Years ago, before Death Cab For Cutie had triumphantly claimed its place atop the mantle of all indie rockdom as a cross-over sensation during this transitional period we still find ourselves in, the band was out on the road with their homies from the Pacific Northwest, The Long Winters. This was the same week that Transatlanticism came to stores – barely in the major chains, Best Buys around the country maybe had one or two copies in-store and they weren’t advertising the record in its Sunday circular – and Death Cab, with all due respect, as upstaged by a burly, beardy gent with a gas can for a soul and a voice that didn’t necessarily need amplification. He could bark, he could be pretty, he could be comedic and he was always charismatic. The man in description was John Roderick. They played a club gig nearby in Iowa City and then slipped through the alleyway, which stank of roasted garbage and fryer grease to the Italian restaurant on the same block for an intimate acoustic session, where he again engaged the crowd in a unique and highbrow way that was never canned. From that day forward, Roderick and the Long Winters have been a point of intrigue for me. There are always new wrinkles to explore and just having a conversation with a man who’s lived so much life – backpacking across a continent is just a start, living the Bonnaroo festival last weekend as an MSNBC correspondent is in addition – is a treat. Roderick and right-hand man, bassist Eric Corson, (along with the rest of their lineup) were here the first week in April, on a Sunday night. They were on tour with The Broken West, who have become our most beloved cheerleaders, and Stars of Track and Field. They drove from St. Louis to us, taking time to stop off and soak in some religious history in southern Illinois along the way. We learned – over pizza, of course — that Roderick was great at Mattel electronic football back in the day. Will wonders never cease with that guy – the jack of all trades. – Sean Moeller

First song
Clouds (The Long Winters) [3.63MB] [3256 downloads]


– original version appears on Putting The Days To Bed
Nobody really noticed that this song was about a recent historical
event. Funny how some songs get dissected right and left and others are just accepted at face value. I originally wrote the lyrics for a collaboration with Denver Dailey from the Desperadecidos, and then rewrote the tune for our own record.

Second song
Scared Straight (The Long Winters) [4.05MB] [3222 downloads]


– original version appears on When I Pretend To Fail
A lot of people in my life think this song is about them, which is
fine, because it is.

Third song
Hindsight (The Long Winters) [4.02MB] [3184 downloads]


– original version appears on Putting The Days To Bed
This song is just about one person, but I don’t think she knows or
cares. Maybe she knows, because she listens to the radio, but it
doesn’t mean she cares. Well, OK, she probably cares. Screw her anyway.

Fourth song
Pushover (The Long Winters) [2.62MB] [3165 downloads]


– original version appears on Putting The Days To Bed
Girls don’t make it easy on us, do they?