Alt-rock trio Guster [ tickets ] takes a break from the studio to work the road during an outing that the group has appropriately named the "Not a Very Long Tour."

The trek kicks off in late October and wraps up with a mid-November, two-night stand in New York City. Details are included below.

Boston-based Guster continues to work on its follow-up to 2003's "Keep It Together." The forthcoming album, which will be the group's fifth, is expected to surface early next year, according to the band's website.

The group originally announced in an April website posting that it had finished work on the album, but apparently had a change of heart.

"We've been locked in a room without windows, again, preparing another batch of songs that will ultimately bring the number of recorded-but-still-unreleased tunes in our back pocket up to 20," reads a recent posting at the site. "One way or another, these songs will find their way onto your iPods in due time. The plan is to get the proper full-length Guster album out early next year, and maybe a five-song EP of delightful album rejects out in time for the holidays."

Fans can expect to hear the band roll out some new material during the tour, including seven songs that the group plans to record prior to hitting the road.