Daily Agenda: July 16

Seattle boy-girl duo The Dutchess And The Duke—playing tonight at Club Garibaldi—audaciously play pretty ’60s folk-pop like it’s the sexiest, most dangerous stuff in the world. Amazingly, it comes off great on last year’s She’s The Dutchess, He’s The Duke, where the heavy dose of old-fashioned ’tude totally becomes members Kimberly Morrison and Jesse Lortz. Songs like “Reservoir Park” might sound more like twee Wes Anderson soundtrack material without the cocky spite dripping from Lortz’s Jagger-esque vocals, and the no-frills, eight-track production keeps things direct and punchy. She’s The Dutchess, He’s The Duke won’t start any barroom fights, but why make war when you can make love instead? (Check out our interview here.)

With its shimmering horn section and grooves so tightly wound James Brown would never dock it a red cent, it’s no wonder Texas-based Grupo Fantasma—playing tonight at Mad Planet—was handpicked by Prince to be his backing band for several high-profile gigs, including after-parties for both the Super Bowl and Golden Globes. When not catering to the whims of His Royal Purple Badness, the Latin combo worked hard on last year’s Sonidos Gold, described as its “definitive album.” Ablaze with the group’s signature psychedelic salsa, Gold sets the new standard for modern funk—futuristic enough for Mr. “1999” and timeless enough to include a guest turn from Maceo Parker.