Zara McFarlane | Wed 7 Feb | Hare & Hounds | £14.30
MOBO-winning London jazz singer Zara McFarlane has been quietly mastering her art for some time now, but new album ‘Arise’ is a brilliant distillation of what she can do. Connecting her Afro-Caribbean roots and the foremost frontiers of jazz, she’s breathing a whole new life and breadth of influence into the genre. See our full preview here.

*Sold out: Nightmares on Wax | Thu 8 Feb | Hare & Hounds | £16.50
There’s hardly a genre on Earth that George Evelyn – a.k.a. Warp Records mainstay Nightmares on Wax – hasn’t tasted, sampled and absorbed into his music in one way or another. An electronic magpie, and a master amalgamator, his hip-hop roots have enabled him to weave together the dense strands of disco, jazz, afrobeat, and classical music into a sonic patchwork that envelops the listener like a warm blanket. See our full preview here.

Jhene Aiko | Thu 8 Feb | O2 Institute | £22.50
When R&B songstress Jhené Aiko surprise-dropped a 90-minute album and a 20-minute short film last September, she capped a three-year process of grief, discovery and exploration. Building on the template of her alt-R&B sound, Aiko she expanded her palette into something hazy, ambient and often psychedelic, unafraid to go off the rails into wild, minimalistic futurism. See our full preview here.

Kendrick Lamar | Fri 9 Feb | Genting Arena | £57 – 108
Kendrick Lamar is on such a killer streak right now it’s downright scary. The consummate storyteller, Lamar twists his words in ways most can only dream: verbose and poetic, efficient and clear, fast and flashy, then slow and relentless; whenever you think you’ve understood him, he flips to a new angle. By now, the truth is Kendrick only has himself to beat – yet he keeps doing it. See our full preview here.

Yung Jimmy’s Big Ideas | Fri 9 Feb | Actress & Bishop | £6
Yung Jimmy’s Big Ideas is more than just a band – it’s a nationwide roster of underground shoegaze, psych and post-rock musicians who collaborate in turns to create a completely unique set and performance with each show they play. Featuring Birmingham talent from the likes of Violet, NONSUCH and Gleam, there’s no telling what exactly the band will bring to the table; but if you like space-rock and surprises, you’re in good hands. birminghampromoters.com

Victories at Sea All-Dayer | Sat 10 Feb | Hare & Hounds | £5.50
This is Tmrw present a killer all-dayer brimming with local talent: headed up by post-rock titans Victories at Sea; doom-mongering Mogwai fans and hopeless-romantic National lovers alike will find plenty to enjoy in the band’s expansive, exquisite melancholy. Matters, Outlander, Mysteron, Hoopla Blue and Arc Vel fill out a line-up that’s unmissable from start to finish if you want to see just what Birmingham has to offer right now. See our full preview here.