Seismic Rad-Libs: With John Roderick of The Long Winters

I’m not even going to mince words here. John Roderick, frontman of The Long Winters wit is some of the best and he’s a smart man to boot, so when I asked him to take part in this new and delicious endeavor I was expecting more than average, and needless to say John Roderick is far from from average. J-Rod (as some know him) took Rad-Libs to another level; there is nothing average about him (well maybe a couple things, but those don’t really matter, unless you’re a “catcher“). There is a reason I get a “mind-chub” when he Twats, Tweets or whatever. So let this Rad-Lib be a lesson to all Rad-Libbers before and after … that this is how its done!

 Pressure of writing songs for an album makes me: Seek out almost any distraction and accept any offer in order to avoid completing my appointed task, including appearing in low-budget films, producing other people’s albums, and responding to self descibed “Rad-Lib”-style questionnaires.

 My gayest traits have to be: I have a very feminine way of  thinking in that I tend to be associative. Also, I decorate my house like a fucking Nancy.

 A masochistic mind generates: Drama.

 GG Allin was: Not my bag, then or now. “Alternative” culture went through a phase in the late-80’s/ early-90’s where it was enthralled with grotesqueries, autopsies, serial killers, bodily functions, circus freaks etc., and although some factions of people will always find this stuff to be amazing and transgressive, I do not share the fascination.
 
People tend to misinterpret the way: Their pets express themselves.

Tweeting is…just another form of: Writing. The faddishness of it is hopefully wearing off now, which could weed out the chaff.  Alot of the people I follow are beginning to use it as a place to curate stuff, posting links to things they find interesting on the internet. I don’t use it that way and, frankly, I think it’s boring. I try to write little 140 character dispatches, and I in that way I think it’s a very interesting format. The people I enjoy following use it the same way. If you want to post a link to your favorite YouTube video, and thats what Facebook is for.  
  

 I’m sick of: My neighbors screaming kids. They scream and scream. I’m noticing a lot more screaming kids these days. When I was a kid, if you sat around shrieking for no good reason, some adult maybe not even related to you would feel justified in smacking you and telling you to shut up. Admittedly that was a long time ago, but the result was that kids didn’t shriek constantly in stores and public places. My neighbors ON BOTH SIDES have kids under five shrieking like they are being attacked by wasps. I wish they actually WERE being attacked by wasps.
 
Buying a house was: a great experience for me. I bought at the almost top of the real estate market, so it wasn’t a terrific financial move on my part, but owning a house has been very relaxing and satisfying. I like going down to my kitchen late at night to get a glass of water. It all feels very solid.

 If I were a character of “The Breakfast Club”, I would be: well, this was a topic that was very popular when I was in high school. That movie came out the winter of my junior year, so of course my friends and I identified with it in a major way. Part of the reason is that you could see yourself in multiple characters. I mean, I wasn’t a red-headed snobby brat, but my girlfriend certainly was. I was probably a cross between Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson, with a little bit of Ally Sheedy thrown in.
 

Sharing a band with David makes: no sense, because it’s really Dave’s band. I’m lazy, and finding musicians to play with is excruciating work. Auditioning people just isn’t that fun. So we snagged the Dave Bazan band because we knew they were good and we didn’t have to think about it. But when it’s really time for the next version of The Long Winters to reappear, we’re going to have a whole new band with a bunch of new dudes.

 Guilty pleasures are: A total necessity! I mean, without guilty pleasures what the hell do any of us have to keep us going? I think that, barring a guilty pleasure that’s creepy or lame to other people, we should all indulge our guilty pleasures to the greatest extent possible! My guilty pleasure is long baths.

 Favorite bands in Seattle are: Whenever I answer this type of question I usually find out that the interviewer has started an independent record label and immediately runs out to sign the bands I list, whereupon everyone gets rich and I’m left with nothing but my memories. So I’ve vowed only to answer the “favorite bands in Seattle” question in return for $500 American, cash upfront.