If you, like me, are ready to step into a new week and in essence, a new season (with Labor Day weekend on the horizon and your FRYE boots laced up), then you’ve come to the right place. Of course, for me, that *place* is still Florida, where I’ve been enjoying a working getaway, soaking up some sun while writing for Maxim.com , GearMoose.com and of course, this newsletter and my blog, The Style Guide — thanks for being here! (And again, by here, I mean your computer or mobile screen). We’ve got lots of ground to cover, starting with a pair of FRYE leather boots as shown above.
There’s more to today’s newsletter than style points, as you know. Ever come across an older song that takes you right back to a vivid time and place — and makes you want to stay a while? Perspective is an incredible thing in music and in life, and songs like “Heaven” by The Walkmen remind me of Michigan summers, driving to my summer newspaper internship or walking to classes in the fall and winter. Now, the song reminds me of the impending fall in New York City — you can read more on this modern indie classic below. Now that that business is out of the way, let’s start off today’s Style Guide In Brief dispatch the right way.
What To Listen To This Week: “Heaven” By The Walkmen
Right off the bat: Yes, this song appeared in the series finale of “How I Met Your Mother,” but really, it’s so much more than that — to me, at least. For one, it’s perhaps as fitting an end to the illustrious and vastly underrated indie rock lineage of NYC’s The Walkmen. This song comes off the aptly named “Heaven,” the band’s final album in 2012 before an indefinite 2013 hiatus. They’re a band that was part of the early ‘00s rock boom in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and they’re arguably the most underrated of the bunch. It all starts up front with talented, intense frontman Hamilton Leithauser. Hamilton is now a remarkable o artist in his own right, singing folks-y, jazzy and pleasingly old-school tunes, most recently on 2019’s “The Loves Of Your Life,” but it’s the romantic and heartwarming “Heaven” that first caught my attention way back in 2012 before The Walkmen stepped away as a group. Plus, the above video features new and old band footage & photographs, plus their respective families — too sweet.
Of course, the band’s back catalog is just as underrated (how great is “The Rat,” am I right??), and I also really enjoy The Walkmen’s 2002 debut, “Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone.” The band takes a lot of cues from three members who used to be in the operatic, much-hyped ‘90s indie band Jonathan Fire*Eater , but “Heaven” is a different track entirely. It’s lovely, it’s ornately crafted, and it’s got some of the most romantic and introspective lyrics you’ve heard in some time. It reminds me of my friends, it reminds me of Michigan summers, and as I mentioned above, it now reminds me of my time in NYC. I’ll certainly be listening this week — will you? If ever you want to talk The Walkmen, join me on Twitter.
What To Shop This Week: FRYE Paul Laceup Boots
Welcome a new season by investing in a pair of the best brown leather boots on the market. The reward for investing in such craftsmanship? Why, standout style that looks great on the daily, via a pair of classic leather boots you’ll have a long, long, long time. It’s the FRYE way, after all. The brand has been making some of the finest leather shoes and boots since 1863 — yes, believe it — and in my mind, they’ve really never missed a beat. Heck, the FRYE Paul Boots are the kind of crisp-yet-rugged leather boots I myself intend to wear all fall. And if I could, I’d surely wear these leather boots to a brewery and a rock show this season. Until then, I’ll make do with wearing these antique-style leather boots on adventures around Brooklyn this season.
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What To Sip This Week: Coffee via the Manual Glass Pour Over Coffee Maker
Yes, once again — as with another recent newsletter entry — I’m recommending not a specific beverage but the device with which to enjoy said beverage. In this case, I’m talking about a new way to get your morning cup (or cups) of coffee via this stylish pour over coffee maker as sold by the good folks at Bespoke Post, and for an agreeable price, too ($130 for endless mornings of delicious coffee). Sounds like a pretty ideal way to start the day, ehh? Just start things off with the Manual Glass Pour Over Coffee Maker by using your own filter, then adding hot water to coffee grounds to start the process (and yes, Bespoke Post also sells some of the best coffee of the moment, too). In the chaos of the world outside, the right morning ritual — soundtracked, perhaps, by The Walkmen — can add a very, very nice touch to the rest of your day.
The Final Pick: Everlane Flannel Overshirt
Head on over to Everlane to pick up this very, very timely buy — a perfectly crafted flannel overshirt for fall that seems to me to be perfectly suited for the season. How perfectly suited is this Everlane overshirt, you might ask? Well, the versatile Heather Grey color and 100 percent cotton flannel call to mind chilly fall mornings and long park walks, preferably soundtracked by — of course — The Walkmen. And the boots you’re wearing on your feet? Those would be the FRYE Paul Boots, naturally. It doesn’t get any better than a combination like that, folks. Once you’ve picked up your rugged flannel overshirt, you’ll want to wear it all the time atop your favorite henley and black denim (that’s just one #OOTD idea for you). Act quickly, and you won’t regret it when fall weather rolls into town.
Alright, folks. Thanks for sticking around today’s edition of The Style Guide In Brief. If you want more reading, more sales to shop, more gear to buy, my Friday Read series (a weekly roundup covering the latest and greatest in menswear) is always a valuable post — at least, I think so. In the meantime, you can expect another Saturday dispatch from this newsletter. Oh, and if you end up listening to The Walkmen on a walk down memory lane, let me know in the comments below. Let’s make it a great week!