On the impulse to travel and the ghosts & angels who guide us along the way.

The Sailor

On the heartbreak and renewal of radically changing course.

The Opposite Direction

I got into Dylan listening to my parents records as a kid, but they only had the greatest hits. I didn't hear this until much later. But ironically, nowadays when my Dad is trying to cheer me up he'll say, "Christian, just like Bobby Dylan said - don't think twice, it's alright". Thanks Pop!

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Bob Dylan cover)

Can't remember when I first heard this song, but the SECOND time I heard it was in my car on KUTX a few years ago, in the morning on the way to work.  I recognized it from somewhere and then it was stuck in my head for at least two years.  One of the most empathetic tunes I've ever heard, written by a 20-something from the perspective of some old folks.  Love, love, love this song.

Hello In There (John Prine cover)

Another band my wife got me into when we first met.  I'd only heard "Creep", hadn't heard any of their records.  Think I was too busy listening to Exile on Main Street 7,000 times when I was in high school (could be worse reasons I s'pose).  I got super into them when I was in my prog-rock phase in the mid 2000s, and I loooooooooooooved the 7-time instrumental intro in this song.  Mind: blown!  When I figured out how to play it on the acoustic I was almost ready to retire from music.  "Welp, I guess I've done more than I ever set out to do.  Better go out on top!"  I think this might actually be the happiest Radiohead song ever.  Yes, that's WITH the lyrics "Letdown and hanging around... crushed like a bug in the ground."  Although I'll consider other nominations in the comment thread.

Letdown (Radiohead cover)

From Beck’s album “Sea Change”.  My wife Sara got me into Beck before this came out, but I only listened to his more upbeat albums.  Then this came out in like 2003 and I saw him play it on one of the late shows.  And I was like.  Yes.  The sad-bastard singer-songwriter Beck.  My man.  I think this might have been the first song I ever tried to learn how to fingerpick.  Although it took about 10 years to get the hang of it.

Lost Cause (Beck cover)

In 2001 I'd been in Austin for a year and my buddy Brent Morgan came through on his way back home to DC from way out west.  He was doing something like bee-keeping or some such unorthodox nature-related endeavor, somewhere like Idaho.  He was an eagle scout and always into the outdoorsy stuff.  He left me a mixtape full of bands I'd either never heard or hadn't gotten super into yet - Jeff Buckley, Wilco, and a bunch of John Prine, including this gem.  I wore that tape out, but eventually couldn't listen to it after I got a car with a CD player. (I made that high-tech transition in about 2006).  A few years after that, this tune came back into my head and I couldn't remember where I knew it from.  Then I put the pieces together and learned how to play it at the height of my folky period playing with best-music-bud Emily Burns in the light upstairs.  It has one of my all-time favorite lines: "Broken hearts and dirty windows... make life difficult to see."

Souvenirs (John Prine cover)

It's probably a jailable offense to be a songwriter in Austin TX and take 15 years to get into Townes Van Zandt, but hey, you get into stuff when it grabs you.  And it probably wouldn't even crack my Top 20 of music-related crimes committed since moving here, which would include buying a live Paul McCartney album recorded in the 90s, wearing Village-People-type bell bottoms with tassles down the outside seam to a gig, selling a 1973 Gibson SG with a Bigsby tremolo out of spite (band breakup), and unironically covering A-Ha's "Take on Me" while playing in an enthusiastic but misguided garage rock band.  And that's just 2001-2005.  Anyrod, this song is a beaut.

Christian Glakas

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