Sam Lao/Pronail Princesa/Blake Ward (Sundown at Granada): Sam Lao has been extremely busy of late; you have had four chances to see her in the past five nights alone. That is, if you include yesterday’s opening set for Jean Grae, a showcase set at Index Fest on Saturday, and an unannounced performance at the same festival on Friday, where she was accompanied by the Cannabinoids. Then there’s this evening. Just as I said yesterday, make arrangements to see her perform if you missed her at all of the above. Tonight is free, so that should help if you’re one of those awful people who think that music shouldn’t cost anything.
Also appearing tonight is Pronail Princesa, otherwise known as Dallas Observer Clubs Editor, Vanessa Quilantan, who is also quite busy herself. Quilantan turned in what is probably the definitive article so far on the swift rise of Dallas rapper, Lord Byron, wherein she reveals that she had to find the artist a replacement DJ. And they say that writers never contribute to anything. I asked Quilantan via SMS what she’ll be spinning this evening, and she passed along the following:
“I’m doing a kinda like a soul, radio r&b, rap kinda thing.”
Sounds simple enough. But when I asked for details on a handful of specific tracks I was shocked by at least one of the theoretical examples: “Band of Gold,” by Freda Payne. When she said mentioned soul and RnB, I didn’t know we were throwing it back that far. It just so happens that “Band of Gold” is one of my favorite all-time soul singles. That song, along with tracks by Cassie and Schoolboy Q, all from Quilantan’s playlist can be heard below:
White Mystery/Gal Pals/Drug Animal (Bryan Street Tavern): I caught Gal Pals at an after-party during last year’s Hot Wet Mess event, and they were better than some of the acts who performed at the actual fest that day. They livened up what was already a pretty high-energy, cramped house show. White Mystery could have been an unremarkable rock band, but luckily the unhinged vocal performances save what are some fairly traditionally garage-influenced arrangements.
Hey Marseilles/You, Me & Apollo/Nicholas Altobelli/Home by Hovercraft (Club Dada): The punctuation on this lineup is bothering me, but I am going to let it slide. Not everyone uses the D Stylebook.
Other Tuesday Shows—
“Musk” (Ten Bells Tavern): Featuring a DJ set by George Quartz.
Photo: Gal Pals at a Denton house show, 2012. Credit: Andi Harman.
