I'm always very careful to make the distinction between music criticism and music journalism. A lot of people don't. But criticism doesn't require re….

Ten percent of the American population thinks that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Those are the people that have not learned the skill of filtering inform….

Back in the day, in '91 or so, I tried to interview Fugazi for Rolling Stone, which the band felt stood for everything they detested about corporate ….

To begin with, the key principle of American indie rock wasn't a circumscribed musical style; it was the punk ethos of DIY, or do-it-yourself. The e….

For Nirvana, putting out their first major-label record was like getting into a new car. But the runaway success was like suddenly discovering that t….

A lot of music fans are still interested in insightful perspectives on music - maybe even more interested than ever, since everyone needs help making….

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 ….

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, ….

The online musical universe has become Balkanized, with many sites focusing on minute niches. That works well for reaching very specific demographics….

There's no law that says anybody has to do an interview..

I would roll out of bed and immediately start working, and keep working until it was so late at night that I couldn't stay awake anymore. Then I'd go….

I'm not sure I ever try to make a case for the music. I mean, sometimes the music isn't even that good. I just tell the band's stories; if I describe….

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'….

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

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

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 mu….

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

People shared everything: information, equipment, their floors, whatever. There was strength in unity..

When you're writing, you're only a brain and some fingers, but drumming, you're involving all four limbs, and you're hearing stuff and you're convert….

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

In eras past, mainstream culture was blandly, blindly complacent, so underground music was angry and dissatisfied. But now, mainstream culture isn’t ….