I can’t think of any band who has a history quite like that of Duster, the ’90s slowcore group from San Jose who were relatively unheralded in their first incarnation but who have since become important and beloved. Duster initially got together in 1996 and released a couple of albums before breaking up in 2001. Over the years, they became an influential word-of-mouth force in indie rock, just in time for their 2018 reunion. Since getting back together, Duster have made a couple more albums, and they’ve been part of a TikTok-driven shoegaze revival, which is weird for everyone but must be especially weird for the band.

Duster surprise-released Together, their second reunion album, in 2022. These days, the band is a duo after the departure of Jason Albertini. Last year, Duster released the demo collection Remote Echoes, and their label the Numero Group launched a copy of their 1998 debut Stratosphere into space. Now, Duster are getting ready to head out on tour with the North Carolina instrumental hip-hop duo Dirty Art Club, and they’ve quietly released a couple of collaborative tracks.

The new tracks “Anhedonia II” and “Ecstasy Cowgirl” are short, moody, meditative near-instrumentals that creep along at a bemused pace. “Anhedonia II” doesn’t sound as depressed as the title implies. Instead, it’s a dazed and sunny lope with vocals so buried that they might as well not exist. “Ecstasy Cowgirl,” meanwhile, sounds like easy listening for ultra-nerdy ’90s record-store clerks. It’s cool to hear Duster subtly expanding their sound, making room for soft rhythmic digressions. Check out both tracks below, along with the dates for the Duster/Dirty Art Club tour.

TOUR DATES:
9/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
9/28 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
9/29 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/02 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/04 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
10/05 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/07 – Lakewood, OH @ The Roxy
10/09 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
10/11 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
10/12 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
10/13 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
11/01 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
11/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
11/06 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
11/07 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
11/08 – Dallas, TX @ Studio at the Factory
11/09 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
11/11 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
11/15 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
11/17 – Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl on Granville
11/19 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
11/22 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
11/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

“Anhedonia II” b/w “Ecstasy Cowgirl” is out now on the Numero Group.