Thursday, April 16
Cock Block Thursdays feat. JD Samson
As part of their opening weekend, Phantom Room kicks off Cock Block Thursdays, an ongoing (and SA’s only) DJ and Lesbian night. The inaugural gig will feature JD Samson of Le Tigre, Kathleen Hanna’s band after Bikini Kill. With Phanie D, Dykco. $5, 9pm, Phantom Room, 2106 N. St. Mary’s
Thursday, April 16
Stephanie Nilles
Operating out of New Orleans, pianist Stephanie Nilles has steeped herself richly in the city’s 88-key tradition, slamming in the broken ragtime blues and hooch-hammered style of Professor Longhair. But her capacity as a musician strays far from the borders of Louisiana, including a Gatling-spat rendition of Busta Rhymes’ “Break Ya Neck” Flight Gallery hosts Niles in association with “Delta Dawn,” a CAM exhibition featuring artists from Good Children Gallery in New Orleans. $5-$10, Flight Gallery, 134 Blue Star, (210) 393-3309
Thursday, April 16 – Sunday, April 19
Tejano Explosion
From humble beginnings as a small but well-curated show, Fiesta’s Tejano Explosion has grown into a 10-day extravaganza featuring more than 20 of today’s hottest Latin music stars. Kicking off Thursday and culminating on April 25, this year’s insanely stacked line-up includes Selena’s brother and consummate Tejano hitmaker, A.B. Quintanilla and his band Los Kumbia King All Starz, David Lee Garza y Los Musicales, Little Joe y La Familia and Jay Perez, a Grammy-winning Saytown native who still has mad love for his gente. Pro tip: entry is half-price before 6 p.m. $12-$16 per night, 5pm-1:30am Thu-Sun, 1000 block of W. Commerce
Friday, April 17
Turqouise Jeep
It was only a matter of time before Transmission Entertainment (doing the booking for the main stage at Paper Tiger) brought their party-rap favorites Turqouise Jeep to the Alamo City. Founded by Flynt Floosy and Whatchyamcallit, the independent label is known for its viral hits “Lemme Smang It” and “Did I Mention I Like to Dance.” $13, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s
Friday, April 17
Prawn, Remanon
On Top Shelf Records, New Jersey’s Prawn is a captain in the legion of bands campaigning in the emo revival. Remanon’s new tune “Calamitous Cacophony” is anything but a discordant collection of sounds, but instead a thought-out, provoking slice of modern prog from the San Antonio quartet. With Frameworks, The Morning Owls. $10, 7pm, The Korova, 107 E. Martin, (210) 226-5070
Saturday, April 18
Matt Pond PA
Wildly prolific Philadelphia songwriter Matt Pond knows how to structure a song. His slow-burner “Remains” builds from a quiet moment into an exciting, but unhurried picture of love. With Young Buffalo. $12, 8pm, The Korova, 107 E. Martin, (210) 226-5070
Saturday, April 18
Roger Sellers, Bright Like the Sun
From Austin, Roger Sellers splits the difference between the ornate songwriting of Sufjan Stevens and the lush repetition of Phillip Glass. After premiering “Smile Wide and Look Alive,” San Antonio’s Bright Like the Sun prepares for the release of a self-titled EP later in April. With Trip the Light. $5, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s
Saturday, April 18
St. Sucia Zine Release
Release San Anto zine St. Sucia celebrates the release of their second issue, with new outlooks on Latina culture and music from Pink Leche, Se Tu Propio Dios, American Swine, DJ Heavyflow. $3, 9pm, Phantom Room, 2106 N. St. Mary’s
Sunday, April 19
Sir Michael Rocks, Robb Banks
Starting out with underground rap outfit The Cool Kids, Sir Michael Rocks went solo with the 2014 mixtape Banco, blending the alternative attitude of his first venture with a commercial bite. The son of patois-rapper Shaggy, Robb Banks hooked up with fellow Floridian SpaceGhostPurrp for internet trap efforts like “$he N3XT.” With Pouya. $17, 8pm, Alamo City Music Hall, 1305 E. Houston
Sunday, April 19
John Wiese
Loud, grating, terrifying, experimental, cacophonous: These are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of the three heavy acts on Sunday’s avant-noise bill at Paper Tiger. Headed up by West Coast musique concrète/noise specialist John Wiese, the evening will also feature performances by like-minded locals SKN KVR and Blacknail. While Wiese’s work represents an almost academic exploration of the field recording, tape manipulation and noise buffet, SKN KVR stands as a testament to the wilderness of chaos in performance and achieves a dada-esque challenging of the boundaries of music. $5, 9pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s
This article appears in Tiger’s Den.