'5 For Insight' with Monk Turner

As mentioned before, the netBloc PDF liner-notes now have a new feature called "5 For Insight". I ask each participating artist five questions and hopefully we glean a bit of insight from their answers. These mini-interviews will also be posted online. Here's the first with Monk Turner. Be sure to check out his excellent track 'Hot July' on netBloc Vol. 16.

01 - Why free music? People still buy music?

02 - What concept album originally inspired you to think that maybe you’d like to record concept albums of your own? Some of my first exposure to music was through concept records. The Wall, Rush’s 2112, Dark Side of the Moon, and of course the album that changed my life was The Who’s Tommy.

03 - Aside from the concept album influence, who else (in popular culture or otherwise) influenced your music? I think the question is what hasn’t influenced my music. I have a grip of respect for Elvis Costello with his ability to guide his own career with no regard for genre or what box a record label tries to put him in. Musically I’m influenced by everything. I’m influenced by the collective of musicians on my concept albums. I’ll write a song for a specific artist because I like what they do on one of their own songs. I’m influenced by current events. I’m influenced by visual art, by what’s on the radio and what’s not on the radio, what the kids are listening to, what the folks in retirement homes are listening to. The LA music scene... the good one that is. I could go on...

04 - What was the last free netaudio album you downloaded and listened to? I recently did a Creative Commons Salon with Curt Smith of Tear for Fears fame. His latest solo record is CC licensed. The first track is the joint.

05 - Catsup, Ketchup or Mustard? I tend to use BBQ sauce more than I use catsup. I think it comes from when I used to live in Texas. Mean Mister Mustard sleeps in the park.