Man, oh, man. Besides this week being the annual big gay party that is Albuquerque Pride (see this week’s feature schedule), a handful of festivals of less rainbow-y stripes are taking place around these parts.

Ira Weinschel/Seven Star Photo

Horse Opera croons classic country

Austin’s Horse Opera is an honest-to-goodness country band. The quartet’s debut album, Sounds of the Desert, is a two-steppin' joy chock-full of pedal steel and heartbreak. It’s fun. It’s lonely. It makes you want to jump in your car (or pickup truck, preferably) and drive a dusty road to Texas because, surely, that’s where the heartfelt music and dancing are happening. A look at Horse Opera’s photos shows earnest men in boots, cowboy hats and Western shirts. But wait a sec—these cowboys are really punk rockers.

Max Woltman

The New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus is beautiful, funny and fey

Members of the New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus say its creation was not unlike an old movie musical where someone suggests, “Let's put on a show!” The chorus came together in the fall of 1981, coinciding with the founding of Albuquerque community center Common Bond. The LGBT organization had asked its members to fill out an interest list, and founding member Alan Stringer rang up those who had checked music—all of them men—and learned that they wanted to sing. That group became the Brash Ensemble (as some were uncomfortable being in an openly gay chorus), performing mainly at Common Bond events for several years. Nearly 30 years later, the chorus—whose numbers have fluctuated between eight and 40—is still singing, and in addition to regular concerts in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, it has performed around the states and internationally as well.

Space Western

Travel to a lawless space frontier where the atmosphere is thick with metal. On Saturday, Leeches of Lore, Boar Worship and one Big Ole Asshole will guide intergalactic pioneers through three heavy sets and one Honky-tonk interlude at the Rio Grande Satanical Gardens. Liftoff takes place at 9 p.m. and all seats cost $5. Don’t forget to pack earplugs. (Jessica Cassyle Carr)

God-Des is the divine half of hip-hop/pop/soul act God-Des and She. The duo, which dwells in the Big Apple but hails from the Midwest, got its start in the late ’90s and has been a big deal since its cunnilingual track “Lick It” appeared on “The L Word” a few years back. God-Des and She makes a stop in Albuquerque on Saturday as part of Pride Fusion (Hyatt Regency Downtown). Below are some random songs that appeared on God-Des’ iPod.