Olde tyme rock ’n’ roll — Ghostkeeper (featuring Jay Crocker and Scott Munroe) accidentally travelled back in time for this shot

Friends, readers, local music peeps — it’s been a blast writing about you, rocking out to your tunes and getting to know you, but now I’m afraid I must say goodbye. The Manhattan comedy club I once called home has hired me as its MC, so this will be my final column.

First, though, let me dish the latest dirt. The Ostrich have uploaded a schwack of new demos to their MySpace page, and are also playing a schwack of shows. You can catch the rowdy rockers Friday, April 11 at The Stetson (with Heat Ray and Seven Story Redhead), on April 22 at The Republik (opening for Wolf Parade-offshoot The Handsome Furs, wa-hoo!) and on April 24 at The Marquee Room (with The Wicked Awesomes).

On April 18, there are two events of note. For you underage cats out there, the scene-boosting folks in the Summerwood Warren have spun some Fables and Fairy Tales or, in other words, an all-ages fundraiser show at EMMEDIA for the new Woodpigeon album. The bill includes the cute and cuddly creatures in Honey Bear, Sea Level Rise, The Consonant C and, of course, Woodpigeon themselves. Doors are at 8 p.m., and it only costs $5 if you come dressed as your favourite storybook character.

For 18-plus readers and fans of good old fashioned rock ’n’ roll, Ghostkeeper are releasing their highly anticipated and long-delayed debut album (on CD and vinyl!) on April 18 as well, with a show at Broken City. Longtime local staple Jay Crocker and Scott Munro of Gunther and Phil Withers join original drummer Sarah Houle and main man Shane Ghostkeeper to make up one of the best bands in Calgary that no one seems to talk about for some reason. So let’s change that!

Lint, another one of my favourite local acts, are playing at The Palomino on April 17 with like-minded spaz-jazz rockers Mahogany Frog. On April 24, Lint are playing one of the last shows ever at punk rock institution the Castle Pub, alongside Damn Dirty Ape and others. Calgary stalwarts Chixdiggit are also rocking The Castle on April 23, and the bar’s final show on April 26 will fittingly include The Mother Fuckers, The Mad Cowboys, The Colin Decker Freefall and Snake Mountain.

The Tetraktys are releasing their debut album this month, with a 4/20 all-ages show at the Hillhurst United Church (featuring openers Honey Bear, The Neighbourhood Council, The Stolen Organ Family Band and The Firm Handshake) and a bar gig at The Marquee Room on April 23 (with Light City Fiction and a Pine Tarts DJ set).

On April 17, The Marquee Room is set to present its first-ever variety show. Matt Masters and the Gentlemen of the Rodeo will be offering up some classy tunes to accompany classic TV, with an encore of their original score to the Flash Gordon pilot episode from 1936. Standup comedians Donald Wood (and friends) and Brent Gough (of Key to the City) will mix it up, and the night will end with a Gary Powers dance party. Break a leg, boys!

Finally, Azeda Booth have uploaded their remix of the Radiohead song “Nude” onto their MySpace page, where you can also check out a video version of the band jamming out their new song “Ran.” You can then hear “Ran” in full at www.absolutelykosher.com/mp3_stream/wait_what/jukebox.html, which should provide maximum stokage for the arrival of the upcoming Azeda Booth full-length In Flesh Tones, set to drop this spring.

Shalom, Calgary!