Quotes About Music

I was real into Devo, Pavement, Captain Beefheart, and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

'Summer Babe' is the start of Pavement front-loading their albums with the catchiest song first.

Around '93, the radio started playing 'Loser' by Beck and 'Cut Your Hair' by Pavement, and then I got way into Pavement. That was kind of a gateway drug into indie rock. I got all their B-sides, and I got that 'Hey Drag City' comp, so I got into all those Drag City bands.

In the beginning, because of the Pavement thing, we were able to sell a certain amount of records. We were able to sell not such a great amount of records, but enough to live on. So there was no incentive to do what didn't come naturally.

My very first guitar was pretty much unplayable. I was 14 or something. My mom went to a pawn shop and got me a Harmony acoustic. I didn't know any better!

I don't want to have a song like 'My Humps' and it be sagging down, so I pay attention to that area. A lot.

When I was around 13 years old, I started playing in bands and became obsessed with Blink-182 and Newfound Glory. I didn't pay attention to country music anymore; I wanted to do more pop rock stuff.

Having that music around us all the time, it was so inspiring. But at the same time, I was a kid. I didn't pay attention to any of it. I'd get on the drums and hit them a few times, and then go outside and play.

With moviemaking, the audience always has to keep asking, 'What happens next?' If you have the wrong piece of music over a scene, people aren't going to get the scene. If you have the wrong camera angle, people aren't going to pay attention. That's as much a part of the process as getting people to talk to you.

Like my best friend, I asked for drums for Christmas, and got them. But when he moved on to guitar, I realized two things: (1) guitar is a much more expressive instrument, (2) way more girls pay attention to guitar players than to drummers.

When I was growing up, the people who liked the Beatles, I didn't like, so I didn't pay attention to them.

Did Amy Winehouse have a hit single from 'Frank?' I love 'Frank,' but people didn't really pay attention to her until 'Back to Black.' So no, I haven't had a hit single. I personally am not bothered about that.

I've played festivals in Australia. If it's a dance music festival or mainstream festival, there's maybe, like, 10 percent who pay attention to the music.

A great song has to stand on its own, just singing and playing, and the rest is frosting. But you have to pay attention to the frosting.

I don't think music is my job - I don't think about it that way, because I don't really get paid. There's no paycheck at the end; it's more of a 'whatever is left over' kind of situation.

When I write songs, I like to write lyrics first, and I think that's different from a lot of singer-songwriters. But I heard Sammy Cahn was asked what comes first, the lyrics or the music, and he said, 'The paycheck.'

I have a passion for music; I love music. But I also have a passion for money and paying my bills.

Many people do think it's naive to improvise in front of paying customers. I'm not saying one way is better than another.

I have no problem paying my dues and I have no problem going out and working the club circuit.

It is all about being open and paying attention to the music in your head. I think most people have original music playing in their heads from time to time.

Sometimes if you get 'em too drunk they don't pay no attention to what you're doin' anyways, so you might as well just do old songs. But if you get one that's paying attention, sometimes we'll do some new material.

People now have been conditioned to believe they should only buy one song at a time, that nobody can make an entire record that would merit you paying, you know, $7, $8, $10 when CDs in the '90s were $18, $19 and people bought millions and millions and millions of them.

I felt rich when I was 20 years old and my wife was paying my bills. Just being in a band, I've always felt blessed.

Garage music came up when people weren't paying attention.