Stealin' Tools & Chilis

May has already been a big month for music. A release of a new album from Tool; their first release in five years, as well as a new Pearl Jam record, has already marked May as an eventful month.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers also have an album coming up (also their first in five years) which was recently leaked onto the internet (surprise!), much to the band's dismay. Illegal downloading has been a big subject ever since it first began. The Chili Peppers are highly upset at this, because of all the work they've put into the album.

Tool's new album, 10,000 Days, was also recently leaked a few weeks before it was officially released. But they didn't have anything to say about the leaked songs.

Are some music artists too dependent on the dollar? Are some simply in it for the music? What are the benefits of these two views (from the artist's and consumer's perspectives)? Is illegal downloading as big a problem as they say? I know from experience that people have downloaded an album before it was released just to sample it, and still ended up buying it.