Random Music News for Saturday, February 7, 2015

Twenty-five years ago today, the Soviet Union officially dissolved. Putin has been pissed ever since.

1. In what’s sure to be a big battle that will spread to other countries, the US Copyright Office is rethinking what streaming music services should pay for music. And US radio stations might finally have to pay for the privilege of playing music over the air, just like we do in Canada.
2. Is fun. breaking up? (I don’t care, really, but someone must.)
3. If you’re looking to speak chimpanzee, you need to know this.
4. AC/DC’s beleaguered (ex) drummer, Phil Rudd, has more legal problems to deal with. His lawyer in this murder-for-hire case just quit.
5. How to get a #1 record in the UK. And I’m not talking about just writing a great song, either.
6. Five cool playlists from NYC.
7. There’s a petition to force the NFL into signing Metallica to perform the halftime show at Super Bowl 50.
8. Here’s a new streaming service that seems to specialize in the music from movie, TV and documentary soundtracks. (Via Brent)