All our streets are violet

A collab between Local Natives & Sharon Van Etten, plus spring menswear and beer

There are very few bands that impress me at almost every turn, but if you’ve read this music-menswear-craft beer newsletter, you’re probably well aware that one of those bands is SoCal indie rockers Local Natives. Just like my favorite menswear brands and my favorite breweries, they never let me down, and that’s the case with today’s featured track. It’s a really lovely song featuring NYC singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sharon Van Etten and Local Natives (and hey, there they are at the top of the page!). With the apt moniker “Lemon” to match the EP itself, it’s a song that sings of violet streets and “sour lemon eyes” — I’ve been enthralled with the track since its debut on Local Natives’ Sour Lemon EP last fall (a welcome new music release during the pandemic). And in fact, it’s the kind of song that helps set the tone for a relaxing and fulfilling weekend, as I often try to do with this newsletter (I’m in Florida for the rest of the month, after all).

As a reminder, I’m also publishing at sites like Maxim, plus the blog that started it all (emphasis: mine), The Style Guide. My style blog, after all, has some non-music tips on how to wear a T-shirt and the best shopping picks from Huckberry, for starters. If that’s more your speed, be sure to click on through for my regular Saturday style entry. And if you like your menswear with a side of indie rock and craft beer, you can keep your dial tuned right here at The Style Guide In Brief. If it’s your first time checking out today’s featured Local Natives track, you’re in for a treat.

What To Listen To This Weekend: “Lemon” By Local Natives & Sharon Van Etten

Local Natives are always pushing the limits of what they can do as a band, whether it’s revamping the group’s excellent, tried-and-true formula by bringing in noted rock producer Shawn Everett or releasing EPs and one-off songs at a high-quality, fast clip (here’s a great example from a past newsletter!). They’ve got some parallels with my favorite menswear and craft beer, but more on that in a second. The Sour Lemon EP features the band’s trademark lilting harmonies and bright, sunny, Southern California composition, with some amazing flourishes via the introduction of lauded indie rocker Sharon Van Etten on the track “Lemon,” a highlight of the EP. This song is really sweet and beautiful to begin with, and the song first took shape via guitarist Ryan Hahn’s writing during the band’s recording sessions for 2019’s Violet Street (another album worth checking out on this fine spring Saturday!). The end product, and the video, is enough to make you want to visit southern California and perhaps indulge in a cocktail or two at one of the band’s favorite bars. At the very least, I’m long overdue for a stroll around Silver Lake.

What To Shop This Weekend: Taylor Stitch Corso Shirt via UNCRATE

In the last newsletter to feature Local Natives, I talked about some suitably indie rock-friendly menswear — it helps when a band dresses pretty darn sharp in addition to crafting some of your favorite songs of the past decade. It’s with all of that in mind that I’m going to refer you towards this rugged work shirt from California brand Taylor Stitch. Made from a lightweight cotton double-cloth, it’s precisely the style inspo I’d look to channel during a SoCal trip, a Brooklyn indie rock show or even, one day, an overseas jaunt to catch a Local Natives show (yes, I’m serious about that!). Best of all, it’s versatile and extremely well-made. Wear it to a brewery, wear it to the park, wear it to an outdoor festival this fall. Just get it in your closet ASAP.

Shop Taylor Stitch

What To Sip This Weekend: Stone Brewing Delicious IPA via Drizly

As far as this portion of the newsletter is concerned, well, let’s just say it’s pretty fitting: Local Natives’ Kelcey Ayer is also a noted craft beer fan, and I happened to run into him at Portland’s Baerlic Brewing before an amazing May 2019 show out West. Now, Stone Brewing isn’t local to Portland, nor are they exactly regional, but they’re a mighty fine and pioneering brewery that I’ve had the chance to enjoy quite a bit lately (although my beer of choice in Florida is much more local). That being said, if you want a reliable West Coast IPA to enjoy on balmy spring days, you’re in luck here. Get yours delivered via Drizly and then crank up that Local Natives album.

The Final Pick: Astorflex Chelsea Boots via UNCRATE

Now, you already know where the style inspiration behind these classic Chelsea boots comes from, right? Local Natives lead singer Taylor Rice often rocks black boots onstage, at least as near as I can tell, and while it’s been some time since I’ve seen the band live (an understatement!), I have a feeling he’d appreciate these. If you’re the kind to appreciate comfortable Chelsea boots made for all-day, on-the-go comfort — be it on a weekend road trip or a day around town — then you’ve found your new favorite pair of boots at UNCRATE.

That’s curtains, as they say, on my latest weekend newsletter. You can subscribe to get two dispatches a week, if you’d like, but for now, I’ll leave you to tackle that (fun) weekend to-do list. If I were you — and I’m not, but these items are on my list all the same! — I’d look for some classic Chelsea boots and indie rock style inspo. I’d also queue up Local Natives’ excellent Sour Lemon EP while kicking back with that Stone Brewing Delicious IPA, perhaps wearing a rugged work shirt from Taylor Stitch. That’s as close to a perfect weekend as it gets for me these days. Until next time, let’s make it count.