Guster

Boston-area alterna-pop-rock band Guster has been around since 1992, though they were originally known as Gus — a name they had to give up with some other Gus got a major-label deal. After winning numerous accolades in Boston, the band (guitarists/vocalists Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner, and percussionist Brian Rosenworcel), toured almost nonstop, winning fans the old-fashioned way: one at a time. With their repertoire of infectious tunes (played on acoustic guitars and congas) and well-developed sense of humor, it didn’t take long. Their first indie albu, Parachute, was released in 1994; their latest, the Repreise disc Ganging Up on the Sun, came out in June. They’re still touring like fiends, and still making statements like this one: We write about what we know. We’re stenographers…we transcribe life and put a little melody under it. This, they hasten to note, is also how the famously irreverent duo Tenacious D writes their music. Coincedence? You decide.