Under cover of darkness

An underrated Strokes album, spring craft beer & more

Alright, folks. You know the drill here as we kick off another edition of The Style Guide In Brief. In my last music-menswear-craft beer newsletter (remember, every Tuesday and Saturday!), I talked about a welcoming spring track from indie rockers Hippo Campus, plus some new spring craft beer and more gear for a new season. I’ve still got Hippo Campus on repeat, but lately, I’ve been returning to an underrated album that came out just about a decade ago, and it’s by a band that arguably paved the way for guys like Hippo Campus to pick up their guitars.

That band, of course, is The Strokes, NYC rock legends and frequent subjects of this newsletter (head here to get my thoughts on “You Only Live Once” and click this next link to read about the classic “Someday”). The album in question is the now decade-old “Angles,” bolstered by the very song in the headline of this newsletter (more on that below!). It’s an album fraught with tension that actually ended up sounding … pretty great! Just my two cents. We’ll get into it more below, so throw on those Bluetooth headphones, get yourself a fresh cup of coffee and prepare to dive into music, menswear and gear for spring. One more reminder: You can find my bylines, my portfolio and my style blog here at this link, too. OK, let’s get to work.

What To Listen To This Week: “Under Cover of Darkness” By The Strokes

To read about “Angles” by The Strokes is to read about an album that nearly tore the band apart — frontman Julian Casablancas recorded his vocals separately from the rest of the band, for starters (this headline from around the time it was released says it all). It was also a hyped album that some felt like didn’t deliver (I disagree!) But upon its 10th anniversary last week, I’ve seen some thoughtful revisions of the album as far as its impact — to me, cool tracks like “Under Cover of Darkness,” with its spiky guitars and that raspy Julian Casablancas vocal, are still as cool as it gets across the past decade for the iconic band (who recently won a Grammy!).

And this track in particular is perhaps my favorite off the album, and it gave us a classic and cool-as-ever Saturday Night Live performance around the time of its release. I’ve been returning to this song pretty frequently ever since I spotted that the anniversary for the album itself was on the way. It’s neat and always special to realize, perhaps with a jolt that the very album you’re listening to was released on this day a decade ago, or five years ago, or even a year ago. It’s like a listenable time capsule that puts you right back in your shoes 10 years ago (I was still a freshman at Michigan State!). Any time I get the chance to do that, and any time it involves one of my favorite bands, I’m more than up for it. It also goes without saying that as with all things related to The Strokes, style has to play a big role, right? Let’s keep it rolling then.

What To Shop This Week: Converse The Birth of Flight Pro Leather Sneakers

Any conversation about The Strokes has to revolve around cool, classic high-top sneakers, does it not? Especially as we move from winter into spring, I’ve been slowly but surely swapping out my leather boots for picks like these retro-inspired high-top sneakers for a bit of seasonal and Strokes-ian style inspiration. The Strokes guys were definitely Converse fans, but the Converse The Birth of Flight Pro Leather Sneakers are a recent addition to the famed footwear brand’s rotation. They look to me like sneakers you could wear to see the band at Radio City Music Hall back in the day, as it were (after all, it’s what the band would have worn on stage). Do you feel cooler yet? I know I do.

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What To Sip This Week: Dogfish Head Hazy-O IPA

Once more, in the spirit of a new season, let’s check out a new favorite craft beer, shall we? Now, this one doesn’t quite have any direct ties to our favorite New York rock band (they loved Heineken, by all accounts), but the Dogfish Head Hazy-O IPA is assuredly an enjoyable happy hour sipper as you revisit a throwback track by the band, all the same. It’s an IPA made with oat milk — yes, oat milk — in keeping with Dogfish Head’s focus on “off-centered ales,” and that means that in spite of the innovative ingredients, it’s going to deliver consistent quality and flavor every time. And yes, you can indeed get it delivered to you via Drizly this week. I’ll raise a glass to that.

The Final Pick: Levi’s Garment-Dye Crewneck Sweatshirt via Urban Outfitters

This one is a bit of an homage to the good old days, or rather, the time around which Angles by The Strokes was released. The year was 2011, and there’s a very good chance I would have been perusing the well-stocked shelves of Urban Outfitters in East Lansing. I don’t get into a UO store that often these days (or many stores at all, given the state of things!), but I’m always pleasantly surprised at the stylish menswear I find when I take a look at the Urban Outfitters Web site. Case in point: This garment-dyed Levi’s sweatshirt, the kind of classic, casual and laidback piece that retails for a highly agreeable price and looks great with light wash jeans and some retro-inspired high-top sneakers. Shop accordingly, folks.

If you ask me — I’m biased, of course — I’d say that this newsletter checks all the proper boxes as we move into a new spring week. There’s seasonal menswear in the form of a garment-dyed Levi’s sweatshirt to wear for casual days at home. There’s a new spring beer via the excellent Dogfish Head Hazy-O IPA. You’ve also got the chance to pick up new and yet retro-inspired high-top sneakers, and to soundtrack it all, hop in a virtual time machine of sorts and go back a decade to hear a throwback Saturday Night Live performance by The Strokes. Be sure to check back here for Saturday’s edition, and in the meantime, my regular style blog publishes seven days a week.