Guster Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Tu(n)esday Wrap-Up: Blitzen Trapper Rocks, False Pterodactyl Talks & Chocolate Galore!

Missed out on last week’s ‘A Change of Tune’? Don’t know what to expect in the week to come? Consider this your Tu(n)esday Wrap-Up.

Interview:

We kicked off our 2016 band chat series with the wry-witted Eric Earley, better known for his role as songwriter and lead vocalist for the Portland alt-rock band Blitzen Trapper. We chatted about the band’s passionate fanbase, their affinity for the cult classic Twin Peaks and how Bowie fits into their musical story.

Speaking of Bowie, Blitzen Trapper returned to NPR’s Mountain Stage in Morgantown this past Sunday, and they performed a cover of Bowie’s “Heroes” alongside Wild Child, Ruby Amanfu, The Birds of Chicago and The Suitcase Junket. The full show won’t be broadcast on NPR stations until March, but you can hear the Bowie tribute below via Mountain Stage’s Soundcloud.

‘A Change of Tune’ Jan. 16 Playlist / Downloads:

Speaking of Bowie (again), we played a couple space oddity-tastic tunes on this past Saturday’s show! Stream the Spotify show playlist below and find downloads for most of the songs from our Kanawha County Public Library friends at Freegal.

The White Panda (Queen & David Bowie vs. Bruno Mars)– Under Treasure

Cage the Elephant- Sweetie Little Jean

DIIV– Under the Sun

Damien Jurado– Exit 353

The Arcs– Lake Superior

Jakky Terraseen- Kiff

Stevie Wonder– I Wish

Joanna Newsom- Leaving the City

Bishops– Inside

Blitzen Trapper– Love Grow Cold

Israel Nash– LA Lately

Daughter- Numbers

Beach House- Space Song

M. Ward– Let’s Dance (Bowie cover)

The Week to Come:

-While we were up in Morgantown with Mountain Stage, we had the pleasure of sitting down with local band False Pterodactyl to chat about their psychedelic new release and what it means to “make it” in West Virginia. Keep an eye on our page and our socials for the complete chat when it goes live this Friday.

-West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s gearing up for its 20th annual Chocolate Challenge fundraiser! If you’re a fan of #WVmusic discovery (not to mention #WVmade chocolate), support ‘A Change of Tune’ by becoming a member of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

-Did you hear about this Sunday’s Mountain Stage in Charleston featuring Robert Earl Keen, The Old 97’s Rhett Miller, The Westies and our Boston pop-rock friends Guster? It’s a sold-out show, but ‘A Change of Tune’ has saved a pair of tickets for ya! Make sure to follow @achangeoftune on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out when our Guster ticket giveaway goes live.

Keep Your Ears Warm this Holiday Season with 'A Change of Tune'

T’is the season for great friends, sugary treats and indie-tastic holiday music from “A Change of Tune.”

Need to spice up your holiday party? “A Change of Tune” has you covered with its Happy Indie Holidays Spotify playlist, which is chock full o’ original holiday jams and traditional tunes. Hear everyone from The Shins to Tom Waits, Fleet Foxes to Norah Jones and more in the player below.

“A Change of Tune” has a few more radio presents to share, including a rebroadcast of our collaboration with Mr. Eclectopia (Sunday, December 20 at midnight, following Bill Lynch’s Lost Highways) and holiday interviews with Boston pop rockers Guster, British indie favorites Los Campesinos! and Los Angeles-by-way-of-West Virginia singer-songwriter Scott Simons.

Keep up with “A Change of Tune”‘s holiday shenanigans on the show’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to tune in to our #HappyIndieHolidays special Saturday, December 19 at 10pm EST on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And if you’re still looking for a gift for the music lover in your life, consider giving the gift of public radio music discovery.

'I Never Wanted to be a Pure Nostalgia Band': A Conversation with Guster

After 24 years of playing sold-out shows, touring the world with the likes of Ben Folds and George Clinton, and releasing an album of cat meow covers, Guster’s story is without a doubt a gusty one. We sat down with the alternative pop band’s frontman to talk about Guster’s newest record, their holiday music plans and their January 2016 return to the Mountain State.

Guster released their eighth full-length Evermotion on Nettwerk Records earlier this year. You can follow the band on social media and see them live in Charleston on January 24 as they make their third appearance on Mountain Stage. To hear more of their music, tune in to ‘A Change of Tune,’ airing Saturdays at 10pm EST on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Blitzen Trapper, Guster Announced for Mountain Stage

The 33rd season of Mountain Stage will begin on Sunday January 17 at the WVU Creative Arts Center in Morgantown, WV. As guests of WVU Arts & Entertainment, host Larry Groce will welcome indie rockers Blitzen Trapper, Nashville based singer Ruby Amanfu and Austin-based seven piece Wild Child. Tickets for the event will be available at 10am Monday, November 16. Visit our Live Show Schedule for details.

The show returns to its home base, The Culture Center Theater on the State Capitol Grounds, on Sunday January 24 to welcome back beloved pop-rockers Guster for the second time. The band’s latest album “Evermotion” was produced by Shins keyboardist/Black Keys bassist Richard Swift, who has also produced recordings with Foxygen and Damien Jurardo. Also scheduled to appear are The Westies, a group formed by Michael McDermott and Heather Horton, whose album “West Side Stories,” is a concept record about the real life Westies, “a ruthless gang of Irish mob punks that ruled Hell’s Kitchen in the 60’s and 70′s”.

Tickets for January 24 go on sale Friday November 13 at noon, via MountainStage.org, by phone at 877.987.6487 or locally at Taylor Books in Downtown Charleston. More info on our Live Show Schedule.

Follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign up for our e-mail newsletter, where we sometimes send special deals and first-to-know announcements.

These episodes will be recorded for distribution in Spring 2016 via NPR Music.

The title track from Blitzen Trapper’s latest release “All Across This Land”

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Live performance clip of Austin-based band Wild Child.

“Endlessly” the latest single from Guster’s album “Evermotion.”

“Say It,” by The Westies

Mountain Stage After Midnight: Guster, Suzy Bogguss, Anais Mitchell

Before they were nominated for a Canadian Grammy and before a Harry Potter lead helped fund her music, The Barr Brothers (previously The Slip) and Sylvie Lewis made a splash on the Mountain Stage. This weekend, we’ll open up the archives to hear how they sounded back in ’06 and ’07.

Broadcast from 1am-5am Saturday and Sunday mornings here on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Mountain Stage After Midnight takes the best episodes from the show’s 32 year history and shares their memories and songs with our late-night listeners.

Tune in this Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12 for some great tunes on Mountain Stage After Midnight.

We’ll hear an October 2006 show, recorded at the Creative Arts Center on the campus of West Virginia University. It includes Guster, Larry Coryell, The Slip (now known as The Barr Brothers), Miho Hatori and Hazmat Modine.

Anais Mitchell on the Mountain Stage in 2007.

We’ll also hear a September 2007 show featuring Suzy Bogguss, Anais Mitchell, Lucky Tomblin Band, Eleni Mandell and Sylvie Lewis.

Still craving more #MountainStage? Tell us what you want to hear on the next #MSAM on social media (you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram). Take us on your summer travels with our 24/7 Mountain Stage stream and iTunes podcast. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter for the latest show announcements and come see what live performance radio looks like at one of our live shows. And if Mountain Stage isn’t available wherever you are, contact your public radio station and let’em know what they’re missing out on!