Southern California punk band (if you believe punk still exists) Pennywise is joining the party of free music giveaways by offering their latest album for free when downloaded from their MySpace page.

They join the ranks of Radiohead, who made big headlines by offering their album for free - or for whatever consumers wanted to pay. That album, according to some estimates, made about $10 million for Radiohead. Users paid an average of $8 on their own recognizance. Nine Inch Nails made a similar gesture with their new album and early reports indicated total sales of $1.6 million in the first week of availability.

The recording industry is in trouble. Artists have taken full advantage of the technology available to them and seem to be set on controlling their own destinies - and their fortunes.