July’s offering includes a chat with the usually elusive Bloc Party frontman Kele, who has unveiled his debut solo album and is preparing to visit Birmingham as part of his biggest lone tour yet.

Also inside this month’s pages are much-hyped New Yorkers The Drums, psych-pop statesmen The Coral and Off The Cuff Festival headliners Chapel Club.

Plus we here from two of the Midlands’ finest emerging acts The Traps and The Arcadian Kicks on their latest moves and get the lowdown on this month’s Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival.

Those of you with a sweet tooth can learn how to make a South American themed treat courtesy of food pioneers Soul Food Project, while Birmingham boozer The Victoria helps you get into the spirit of cider season.

And of course your plans for July will be more than sorted with our comprehensive gig guide and top tips for clubbers…

Read the July issue online here.

Brum Notes Magazine is published monthly and available from more than 200 clubs, pubs, bars, shops, galleries, offices and other venues across the West Midlands. If you are interested in stocking the magazine please contact us.

Some things in life are guaranteed. Death, taxes, our national team losing on penalties and hilarious live comedy every weekend at The Glee Club.

With no big screens and no footy louts, just top class live comics on stage in one of the UK’s finest live comedy clubs, you can kiss goodbye to a month of inevitable disappointment by winning yourself entry for two to The Best In Live Stand-up Comedy on a Friday or Saturday night for the duration of the tournament in June and until July 10 at The Glee Club.

And the good people at The Glee are also throwing in a meal for each person plus a bottle of house wine or a 4-pint pitcher of lager to share, valid for a Friday or Saturday of your choice until July 10.

Win one of four pairs of tickets (including food & drink) by completing this sentence:

“After the World Cup John Terry should…….”

Those which make us laugh until a little bit of wee comes out win.

Email your entries to duncan@glee.co.uk by no later than 12 noon, Wednesday June 16 with your choice of date.

Winners will be contacted by email. Usual Glee Club Terms And Conditions apply. For full listings visit www.glee.co.uk.

Pic of Russell Howard on stage at The Glee Club by Errol Brown.

The Home of Metal campaign, pioneered by groundbreaking Brummie promoters Capsule,  aims to celebrate the Birmingham and Black Country origins of the musical genre and create a digital archive to tell its story.

The project will take over an empty shop in Wolverhampton city centre next week and wants music-lovers to help share their passion.

Home of Metal focuses on the innovators of the genre and those that continued to develop it – Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Napalm Death and Godflesh.

From June 17 to 19, between 10am and 6pm, Home of Metal will take up residence at City 10, 18 Queen Square in Wolverhampton city centre, inviting fans to bring along their memorabilia and stories to be photographed and recorded to contribute to the digital archive.

Organisers want everything from concert tickets to photographs, badges, album covers, t-shirts, demo tapes, fan letters, fanzines, flyers, lyrics, posters, press articles, set lists and promotional materials to build the collection online, which will inform a series of major exhibitions which are being developed for 2011.

On June 19, behind 2pm to 6pm, renowned rock photographer and Brum Notes Magazine contributor Steve Gerrard, will be in residence, with fans invited to have their portraits taken by him in their prized band T-shirts to feature in the Home Of Metal Exhibition.

In the summer of 2011, Home of Metal founders Capsule will be producing and curating a series of ambitious exhibitions and associated programmes. These will take place throughout The Black Country and Birmingham, UK, including exhibitions at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and The New Art Gallery Walsall plus a conference, concerts and film programme.

Visit www.homeofmetal.com for details.

To celebrate, we shine the spotlight on the cartoon-loving team behind the night.

So, how did Atta Girl come about?

ATTA girl started not only because of not hearing the kind of post punk/ indie rock/ indie pop etc etc genres of music we wanted to hear but because of the lack of songs by women being played out and about. It became an on-going joke about how you were lucky if you heard a Blondie track if you went to an indie club! Blondie is great but there are several decades of female artists since then and we’ve proved that by filling a whole night with them.

Have you ever played Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cindi Lauper?

Yes! As well as playing politically right-on tracks by bands like Le Tigre, Sleater-Kinney and Riot Grrrl, shout fests which are lots of fun, we also throw in gems that people aren’t expecting because watching a whole room suddenly dance dramatically and sing along is heart warming. We started off steering clear away from anything that didn’t smack of empowerment but we lightened up as we realised people loved the concept and weren’t at all threatened by the night. We also play things like Club Action (the remix) by Yo Majesty, Fine As Fuck by Scream Club and Peaches. Lyrics that push our British politeness! But there’s nothing wrong with a bit of Kim Wilde.

What else could we expect from one of your nights?

We play many genres and aren’t afraid to mix it up so long as it makes you dance, laugh or shout along we like it. There’s no such thing as being too old or too young (well, alas the venue is over 18) at the beginning of the night we play 60s girl groups, and slower indiepop but by 10pm we’re well into building the room up with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dresden Dolls, Kenickie, The Knife, M.I.A. The list is too diverse to fit in a paragraph. We like Scout Niblett, The Supremes, Bikini Kill and we’ve even been known to play Kylie!

A little bird tells me it’s your birthday, how old are you and how are you celebrating?

We’re one whole year old! ATTA girl party! 12th June upstairs at our home, Island Bar. We’ll have a birthday cake and lots of presents for everyone to say thanks for supporting us. If you arrive before 9.30pm there’s spirits + mixer for £2, but if you’re feeling extra naughty there’s a bespoke birthday cocktail for the night.

What are your plans for the future?

We’ve been asked to DJ at Indietracks Festival in July! We’re taking over the marquee after the bands until the close of the festival. We’d love to get a Lady Fest Birmingham going in the future, but we’d need a lot more people. Thanks to the support we’ve had, a Lady Fest is definitely on the cards. We’re also getting involved in setting up Birmingham’s first Zine Festival, keep an eye out in September. For this there’s also a facebook group. But for now we’re trying our hands at a few gig collaborations outside of our clubnight. The next one is on July 16 with The Autumn Store at The Victoria. The Lovely Eggs, Fever Fever and Hotpants Romance are playing.

Who else should we look out for to keep us entertained this summer?

Bands we’re listening to at the moment are Trash Kit (Steph from Atta girl was in their video “Cadets”!), they played ATP and totally owned the crowd, also their bassist is Ros Murray from Electrelane one of my all time favourite bands. TEETH are wonderful, they’ve played Birmingham a couple of times and tweeted about our zines aw! Internet Forever are a lo-fi Indiepop band that played here last year. Outside of London (Norwich!) definitely keep an eye out for Fever Fever managed by Birmingham’s Arthur Tapp they’ve had Radio 1 plays from Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens and they’re playing with us July 16 supporting The Lovely Eggs who are another favourite of ours, more in the twee-indiepop realm with songs such as Have You Ever Heard a Digital Accordion which we often play at the end of the nights as everyone knows the words (they’re easy to pick up!).

What are your predictions for the World Cup?

We predict quiet streets around 7:30-10pmish followed by very noisy streets. There will be a lot of flags and people feeling merry and some people feeling quite bored.

Atta Girl, The Female Vocalist Clubnight, celebrates its first birthday on Saturday, upstairs at Island Bar from 8.30pm. Entry is £1.

Birmingham’s own 15-piece twisted celtic gypsy folk collective heroes The Destroyers launch their UK and Ireland tour in style, officially opening new Digbeth venue The Crossing with The Summer Gypsy Ball.

The evening will also include an appearance from East London act Urban Voodoo Machine plus live visuals from Syzygy and all embracing DJ sets from the Jibbering collective and Marc Reck.

It will also give people an early look at the new 500-capacity music theatre, The Crossing, based in the South Birmingham College campus, Milk Street, which will launch in earnest later this year.

Doors open at 9pm with the first band on at 10pm, with entertainment carrying on until 3am.

Tickets are £10 advance from www.theticketsellers.co.uk or £12 on the door.

Catch up with our feature on The Destroyers frontman Paul Murphy here.

Also in demand tonight, will be late night entertainment at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath as part of the BASS Festival, a month-long celebration of black arts and culture.

Founder of Soul II Soul and groundbreaking producer and remixer Jazzie B will be performing an intimate DJ set to celebrate both the festival and the 10^th anniversary of Birmingham-based soulful dance promoters Leftfoot.

Soul II Soul are hailed as helping to put British black music on the map with their ‘funky dred’ sound and were one of the first acts to blur the lines between sound system and group.

Jazzie B, who has picked up a variety of accolades including an Ivor Novello Inspiration award, an OBE, two Grammys and the keys to Los Angeles and New York, has racked up a string of producer and remix credits as well as producing Soul II Soul smash hits such as Keep on Movin’ and Back To Life.

The night runs from 9pm to 2am with tickets priced £8 advance through www.theticketsellers.co.uk or on 0844 870 0000, or £10 on the door.

Elsewhere tonight, The Crossing in Alcester Road, Moseley, will be continuing the Balkan theme, with the return of Balkanic Eruption. The line-up includes a live performance from Carol Leeming and The Vagabond Club as well as DJ sets from Chromatouch, Uncle Zitty and the seemingly very busy Marc Reck (should someone tell him he’s double-booked?), as well as visuals, face paints and free mints.

Tickets are £3 in advance at www.theticketsellers.co.uk or a fiver on the door.

Weep tears of cheap alcohol at the last ever Naked Lunch Warehouse Party, taking place at The Rainbow Warehouse and Garden, with entry from £5 and drinks from £1 helping all those pauper students celebrate the end of their exams in truly messy style.

Also competing for the end-of-term party title is Supersonic Vague at Gatecrasher on Broad Street, with its End of Term Carnival, promising stilt walkers, jugglers, hook-a-duck, candy floss and face painting, as well as the usual mix of indie, alternative, dubstep and electro with advance tickets and guestlist entry from £4.

In the live arena, DIY Brummie rockers Temptleton Pek lead the line up at The Flapper, while sweaty dancing is guaranteed with Utah Saints returning to town to top the bill at Vulture Vulture at the all-new Cellar Door and Rainbow Courtyard in Digbeth.

Anything we’ve missed? Tell us in no uncertain terms here or here. But definitely not here.

This month, we chat to Foals about the trials and tribulations of making one of the albums of the year. Plus, we talk tattoos with New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem and find out about indie popsters Delays‘ dreams of arm wrestling Craig David. Corrie star and BBC 6 Music DJ Craig Charles shares his love of soul and funk, while three familiar looking Birmingham bands spill the beans on their new projects.

And we’re getting into the spirit of a summer of football and festivals, with our alternative festival survival guide courtesy of bitter ol’ blogger Jeff Stuka as well as a look ahead to the best events coming to Birmingham, while there’s also our tips on the best places to watch the World Cup and a rundown of the unique beast that is the football pop song.

Add to that our usual mixture of news, reviews, cocktail recipes and the biggest and best gig guide around and there’s plenty to keep you entertained until the football starts.

Plus, if you’re feeling lucky and filled with dread at the idea of a month of the beautiful game, then we’re offering you the chance to win a £200 spa break escape for two or a night out with food and drinks at The Glee Club.

Enjoy and good luck!

Read the June issue here.

Don’t worry if you haven’t caught up on May yet, you can still read all our previous issues here.

Arts and film centre Light House, based in the city centre Chubb Buildings in Fryer Street, will host its regular Screen Forum next Tuesday (Jan 12) which will premiere Digishorts, an annual production scheme run by regional film agency Screen WM.

The scheme offers filmmakers the chance to develop and produce a short film with support from Screen WM and the UK Film Council and a budget of up to £10,000.

Last year six films were made by some of the most exciting filmmaking and animation talent based in the West Midlands. All six films will be screened next Tuesday between 6.15pm and 8pm, while the filmmakers themselves will also talk about their experiences after the screening.

The films include documentary style comedy The Surfer, directed by Dominic Coleman, focusing on a weekend in the life of Michael,a 41 year old accountant from Solihull, who is obsessed with surfing. Studs, directed by Simon Bovey, tells the tale of Zack Rocca, the starplayer of a rugby team who is looking to play for the national team, at whatever cost. Stained, directed by LewisArnold, is inspired by

The Surfer, directed by Dominic Coleman

author Ronnie Thompson’s time served as a prison officer. The Moon Bird, directed by Myles McLeod and Greg McLeod, is a dark animatedfairytale about an orphan girl who must outwit a terrible sorceress with the help of a magical lunar bird. And lastly Ladies Loos, directed by Nerina Villa, is a documentary looking at the funny, touching and startling confessions that women reveal in the security of female public toilets.

Screen Forum: Digishorts will take place at Light House on Tuesday, January 12, 6.15 – 8pm. Admission to this event is free. To reserve a place email info@light-house.co.uk.

The Moon Bird, directed by Myles McLeod & Greg McLeod

It will be a unique chance to catch them in all their electro-pop glory in the intimate surrounds of The Victoria in John Bright St, Birmingham, on December 16, ahead of the release of their hotly-anticipated debut album next month. The east London three-piece are ending 2009 on a wave of critical acclaim following a string of triumphant live shows and the release of singles Solo and Salt Air on uber-cool label Kitsuné.

Support comes in the shape of bass-loving, punk-stepping Brummie heroes SCARLET HARLOTS, as well as geek-prog rockers IS I CINEMA and the haunting vocals of boho teen queen LITTLE PALM.

As a special festive treat, punk-poet PAUL MURPHY, nigh-on legendary frontman from THE DESTROYERS, will be regaling you with Christmas tales throughout the night, while the tunes will keep on rolling with sets on the decks from THIS IS TOMORROW DJs and can’t-be-bothered-to-bring-their-guitars-but-want-to-turn-up-anyway indie post-punks THE TRAPS and MISSING SID.

Add to that lashings of mulled wine, festive food, a well-stocked bar and plenty of seasonal sparkle and it makes for quite the festive treat. With advance tickets just £5 and free Christmas Dinner pies from Urban Pie with all tickets bought by December 1 you’ll want to get in fast to secure your spot at the hottest party this yuletide.

Tickets from The Victoria or online at www.theticketsellers.co.uk.

But with his latest solo offering again attracting a fresh wave of critical acclaim, the iconic frontman has cemented his reputation as a vital musician in his own right.

As he prepared to hit the road on a full UK tour next month, Brown spoke about his most personal record to date.

“I feel it’s my best work, yeah, I certainly put the hours in,” he said.

“I started writing it about this time last year, not constantly, but on and off. We worked right through the winter, started recording it in early spring and finished it on July 7, so we’ve gone through all seasons.”

From the social commentary of previous LP The World Is Yours, Brown has taken a more introspective approach to My Way and Brown admitted it was a conscious effort to take a more “autobiographical” outlook on his writing, even addressing his Stone Roses days within the songs.

“We thought, right it’s gonna be a “My Way” album-I’m gonna write about my life in music. I’m gonna write about coming off the dole, going into music, what happened along the way-that was my brief.

“It’s not nostalgia to me, it’s my life and all things come around. There’s a point to everything and everything comes around in a circle eventually.

“By nostalgia I mean repackaging, remastering, reselling, squeezing a lemon. That made me think about the Roses, as I’ve never addressed them in songs before.

“It was easy-I feel great about the Roses, I don’t feel bad about it.”

As he prepares for another round of UK dates, despite a career of stellar tours, it is a festival appearance which stands out as a career high.

“Glastonbury 05 was probably my favourite show because it was the biggest crowd I’ve ever played to. It was pretty emotional and everyone was singing along. There were thousands of people bobbing up and down and we played really well that night.

“Usually I do a show, I feel great about it and the next day I’ve forgotten it. But one day, if I make it, when I’m 90 and I’m sat out in the back chair with my Filipino nurse putting a blanket over me, maybe I’ll think about when I played Nottingham Rock City on my birthday, or my first Brixton Academy, but Glastonbury’s the show that I think about every few weeks and think “Wow, that was ace”.

Ian Brown plays at the O2 Academy Birmingham on December 18.