I will dare
Folks, I will indeed dare to go right ahead and tell you that Tuesday is as prime a day as any to throw it back with an utterly classic Replacements track, a timeless pair of canvas high-top sneakers and of course, an iconic craft beer (more on each in just a second, though). We’ll cover it all in today’s edition of The Style Guide In Brief, where we get into classic and current indie rock, new craft beer and fall gear on the regular from your favorite brands like Filson and so many more (well, every Tuesday and Saturday, at least).
If you follow me on my (mostly) craft beer and music Twitter, or particularly if you’ve glimpsed my Instagram in the past few days, you’ll notice two things: 1) I’ve been on a major Replacements kick, as it were, getting deep into the iconic Minneapolis indie band’s catalog and 2) I picked up my first tattoo last Friday, a fittingly Replacements-inspired homage to the song and the indie rock ethos “Left of the Dial” — as fitting a hallmark of this chapter in my life as any! Check out the ink on my Instagram for a closer look. It’s been a huge source of excitment and inspiration for me heading through fall, and I hope to keep that same spirit going this week as I pen features for the Huckberry Journal and Maxim.com, among many others. If you’d like to come along for the ride, get your favorite Bluetooth headphones and let’s rock.
What To Listen To This Week: “I Will Dare” By The Replacements
Of course, if you’ve recognized the image at the top of this newsletter — the iconic cover of 1984’s “Let It Be,” off which “I Will Dare” is the nearly perfect opening track — then you knew this one was coming. Featuring a solo from R.EM.’s Peter Buck and perfectly propelling The ‘Mats toward greatness, the song is one of the band’s best, an instant classic and really, a sweet song about having a crush (as a friend said in sharing their take on it). It’s a favorite track off one of my favorite albums, and it’s perhaps the underrated-yet-legendary band’s best album, so named as a fun jab at the band’s Beatles-obsessed manager. Heck, it’s even called out in a song by a band that drew a wellspring of inspriration from The Replacments — that band is The National, of course (it’s from “Don’t Swallow the Cap”: “If you want to see me cry, play Let It Be or Nevermind”).
If you’re not all that familiar with The Replacements and the angst-ridden lyrical stylings of rock n’roll poet Paul Westerberg, it’s a heck of a place to start. I’ve been spinning my own copy on vinyl, and the album itself also includes classics like the prescient “Androgynous” and of course, “Sixteen Blue” and “Unsatisfied,” both iconic in their own right. Is it worth a listen and a trip back down memory lane to the roof of guitarist brothers Tommy and Bob Stinson’s house, as immortalized on the famed album cover? No doubt — no doubt at all.
What To Shop This Week: Converse Chuck 70 High-Tops via Todd Snyder
Now, it's a bit unclear what sneakers The Replacements are wearing on the aforementioned album cover (perhaps P.F. Flyers??), but let’s go with a favorite all the same. Jeans, high-top sneakers, a classic jacket, some tousled hair and assuredly some cold beers later on — that’s The ‘Mats for you, and it’s with that sort of inspiration in mind that I’m recommending you pick up some classic high-top sneakers for fall, then wear the heck out of ‘em (as Mr. Westerberg and Co. did). The Converse Chuck 70 High-Tops, fittingly sold by legendary NYC (and Midwestern-born!) menswear designer Todd Snyder, are also a perfect complement to style staples more dressy (like Todd Snyder chinos) and laidback (selvedge denim, anyone?). The next time you’ve got a hankering for throwback style, a cold beer and a spot of whiskey, throw on these Converse sneakers, mask up and head to the backyard patio bar.
What To Sip This Week: Pabst Blue Ribbon via Drizly
Now, have I featured Pabst Blue Ribbon before in this newsletter? I sure have, but it’s back again in a very Replacements-esque fashion. The band were known to enjoy a beer or four, and while it looks like they primarily imbided Grain Belt or Midwestern classic Schlitz, the great news is that you can, of course, get PBR delivered to your door via Drizly. The beer has undergone a major comeback of sorts (I myself took a post-21 shine to it in college), and it’s still a solid favorite whenever I can get a cold can these days. It’s the kind of beer you can enjoy ice-cold in plentiful quantities, preferably while spinning “Let It Be” on your favorite record player, and that to me sounds like a very fitting, enjoyable evening at home these days. Who’s with me on that? Cheers, folks.
The Final Pick: Flint and Tinder Black Denim Trucker Jacket
Head to Huckberry to pick up your new favorite fall jacket, a rugged, edgy and yet classic black denim trucker jacket that I think any one of the guys in The Replacements would have worn back in the day. How’s that for bringing things full circle while tying in retro rock music and retro style, ehh? Although I’m too young to have seen the band back in the day, this is the kind of cool-as-can-be denim jacket that I’m wearing in my mind as I step back in time to Minneapolis and 7th Street Entry to see the legendary Midwest band take the stage in its hometown. Can’t beat that sort of style inspo, right?
Dare to head into Tuesday and the rest of the week with throwback style, a classic beer and even cooler sneakers and tunes to set the tone this fall, will ya? I know I’m going to keep listening to plenty of The Replacements today and beyond, most likely on my Tivoli Audio Revive, so you should be sure to hit Subscribe and tune into Saturday’s newsletter to see how things shake out. As I always say, I publish at my blog The Style Guide seven days a week in the meantime, and it’s definitely worth stopping by (as biased as I might be!). Thanks for reading, thanks for being here … now, let’s take the stage and plug in.