Everyone knows that musicians steal from each other. Sometimes it's a phrase. Sometimes it's a style. Hell, sometimes it's not just some petty theft. Sometimes it's an armed robbery of an entire identity. Look at Creed. I guarantee you some record exec was cotton-swabbing the side of the toilet bowl after Eddie Vedder took a leak in 1995 to make their own Vedder clone, one that would obey commands and make douche-y music videos full of manufactured angst and Jesus Christ posing. Unfortunately Jerry Falwell had unspooled a deuce in that particular toilet right before Eddie, and the result was a squat, hobbit-y egomaniac with plenty of Vedder growl, but zero Vedder talent, ability and presence.  Just a big preachy turd with outstretched arms.

But much like farting in cars on long trips with your in-laws, while it may be best to pretend it was some non-existent paper mill, there is a certain degree of forgiveness if you just claim it. And that's what Jose Antonio of Incubus has done with Stewart Copeland.  

“We’re all huge fans of The Police and me being the drummer I just rip off everything Stewart does. I don’t even borrow I just take all his licks. I definitely got my own facial expressions, he’s got the beaver look.”

Metallica fans who argue that Metallica's rapid slide into a pool of Vagisil and suck began with the black album, I have sad news for you. You are in the minority. The fact that Metallica aren't the face-tearing, hair-flinging metal band that they were back in 1984 is not disputed. But that could be attributed to the fact that James Hetfield is turning 85 this year and Lars is turning age-less evil. Age just forces you to slow down. No, where you're wrong is the point at which the band began to -quote- suck. If you use album sales as an indicator, the black album is anything but a sucky album.

Enough people bought the black album last year to make it the second highest-selling album in all of SoundScan history.  In 2007, Metallica pushed another 258-thousand units of the disc, bringing its total sales to over 15-million, enough to surpass Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill.  If the numbers continue this way, by 2009, Metallica will pass Shania Twain’s "Come on Over" to take the number one spot on the chart. 

 And to all those people who called Radiohead's "In Rainbows" a failed experiment because only 28 percent of people who downloaded the record actually paid for it: suck it. Not only was the self release of their album a success, it's actually the most profitable thing they've ever done. Thom Yorke told The UK Times, “In terms of digital income, we’ve made more money out of this record than out of all the other Radiohead albums put together, forever.”

And if you didn't get around to picking In Rainbows up because the idea of being able to pick your own price was abhorrent to you, good news! Soon you will able to buy it for pre-set prices that match your expectations. It is now available on iTunes for 99 cents a song.