I hope we find flowers in the pavement
I don't want to waste it
My friends and subscribers to The Style Guide In Brief: We’re really getting down to the end of the year in a hurry, are we not? Christmas is barreling toward us, so I hope you’ve taken the time to shop gifts for guys at Huckberry and Bespoke Post via my coverage at my regular blog, The Style Guide. Here in this newsletter, we’re going to keep it more varied, from menswear to music to craft beer. On the music front, perhaps you recognize the band at the top of the page (or the featured song) — the band in question is soulful, introspective SoCal indie rockers Local Natives, my second-favorite band, a past subject of this newsletter and a group that’s held meaning for me since my college radio days a (gulp) decade ago. It’s with that in mind that I started listening obsessively to the lovely “Nova” throughout this year, going way back to January — that’s how it ended up on my Spotify Top Songs of 2020, after all. With the year drawing to a close, I felt it fitting to revisit. Come along a stylish musical journey with me to start your weekend, folks.
What To Listen To This Weekend: “Nova” By Local Natives
“Nova” is one of those distinctive songs that showcases what Local Natives do best. Over a decade of releasing melodic music with lovely harmonies, they’ve built up a fervent following (I myself traveled to Portland, Oregon to see them back in May 2019 — better days!). They’ve supplemented beautiful albums like 2013’s “Hummingbird” (my personal favorite) with stellar live shows, engaging album art and merch, and of course, cool one-off releases. As it were, “Nova” was one such release last fall, and I was so looking forward to (hopefully) seeing the band play it live when I took a trip to Philadelphia in January — the outdoor show was unfortunately cancelled because of weather, perhaps a sign of more nefarious things to come. Love Philadelphia though I did, I couldn’t help but listen to this song on repeat as I explored the city that weekend — it brings back great memories, it’s a deeply hopeful and romantic song, and as I said before, it ended up on my top songs of 2020 for good reason! Now, how about a side of menswear with your new favorite Local Natives song?
What To Wear This Weekend: FRYE Grant Lace-Up Boots
As I always do here in this newsletter, I’m drawing some style inspiration from the guys of Local Natives themselves to recommend what could be your new favorite pair of boots. If you’ve seen Local Natives play on shows like “Letterman” in years past, you’ll notice energetic lead singer Taylor Rice covers a lot of ground, often wearing slim black denim and some seriously cool black boots. Again, the jury is out on whether he favors FRYE boots, but if you want to channel some rock n’roll edge yourself, you can pick up your own pair now all the same, then have ‘em nice and scuffed up before you see Local Natives the next time. How’s that sound? Turn it up, will ya?
What To Sip This Weekend: Los Angeles Ale Works Superstein Lager via Drizly
Now, the jury’s out on how far and wide you can get this fittingly SoCal-produed craft beer (in honor of Local Natives, of course) delivered to you via Drizly, but the sentiment remains the same. Trade your heavier holiday ale or Christmas ale for a lighter, cleaner lager that you can sip in large quantities while watching football this winter or perhaps as you prepare for a holiday outing (Local Natives spinning in the background, of course — perfectly soothing music for these turbulent days). I haven’t tried out Los Angeles Ale Works myself, seeing as I was last in Los Angeles in April 2019 (to see The National!), but I’d say it’s a quality purchase all the same if you want to refresh your palette.
The Final Pick: Bespoke Post Fade Box
To me, there’s nothing that pairs better with a rock show (perhaps Local Natives at Brooklyn Steel one of these days in the future!) than pairing up your black leather boots with something like some raw denim jeans from the Bespoke Post Fade Box. It’s a classic rock n’roll look that I’ve worn to plenty of shows over the years, Local Natives included, and if the quality of these selvedge jeans is any indication, you’re going to be able to break them in and wear them for years and years (and shows and shows!) to come once things slowly but surely, hopefully return to normal.
If you were thinking I might recommend a holiday-type song or outfit in today’s newsletter, I hope I didn’t leave you hanging. I think an easygoing, reflective song like “Nova” by Local Natives is a nice way to ease into the weekend, and I think it’s all the better that you can shop picks like the Bespoke Post Fade Box as we power through the holiday (Los Angeles Ale Works beer in hand, of course). You can look for more holiday cheer around these parts next week, and you should assuredly check out my full blog, The Style Guide, for daily men’s style and holiday coverage in the meantime. Cheers to Saturday!