The American indie underground made music for like-minded people who thought for themselves. Thinking for yourself is intrinsically subversive.

Just as not all popular albums are wonderful, not all wonderful albums are popular.

You didn't have to be a huge rock star; you just had to do well enough to continue doing what you wanted to do. It wasn't about hitting the jackpot, it was about sustainability.

Bon Jovi's trick is to use heavy-metal chords and still sound absolutely safe. Rock & roll used to be rebellion disguised as commercialism; now so much of it is commercialism disguised as rebellion.

Now that the generation that grew up on '80s indie-rock has attained influential positions in the culture, that music is the new yardstick. And that will shift yet again some day.

I really believe in the power of music - and I mean literally the power of musical tones - to rearrange the way you can think.

Naturally, no one knows more about music than musicians. They talk about their own work all the time, but they rarely get to talk about other people's music.

There's no glamour in Nirvana, no glamour at all, in fact.

There's a whole apparatus for indie bands now, but back in the eighties it was just getting built. The early people really took it on the chin.

Nine Inch Nails' sound is dominated by clanging synths and sardonic, shrieking vocals.

I have this theory, bands with enigmatic lyrics attract crazies.

There is a method to man’s wickedness

I'm sorry, I say. I didn't give you everything you wanted. I wasn't everything you wanted. You were everything I wanted.

(Theodore) Roosevelt confessed early fascination with "girls'stories" such as Little Man and Little Women and An Old-Fashioned Girl.

That eveningWhen I was all aloneIn our bedroomTo give me companyYour voice came along

Death and genitals are things that frighten people, and when people are frightened, they develop means of concealment and aggression. It is common sense.

My dad has worked so hard his whole life. He doesn't deserve to see his daughters going out embarrassing themselves and flashing their knickers. I want to make my parents proud.

I can feel the wind go by when I run. It feels good. It feels fast.

Paul (McCartney) and I made a deal when we were 15. There was never a legal deal between us, just a deal we made when we decided to write together that we put both our names on it, no matter what.

Stick a shovel into the ground almost anywhere and some horrible thing or other will come to light. Good for trade, we thrive on bones; without them there'd be no stories.

Liberals measure compassion by counting the number of people receiving government help.