New York’s Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra will perform at Expo Latino this weekend at Prince’s Island Park

It’s another sad week for Calgary music. Not too long ago, this column lamented the imminent departure of art-popsters The Neighbourhood Council. This week, The Ostrich are finishing their run. The band’s dramatic live shows have won accolades from pretty much anyone who’s had a chance to see them, so if you haven’t joined the converted yet, don’t miss their grand finale on Saturday, August 23 at the Palomino. You can catch their penultimate show at Broken City on Thursday, August 21, too. Or better yet, take in both — it’s the last Ostrich fix you’re going to get.

At least some local musicians can be counted on to stick around. Steve Pineo’s been fighting the good fight in Calgary for decades, but he’s probably best known for his time with the much loved Co-Dependents andfor Paul Brandt’s cover of his “Canadian Man.” Picking up where The Co-Dependents left off, and tipping a hat to Beautiful Joe, another past Pineo project, The Joe Defendants features Pineo, Tim Leacock, Kit Johnson and Ross Watson strutting their upbeat country stuff. On Friday, August 22, they’ll be joined by Vancouver’s The Burnettes, an indie-rock two piece with a knack for twisted pop songwriting. Fast Forward’s Jason Lewis says that the band “effortlessly recalls the glory of mid-’90s slack rock,” and that’s all the recommendation you should need.

It wouldn’t be summer in Calgary if there weren’t at least a couple of festivals going on. Expo Latino runs from Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24, and features the ever-popular Compadres (Oscar Lopez and James Keelaghan), along with New York’s Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Puerto Rico’s Michael Stuart and more. The festivities take place at Prince’s Island Park, the city’s go-to venue for near-perfect outdoor concerts. There’s also the recently announced Spaghetti Western festival, running all day on Saturday, August 23, first at Olympic Plaza and then moving into the No. 1 Legion. Artists like Shuyler Jansen, Justin Rutledge, Greg Cockerill and Carolyn Mark keep their twang subtle, so those who are put off by straight-up country have no need to be alarmed. Then again, Calgary mainstay Matt Masters will be there, too, and he’s got enough twang for the lot of them.