Trailer Trad Tunes: A Halloween Tradition

Like Vince Guaraldi at Christmas-time, there are some tunes that just need to be brought out at holidays. For Halloween, I haul out one little-known favorite--the great Matt Pond PA tune and video that I have shown before. The second is a new selection for TT and comes from Raleigh favorites The Rosebuds. Don't worry, it's not as scary as it looks! Credit for the find goes to P.O. Palustris.

Trailer Trad Attire: Are You Man Enough to Wear This Hat?

There is an old American manufacturer of hats that are worn by more bad-asses than you can count. Texas Rangers (not the baseball team) wear 10-gallon white versions. County Mounties (10-4 good buddy) wear the gray, wool felt versions. Freakin' Smokey the Bear swears by them.

If you said Stetson, it would be a laudable guess but you'd be wrong. Family-owned Stratton has manufactured hats to the go on the heads of countless men and women that have sworn to protect and serve us with valor since before I was born.

I have to admit that I would feel unworthy wearing any hat regularly associated with law enforcement but, I gotta tell ya, the tan straw version of the forest ranger hat could really fit the bill, if you'll pardon the hat pun. I'm so fair-skinned that I get sunburned from the moon. It may be time to invest in serious sun protection that has some real stature. Let's face it, baseball caps are the corporate logo polo shirts of manly style. I've planted the hearty, oaken seed of headware desire in you. While on your next hiking or dry-fly fishing expedition, what would look manlier yet jauntier than this lid? You're welcome.

Trailer Trad Tunes: Tycho

Tycho is an ambient group that started out as a one-man art project but grew into a band in 2009. The vision of Scott Hansen, he also creates the group's album covers and videos. His blog ISO50 showcases his art, t shirts, etc. I like this live performance at KEXP's studio in Seattle because it is almost identical in sound quality to their albums.

 An NPR station in a West coast epicenter of hipsterdom, KEXP has a way of showcasing bands that I really like. Very beard and skinny jeans/scarf intensive, many of the artists have that Brooklyn hipster-esque cred that the folks that compile the Muzak for Starbucks, etc. salivate over. Many of the following are not very current but  I still like them for more chill listening. Matt Pond PA is really underrated as is NC and Trailer Trad favorite Future Islands. Speaking of underrated, Dinosaur Junior, it seems to me, is one of the last of what I would consider to be grundge bands from the 1990s. Do you think that they will get their due in that regard?