Cory Graves
Quaker City Night Hawks Soar High This Week.
Each week, we take a survey of the local music scene and try to determine which bands in town are really putting in work and seeing it pay off. Which bands have the most intriguing shows coming up? Which bands are getting the most press around town? Which bands have accomplished the most notable feats of late? Based off these criteria, three of our music writers submit a list to be weighted and compiled into a master list to be revealed in this here space. We like to think it's fairly revealing.
Only months after forming, Fort Worth's Quaker City Night Hawks recorded their very well-received debut Torquila Torquila!. But, with another year of playing time under their belt and a sophomore album on the horizon, it seems as if even bigger things are ahead for the Funky Town rockers. Case in point: A pair of cuts from their first record are currently airing in back-to-back episodes on FX's biker drama Sons of Anarchy. Also, we debuted one of their new tracks earlier this week.
To celebrate their big television debut on Tuesday, Quaker City songwriters Sam Anderson and Dave Matsler played an acoustic set after a watching party at Fort Worth's Magnolia Motor Lounge. They'll be doing the same thing this evening on Good Records' AstroTurf stage.
Following the Night Hawks in both this week's rankings and their Good Records set this evening are J. Charles and the Trainrobbers, who released their new full-length, Upon Leaving last weekend. Since then, they've kept busy promoting the album with several appearances, including one at Goodfriend's one-year anniversary party last night.
Both Quaker City Night Hawks and J. Charles and the Trainrobbers are nominated for Dallas Observer Music Awards this year, in the Best Group Act and Best Americana/Roots Act categories respectively. To further promote their ceremonies, several other nominated artists were profiled on the Observer's DC-9 at Night blog this week, including The Colurs, Snow Tha Product, My Wooden Leg, Mora Collective, Joseph SoMo and Tum Tum.
Several national acts with Dallas ties are performing in town this week as well: Norah Jones performs at McFarlin Auditorium, Ben Kweller will be at The Kessler and Centro-Matic opened for the Afghan Whigs at Granada Theater last weekend.
Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson released the newly-recorded lead single from her upcoming greatest hits album on Tuesday.
Not to be forgotten, the Polyphonic Spree continue to raise funds for their currently in-progress studio LP via Kickstarter while prepping for their performance next weekend to commemorate the opening of the city's new Klyde Warren deck park.
Also making their live debut this week are Dallas' newest cover band, The Venables, a Smiths-aping act who are performing on an '80s tribute bill at House of Blues alongside Cramps cover band The Gorehounds and Ishi, who will be performing Depeche Mode tracks exclusively. The Venables features KDGE program director Josh Venable on vocals, as well as Glen Reynolds and Matt Kellum of Chomsky on guitar and drums (respectively), Michael Rudnicki of Baboon on guitar and Daniel Reid Long from Long Sword Spectacular on bass.
(Also receiving votes this week: Zhora, Missile, Oil Boom, Tiger Darrow, The Longshots, My Wooden Leg, Spookeasy, Cardo, Menkena, The Angelus, Skeleton Coast, Dove Hunter, Brutal Juice, Kirk Franklin, Mora Collective, This Will Destroy You, Home By Hovercraft, Hunter Vaughan, Pageantry, Daniel Hart, Calhoun, Kelly Clarkson, The O's, Ynfynyt Scroll, DJ Wikkid Beat, Power Trip, Ronnie Fauss, Slick 57, DJ Sober .)
