(This article originally appeared on ArtistsHouseMusic.org.)

Five issues, insights, and observations shaping the future of music and the music business from the editors of Artists House Music.

1. An Interview with Swedish Pirate Pary leader Rick Falkvinge

The P2P Consortium has published an interview with Rick Falkvinge, leader of the Swedish Pirate Party (a political party similar to Republicans and Democrats in Sweden that actually exists).

Choice quote: “What was remarkable was that this was the point where the enemy — forces that want to lock down culture and knowledge at the cost of total surveillance — realized they were under a serious attack… for the first time, we saw everything they could bring to the battle. And it was… nothing. Not even a fizzle. All they can say is ‘thief, we have our rights, we want our rights, nothing must change, we want more money, thief, thief, thief’… Whereas we are talking about scarcity vs. abundance, monopolies, the nature of property, 500-year historical perspectives on culture and knowledge, incentive structures, economic theory, disruptive technologies, etc. The difference in intellectual levels between the sides is astounding… When the Iron Curtain fell, all of the West rejoiced that the East would become just as free as the West. It was never supposed to be the other way around.”

2. Time Magazine says that vinyl is cool again

Hold on to your iPods, the vinyl album is making a comeback. It’s got sweet art, retro appeal, and purists out there know that it’s warmer than CDs. Vinyl, it’s not just for DJs and your dad anymore.

3. Should AT&T Police the Internet?

On top of the revelations last year that AT&T captures all Internet traffic for the NSA, now the New York Times reports that AT&T might start implementing technology that would look for copyright violations and block access to the content. Hope the iPhone was worth it.

4. thesixtyone.com wants you to play A&R

Thesixtyone.com is a new site dedicated to helping you discover new music. Unlike the many other iterations that came before it, this site comes with a twist. It makes a game out of discovering new music, in effect ranking your talent for picking good music. If you like a song, you can bump it up – but it costs points, something you have a limited quantity of. It’s a neat idea and something definitely to check out.

5. Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” – It Worked

The name-your-own-price-on-the-Internet album “In Rainbows” by Radiohead showed up in stores last week, and surprise surprise, it’s number one on the charts this week. The New York Times takes a look at the release and ponders the question, why do people pay for what they can get for free?