Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Ongoing Tower Work Impacting KUNI 90.9 FM

The Long Winters: Songs Unfolding as Stories

The Long Winters, the indie-pop vehicle for singer-songwriter John Roderick, has included members of likeminded Pacific Northwest bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, Built to Spill and The Posies. Having toured all over Europe and North America, the group has become known for its smart, evocative lyrics and sharp rock instincts.

Roderick began writing songs with Harvey Danger's Sean Nelson in 2001, and the resulting album, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm, eventually evolved to include only Roderick's songs, supported in studio by a large cast of musicians from other bands. Their sophomore effort, When I Pretend to Fall, sounded even more optimistic and maturely crafted than its predecessor.

With The Long Winters now reduced to a quartet, the group recently released Putting the Days to Bed, which brings Roderick's gift for power-pop to the forefront. The band's distinctive guitar sound meshes with intimate lyrics to create a mature and optimistic collection of songs that unfold as stories.

Copyright 2006 XPN

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.