Tag Archives: Guster

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Song of the Day #3,312: ‘Jesus & Mary’ – Guster

Every time I hear a Guster song, I like it. I own their five most recent studio albums (two earlier releases are out of print) and each of them is chock full of thoughtful, melodic pop.

Even the best acts release a bad song once in awhile, but these guys are remarkably consistent. They remind me of Ron Sexsmith in that way. You can always count on him (and them) to deliver, even if no particular song stands out head and shoulders above the rest. Solid, dependable. Like a well-made car.
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Song of the Day #3,215: ‘Gangway’ – Guster

Here’s a nice song from Guster’s 2015 album Evermotion. Guster is a band that just doesn’t seem to record bad music, even if I don’t fall in love with everything they do.

When this track popped up as today’s Random iTunes Selection, I didn’t know it. I haven’t listened to Evermotion much and this is a deeper cut. But I knew it would be a perfectly enjoyable song, with pleasant vocals and an easy groove. Because that describes every Guster song.

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Song of the Day #2,463: ‘Simple Machine’ – Guster

guster_evermotionLike yesterday’s featured artist, Josh Rouse, Guster is a moderately popular indie act that has quietly amassed an impressive discography. The band’s new album, Evermotion, is their seventh.

This record finds them a god distance, sonically, from their early work even as the songwriting sticks to the same tried and true folk pop formula. Guster’s calling card in the late 90s was acoustic guitars and stick-free percussion, a very lo-fi organic vibe. Evermotion, in contrast, is synth-heavy — almost distractingly so in some cases.

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Song of the Day #2,354: ‘Red Oyster Cult’ – Guster

guster_keep_it_togetherGuster is one of those bands that lives off of my radar until I hear one of their songs, and then I wonder why I don’t listen to them way more often than I do.

When the title ‘Red Oyster Cult’ first popped up as today’s Random Weekend selection, I had no idea what to expect. I’ve heard and enjoyed the album Keep it Together many times, but not closely enough to know the song titles.

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Song of the Day #1,845: ‘Fa Fa’ – Guster

lost_and_gone_foreverAct one in last week’s concert was Guster, a band I’ve very much enjoyed over the years without becoming fanatical. They have a great sound and write very good songs but they sit in a tier somewhere below my favorite artists.

Perhaps because the first act in a three-band show gets the short end of the stick in terms of production values, I was a little underwhelmed with Guster’s show. Their studio albums have a sweetly off-kilter vibe that didn’t quite translate to the stage.

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