Created in Birmingham

• Fundraising Session from the RSC « mid * point
  “the Royal Shakespeare Company would like to share its resources and expertise, and have put togethera fundraising session that will be held in Birmingham on Monday 19 September from 1.30pm -4.30pm”
• Birmingham: Why Bother? • Future Cities of the Future
  As always the rhetorical answer to the rhetorical question is “well, who asked you to bother?”. Still, it’s always a shame when someone gives up
• Supersonic ) Supersonic podcast no.1
  “It’s that time of year again when things start hotting up on the Supersonic front. The wonderful Little Chris of Brumcast fame has lovingly put together a series of podcasts together for your listening pleasure. Here is the first Supersonic special – ENJOY!” Very pleased to hear Little Chris’s voice again
• Birmingham Toolkit
  “The Birmingham Toolkit is designed to help you talk about Birmingham with pride and confidence”
• Enterprise zone ‘to make Birmingham creative hub’
  “The zone – which includes Eastside, Paradise Circus and New Street Station – will attract start-up firms by offering discounts on business rates of up to £275,000 over five years, simplifying planning laws and offering superfast broadband”. Plus other good stuff. Also, George Osborne says there are some iconic buildings here “if you look around”.
• foursquare :: Created in Birmingham
  We have a page on Foursquare now. It’s probably not going to be used much but you never know.

I’ve not been paying a great deal to Rhubarb Radio over the past little while, other than my usual subscription to Brumcast which drops into my iTunes on a weekly basis.

I hadn’t realised they were in any sort of trouble until I read Robin Valk’s post:

Last month, there was more bad news. Like many community stations, the eccentric but occasionally quite wonderful Rhubarb Radio is feeling the cold winds of recession. The current managerial team is bailing out; an intensive effort is being mounted to build a new and solid structure for the continued existence of the station.

The campaign to shore up Rhubarb Radio is being coordinated, from what I can tell, by some of the current DJs and contributors via a ‘Save Rhubarb Radio’ Facebook page. There have been a few meetings to work out what’s going to happen and things seen to be picking up pace, which is good.

However, from flicking through the FB page, there seems to be a short-term financial hurdle to be overcome. It looks like (put some clear info up somewhere you guys!) they’re need £600 sharpish and are after a few people to chip in £20. There’s a donate button on the Rhubarb Radio website.

There’s also a meeting at the Custard Factory tonight if you want to help out in any way, that’s at 7pm in the Orwell Room.

The line-ups for the individual days are up. Brumcast’s Little Chris is doing a three-part podcasty preview with episode 1 online here and there’s a Supersonic Spotify playlist too.

Volunteers are needed too – 12 hours work will get you a weekend wristband (over 18′s only). They’re also after any professional standard photographers who’d like to help with documenting the festival to get in touch. Info about both opportunities here.

• stereographic » We are X
  Yet another 10th birthday – Sam and George from Stereographic are celebrating double figures
• 2009 in review: Art – The Observer
  Ikon supplies the only non-London shows on the list. Good work
• Brumcast 142 ‘Festival Strength’
  I had a Brumcast binge on the way to Cornwall the other day (if CiB’s been quiet it’s cos I’ve been away) and it was all good stuff – I reckon the newer format of regular, shorter shows is working well. Here’s the latest installment
• The Sickly Trickle « More Canals than Venice
  “From Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th TROVE present The Sickly Trickle, a solo exhibition of works from Bristol based artist Zoe Williams at the site of the Old Science Museum, 144 Newhall Street”
• What is the community? |
  Friction Arts’ Lee Griffiths had his goat got by community consultations, the idea of giving people what you think they want and the cult of youth. Nice to see someone with a point of view and also worth reading in the light of his later post

It’s actually a little tricky to find out about local music around the city, I find. This is the stuff I know about, feel free to add other stuff in the comments.

News

Brum Notes is the website for the free, monthly music and lifestyle magazine (Nov issue out now, Oct one online here).

The Birmingham Post have news and reviews here and the Birmingham Mail do rock/pop news.

Fused Magazine‘s site does the odd bit of music news, as does the website for sister magazine Area.

Surge Music takes a wider, Midlands-wide view of things, with articles and lists of gigs, bands and venues.

Cul-de-Sac turned out to be a false dawn for this sort of thing, but may come back one day.

@birminghamlive and @brumpunks are good sources for concert info too.

Reviews

Birmingham Live is the obvious choice here – someone from their ranks of volunteer reviewers and photographers will be at a gig in Birmingham pretty much every evening. Steve Gerrard organises this one (Lee Allen and I have also chipped in occasionally).

The Hearing Aid is a blog by someone called The Baron who goes to an impressive number of local gigs.

The Birmingham Mail do gig reviews too.

Get-togethers

The Birmingham Music Network meets monthly at the Department of Technology, Engineering and the Environment (T.E.E.) at Millennium Point. Their website has a good range of resources too.

Audio

I’m on shakier ground here – which radio shows promote local talent There’s Brumcast on Rhubarb Radio and Introducing on BBC WM. I don’t know enough about the shows on New Style Radio, Aston FM or any others.

Are there any Birmingham-based mp3 blogs worth talking about?

Anything else?

Let me know in the comments. Just to be clear, we’re not looking for bands/venues/promoters to plug themselves but if that’s you, where do you look to get featured?

Oh, and see also Birmingham listings.

(pic – The Editors by Steve Gerrard from the opening night of the new Academy)

• Regeneration of Birmingham city centre’s Dale End on hold for five years
  “Independent clothing store the Oasis has been given a reprieve after signing a five-year lease for its Corporation Street premises”. Very glad to hear it. New leases are being offered on units in there now, if you’re interested
• TwiTrip to Birmingham – the verdict | Travel | guardian.co.uk
  “Sarah Turner’s Twitter-led trip to the second city took her from Russian art at the Ikon Gallery to a top Brum boozer in Moseley and a belting Balti in Sparkbrook”
• Crowning of the City’s Stylish | Style Birmingham
  Here’s the list of winners from the recent Style Awards 2009 – ‘the places and people keeping the city at the height of the fashion game’. Congrats to Disorder for picking up the Token Local Shop Award
• Brumcast 134 ‘Oxjam Brum Special’
  The most recent episode (scrap that, a newer one just arrived) of the must-listen podcast/radio show featured bands appearing on the Oxjam Brum bill over the weekend
• Cut-Out — CiB Charity T-shirt
  Apparently there’s only about 7 of the ‘small’ t-shirts left now. Thanks to everyone who bought one – the money has been going to Acorns Childrens’ Hospice

• Podcasts | Friends of the Stars
  “Semi-regular podcasts created by Birmingham country/folk band Friends of the Stars. The podcasts, which also feature music, revolve around disucssions held between band members and ‘Executive Producer Robson’, a friend of the band with a tenuous, undefined role in the creation of the band’s musical output. The podcasts contain swearing” I listened to the last two ‘casts on the way back from London the other day and would recommend em
• Airy Fairy blog
  Katie, who runs Airy Fairy in the Oasis shopping centre, has a blog. I’m hoping the Birmingham Alt Fashion Icons feature carries on
• Brum Live Christmas Cracker!
  With party season warming up, here’s a lil plug for the Birmingham Live! party upstairs at Island Bar on Wed 17 Dec. Everyone’s welcome
• Would appointing a creative director solve Birmingham’s image problems? – Design Week
  A feature with input from Michael Wolff and Stef Lewandowski and comparison with Manchester who have Peter Saville as creative director
• Brumcast 112 ‘I May not be Jimi Hendrix but at least I’m not dead’
  Little Chris’s latest musical offering (features Munchbreak – hoorah!)
• D’log :: blogging since 2000 » Roads Ahead
  Competition time – “the Roads Ahead short story competition for authors from the English regions. Deadline: 14th December 08″
• Alternative Birmingham
  Not sure who started this blog and it seems to have only lasted a couple of days last month but I’m hoping someone picks it up again

Brumcast 111 is up.  Here’s the tracklisting:

1. Tempting Rosie – Office Floors
2. The Garcia LX – Bedsit in Longton
3. The Daniels – Pennys Name
4. Timothy parkes – All The White Horses
5. Cult of wedge – dayglo disco sideshow
6. Shocked Elevator Family – Over the Brother
7. MPH _ Miss Halliwell – Vacuumusick
8. Calories – To encounter a deer
9. AFS Electronica – Mothers Day Part 2
10. Terrorform – Breathe your last breath
11. Lox Bourne. – Funk Jam
12. Fiasco – Hot Pants Holly
13. MPH _ Miss Halliwell – Amblecote
14. Daylight Daterape/BoyWonder – Such Great Heights
15. The Concept:MK – Wheres The Sanctuary
16. Junkyard Morning – Blame Yourself
17. Tonal Balance – Beakin’
18. Ashwood4 – The Last Bus Home
19. Distinct Radi0 – Celestial Mechanics
20. MPH _ Miss Halliwell – Bostin Fickle
21. Reluctant Heroes – One Time Bomb
22. The Crimes – I will see
23. The ME Band – When the Sky Comes Falling Dow

Little Chris’s next Brumcast episode is up and I’ve not even listened to the last one yet.  Here’s another tasty looking tracklisting:

1. Sunset Cinema Club – Sunday BestCrash Repeat – Machine Code
2. Antoine Bones – Shinin Bright
3. The Madcaps – Fuck the Scene
4. Dirt Trak – Slide Break
5. Amberphonik – Amber
6. Assert – Anti-nazi
7. Man Over Board – shake it
8. The Scarlet Harlots – Light Finger
9. Programmed Cell Death – Journeys through the wasteland
10. Tom Peel – Creases And The Grooves
11. Suddenly, Phantoms! – Forming Bands
12. Old School Tie – Return of Noah
13. Once Bitten – Looking for answers
14. Bluefumes – Inside
15. Tantrums – Airport police
16. Busload Of Faith – The Gilded Cage of Fame
17. March of the Union – Natrix Natrix
18. The Scholars – This Heart’s Built To Break

Little Chris hits us with the latest Brumcast which happens to include a few bands I’ve heard of.  The tracklisting reads thusly:

1. Copter – Can’t Help It
2. Machine Boy – Jamie
3. Chapters – Fakes In Our Friends
4. Kramer Vs Kramer Vs Godzilla – Rukus
5. The Brascoes – First Impressions Of You
6. Gas – Microscopic
7. Suddenly, Phantoms! – A Second Year
8. Dalmatian Rex and the Eigentones – Octopus I love You
9. DIGO – On the money DIGO rmx feat. Kate Fletcher
10. Calories – A bear a bison
11. Wülfstabber – 7
12. Einstellung – Tot (version 2)
13. God Complex – Legions
14. Johnny Foreigner – Sometimes, In The Bullring
15. The Fores – Roll Of The Dice
16. Regiment XV – Reflections MP3
17. Cat Green Bike – Adventure Potential

The lastest Midlands tunage from Little Chris is out.  Cop Brumcast 108 here.

This is the tracklisting:

1. Old School Tie – Fireflies
2. The Me Band – If It Was Up To Me
3. The hungry i – Jaws of Love
4. The Fury – Ninja
5. Betty & The Id – Cellophane Man
6. Johnny Normal – Jake’s Ride
7. The Mallory Heart – Judas Revisited
8. Mayday – Barracudas
9. BSN420 – Student Life
10. Aaron.C – Fall For Anything
11. Porpoise – Big Cat Tag Team Take Down
12. Flesh Eating Foundation – 05 – The Dead
13. And She Said… – Me
14. Cueball 8 – Chocolate Blue Skies
15. Distinct Radi0 – these modern times
16. The Riptides – Soldier in your heart

Little Chris is back after Brumcast‘s summer break.  Here’s the tracklisting:

1. Royal Gala – Rich Girl (5:35)
2. Miss Halliwell – Doggers Dog (LIVE) (4:24)
3. All Hail the Ruin – Vultures (3:57)
4. The Mallory Heart – Death Stars Casino (3:50)
5. The Vinegarstroke – Hide and Seek (3:13)
6. March of the Union – Cult Stickers (6:20)
7. The Lean Yellows – Hazy Days (3:41)
8. DIGO – Silencio Remix DIGO Vs Invisible Boi (3:43)
9. Antoine Bones – Death (3:12)
10. Sonic Lord – Come back down again (4:28)
11. Crash repeat – The Nail (3:19)
12. The Fores – Roll Of The Dice (3:36)
13. RTi8 – Gortswilla (2:48)
14. The Feds – Federal Law (4:19)
15. Bombdog – alhama 6’8 (5:35)
16. Wise Blood – TV Dinner Lady (4:23)
17. Tonal Balance – Question (3:38)
18. Shirukume – There’s No Place Like 127.0.0.1 (6:01)

Get the episode here.  Even better, subscribe to it in iTunes and then you can smile smugly and say ‘I know’ every time I mention a new one’s out.

• Brumcast 106 ‘Asshole, Jackoff, Scumbag’
  Little Chris is back once again, like some sort of renegade master
• Inter-Act
  Shiny and new – “Inter-Act is a newly established devising company made up of young creative artists. Inter-Act are dedicated to creating new and exciting pieces of work whilst also providing educational programs for young people”
• The Big Picture – Help make the World Record mosaic at Thinktank
  From Monday 4 August until Thursday 21 August production of the individual panels that make up the mosaic will be taking place in Thinkspace, in Thinktank, Millennium Point. Volunteers are needed
• 7 Inch Cinema: Birthday Film
  From Scott from Film Ficciones – “I made this for UK film outfit 7 INCH CINEMA to be shown at their 5th birthday night, inspired by Kubrick. It’s all a bit of an inside-joke, so apologies to anyone stumbling across this completely unawares”
• Sutton Festival of Arts 08
  Photos from the weekend by Stuart Parker
• How to put people off contemporary art – The Eclectrician
  On the new Ikon Eastside exhibition – “The exhibit looks great, but oh, how my heart sank as I read the accompanying blurb”.

• Brumcast 105 ‘Everybody Goes Mad’
  Little Chris rounds up the local talent, plays their songs and talks between them
• Ben Neal’s Blog: Got Flummoxed!
  Ben Neal went to Flummoxed and has written all about it
• Through the Eyes of a Child, Fri 11 July – aCtiVe arts
  The culmination of a community poetry project and competition with an event at Pegasus Primary School, Turnhouse Road, Castle Vale. Featuring Big Brum Youth Theatre and with Charlie Jordan (Brum Poet Laureate) attending
• Picture a Day
  Photographer Craig Holmes of Crowded Gallery intends to take a picture of something that interests him every day for the next year