Quaker City Night Hawks, Grady Spencer lead North Texas hit parade

Quaker City Night Hawks, ‘El Astronauta’

It gets dark early and often on the Fort Worth quintet’s third full-length album, and its first for indie label Lightning Rod Records. El Astronauta, the follow-up to 2013’s superb Honcho, is a typically sterling showcase for one of the Fort’s finest acts in any genre — Pat Adams, Sam Anderson, Daniel Creamer, Aaron Haynes and David Matsler are constitutionally incapable of making uninteresting music. Over the course of a lean 38 minutes, the band spins through one gripping slow burn after another (close your eyes and you can almost hear the rabid cheers of local crowds when the fellas lean into Good Evening). Spaced out and locked in, QCNH takes wing with ease. Quaker City Night Hawks will mark the release of Astronauta with a handful of area events, including an in-store appearance Tuesday at Doc’s Records & Vintage, and a pair of June 4 shows at Lola’s Saloon (the early gig features a set from Jake Paleschic, while the later gig features a frenetic supporting turn from War Party).

Online: facebook.com/quakercitynighthawks

Grady Spencer & the Work, ‘The Line Between’

In case it wasn’t apparent listening to the songs found on The Line Between, Fort Worth singer-songwriter Grady Spencer’s website makes it clear: “Grady Spencer and the Work [makes] blue collar music for a blue collar world.” As the 13-track Between unfolds, that ethos is evident in every note Spencer and his bandmates play: direct, unpretentious and gorgeous in a profound, yet unshowy way. Consider Take My Hell, a song about a man wrestling with faith, a topic fraught with potential for sentimentality. Against a bluesy, country-rock riff, Spencer sings movingly of sharing his struggles with his son: “Though my spirit’s been frayed/I’m pulling through.” Salvation through song is as old as the idea of music itself, and, in its way, Spencer’s arresting LP functions as a salve for listeners.

Online: gradyspencer.com

Doc Strange, ‘Sindrome’

Fort Worth-based producer Tahiti (one part of the dearly missed PPT, once the darlings of North Texas hip-hop) has resurfaced with Sindrome, the debut EP for Arlington rapper Doc Strange (aka Donny Sanders Jr.). Collaborating with Dallas native Ty Macklin, who has worked with Erykah Badu and India.Arie, among many others, Strange unfurls a series of songs befitting his evocative name. “What is you?” he intones early on, as synthesizers bubble and swirl behind him. It’s a fascinating excursion down the rabbit hole of one man’s esoteric appetites, and a welcome dose of Tahiti’s unique production style, which presaged much of the hip-hop renaissance sweeping through North Texas.

Daniel Markham, ‘Disintegrator’

Denton singer-songwriter Daniel Markham must instill a sense of bemused rage in his fellow musicians. Album after album, Markham reels off a string of songs, casually brilliant and magnetic, in a way few of his contemporaries can manage to do even once, never mind with awe-inspiring frequency. Markham’s latest record, Disintegrator, is expectedly dazzling, a shuffling, rustic rock collection streaked with rain — it’s the latest pivot in an eclectic career that has seen Markham dabble in death metal and shimmering folk-pop. The faintly country inclination of Disintegrator suits Markham’s mournful tenor — Slayer Tapes & AM Radio is an ideal last-call soundtrack — and further cements his status as one of the best tunesmiths North Texas has to offer.

Online: danielmarkham.bandcamp.com

Mark Lettieri, ‘Spark and Echo’

Fresh off winning a Grammy with Snarky Puppy earlier this year, Fort Worth guitarist-producer Mark Lettieri steps away from the acclaimed collective for a moment to release his third solo album, Spark and Echo. Ten tracks of sleek, funky jazz and soul, Echo is another reminder that Fort Worth’s music scene contains multitudes, with the only constant being the insane level of talent on display.

Online: marklettieri.com

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Quaker City Night Hawks, Grady Spencer lead North Texas hit parade."