Sweaters

I used to work at Rugby. Now that it's getting cold outside, I've been wearing the numerous wool sweaters I was given/purchased during my time there. I can safely say that Rugby makes the most comfortable, versatile and pretty wool sweaters out there. Their merchandise doesn't really change that much from year to year (though the line is only 5 years old, so we'll see if they diversify), so you can pretty much count on their staples with different colors every year, give or take a few patches or elbow pads.

http://rugby.com/shop/item.aspx?productId=3691417&categoryId=3372855&cp=3138869

I also have a Fair Isle mens sweater that I adore. I tend to like the mens items better than the womens--the preppy asshole, punk look somehow works better on guys than girls. Alas, this fall the Rugby designers failed to craft any mens looks that out-cool the womens. In fact, they even have the exact same sweaters they sold last year to moms shopping for their college sophomore sons so they'd look cute but not like they were trying too hard.
AKA this:

http://rugby.com/shop/item.aspx?productId=3757354&categoryId=3372179&cp=3138868

How creative!

Like I said, staples that are warm, comfortable and versatile. I miss the crazy Rugby from its first couple of years, where eyelet bustiers thrived and Skulls and Bones still meant something.

Grizzly Bear + Beach House

Getting off the Park St. stop, I heard the men who normally sell tix for Sox games hollering "Tix for the Bears! Bears Tix!" While laughing at their nickname for Grizzly Bear, one of those bands that really shouldn't be abbrev'd, I noticed that I was walking with some of the most hipster-y hipsters ever. A sea of flannel, skinny pants, fake glasses and Cosby sweaters suffocated me almost as much as the stench of cigs, PBR and angsty white kids. I forget that I listen to hipster music sometimes.

Anyway, the concert was fine--Beach House opened for GB, which was okay, I guess? Lots of deep woman voice going on there, like Cat Power in its haunting delicacy but with points taken away for just sounding like a hangover. If you were to have a cocktail party for people with indie music taste on a fall eve, this would work.

GB was pretty good--they played their big hits, had pretty neat transitions and fine audience interaction. I like GB. When their album "Veckatimest" came out, I listened to it a couple of times and gave it a thumbs up (see "Cheerleader" and "Southern Point" for some real GB) but it proved difficult to sit through their concert. Perhaps it was the annoying drunk high schoolers who tried to commandeer my friend's seat that took away from the experience. I don't know.

Good intro songs to GB are "Two Weeks" and "While You Wait For The Others"--upbeat rhythm (though the lyrics aren't quite) and digestible vocals and instrumentals. After two hours of contemporaneously deliberate and fragile vocals that echoed out of the theater down Boylston, I had had enough.

Review: GB sounds better live, but isn't the best show in town. Next on my list: Passion Pit, Of Montreal, Crystal Castles and Radiohead. Yethhhhh

http://www.grizzly-bear.net/

And a slightly absurd music video: