Music to Your Ears

Dueling Drops

Allergies and competing CD releases mean spring's finally returned to Albuquerque. If you're itching for fresh local albums, relief is coming your way this Friday, April 18. Can't help with the rapid-fire sneezing, though. Sorry.

Fast Heart Mart Gets Cheap and Sunny—Albuquerque's original patron saints of sidewalk rock have a new album and, for the first time, a bassist—the duo is now a trio.

From the looks of it, Tanya Nunez can play pretty much any style of music on electric or upright bass. She's making her official FHM debut along with Cheap and Sunny (that's Albuquerque in two adjectives) at the Albuquerque Press Club (behind creepy old Memorial Hospital at Elm and Gold SE). The show is free, all-ages and vegan—if you plan on snacking while rocking, bring an animal-free potluck dish to share.

The release party is from 8 to 10 p.m., with Ever Norm's wacky Blue Dragon-era throat singing at the start. Visit fastheartmart.com for information on FHM's upcoming tour through Arizona (cheap and broiling) and Southern California (expensive and sunny), and all the homegrown businesses that carry Cheap and Sunny.

A Man About a Horse Does Not Exist— A Man About a Horse plays "indie rock, or sumin' like that," according to keyboardist Seth Scott. He's a fan of Nada Surf, Built to Spill and Death Cab for Cutie, if that helps you locate his band's melodically upbeat sound, which he and vocalist/guitarist Josh Castillo started fiddling with almost three years ago. Bassist Adam Niemi and drummer Grant Sibley complete the framework. Now their band just has to release an album.

Seth says it's been a full year since the foursome walked into Wall of Sound to record Does Not Exist. The band took its sweet, careful time recording and mixing with John Wall, then sent the results up to Canada to get mastered.

You can buy the final product—10 songs with original artwork by the band on a fold-out digipack case—this Friday at Stove (114 Morningside NE). Helping A Man About a Horse welcome its long-gestating baby into the world are The Giranimals, Satellite Decoder and Goodbye Cody. Cover is $5 and CDs are $10. You'll also be able to pick up copies at Natural Sound, Owl Green's (which relocated to the Sunshine Theater building on Second Street SW, next to Chama River Tap Room), Silver Board Shop and iTunes in the near future.