockers Bad Girlfriend host the second of four parties planned for this year and release the second track from their forthcoming EP.  May’s event at The Sunflower Lounge was an absolute blast, this time round the sleazy garage boys descend on Digbeth’s Dig Brew Co and bring a host of noisy pals along including scouse rabble Ohmns, psych warriors As Mamas, the DIY electronics of Mass House UK, singeing rock duo Liars at the Witch Trial, with the masters of vinyl from Kaleidoscope keeping the eclectic beats raging till the early hours. Did we mention it’s free? I know, unbelievable isn’t it? www.facebook.com

Skatalites | Sun 22 Jul | Mama Roux’s | £20
Single handedly defining the sound of Jamaica in the early sixties, the grandparents of the ska sound may only contain two original members in singer Doreen Shaffer and saxophonist Lester Sterling, all the rest having sadly passed away, but they are still a blast live. Real living musical history and a great chance to strap on those moonstomping boots and get moving those feet to genuine legends with a legacy spanning over five decades. Massive influences on the likes of Prince Buster, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and of course Two Tone. We challenge anyone to remain motionless when the horns of ‘Guns of Navarone’ kick in. www.eventbrite.co.uk