The Long Winters "The Commander Thinks Aloud" (29.7 MB) from Ultimatum High Noon Saloon Madison, WI March 22, 2007

To be honest, I'd totally forgotten this song even existed. I haven't listened to 2005's Ultimatum EP -- what the band calls a "studio experiment" -- in a while, but this song does a terrific job as the lead track of setting an atmosphere that wouldn't quite fit on any of their full-length albums. It's ethereal and icy in some ways, but also warm and welcoming in the tender calls of Roderick's vocals. This performance shot the song right back into my set of favorite Long Winters songs, and into heavy rotation this week on my iPod. (And bonus: the amusing story of one person's reaction to "Rich Wife"!)