Albuquerque composer and virtuosic oudist Rahim Alhaj calls his newest composition, “Fly Away,” an unusual piece. Its instrumentation—oud and four guitars, including a six-string contrabass—isn’t exactly common on the chamber music scene.

Sam Bush says he’s still learning to play the mandolin.

Jon Little (ex-Ant Farmers) curates a tangle of El Paso's finest bands: Mexicans at Night, The Lusitania, Frontrange and, of course, Jon Little as himself. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Atomic Cantina (21+, free). (LM)

My Dear Disco is addicted to dance-ahol. It can't just take a shot of ethereal disco hooks and shoot some pool with friends. No, it grabs a bottle of Dance Punk-brand whiskey and gulps it down before anyone can tell the Ann Arbor septet to slow down. Creative flourishes like funk guitar and time signature free-for-alls keep the album from becoming too superficial. But at the end of the day, the synth jams aren't especially cerebral. Dancethink LP belongs in a club, not a living room. If you're going to listen to it sans-party, crank the volume and enjoy a cocktail with this collection of hyperactive tracks. (SM)