Updated: 10:30 am PCT.  Google confirms the takedown to Digital Music News.  No comment yet from the RIAA.

Politics is a bitch! Just days after reinstating Grooveshark’s controversial app within their Google Play environment, Google has now yanked the app once again.  A quick check on Google Play this morning shows plenty of Grooveshark clones and fakes, but not the real thing.  Indeed, Google later confirmed to Digital Music News that Grooveshark’s app has been removed, while strongly alluding to copyright infringement concerns.

We can only suspect that major label pressure – particularly from the likes of Universal Music Group and the RIAA – are at work on this one.

Grooveshark appears to be getting tossed around in a political rugby match, and cut out of the loop.  Earlier this week, Grooveshark CEO and founder Sam Tarantino praised Google’s reinstatement, telling Digital Music News that “big hearts are capable of change.”  This morning, the mood seemed reset to a general state of confusion.

“We’re talking to Google now,” Tarantino emailed.  ‘Six years into this, I am learning to live day by day, so I am not sure what is going to happen here but trust that it is all going to work out well at the end.”

The others aren’t talking – as usual – which means we’ll be relying on leaks and hints to fill the rest in.  RIAA press representative Jonathan Lamy has been totally silent, and outside of the small response above, Google has avoided our multiple inquiries (please drop a comment, email us at news@digitalmusicnews, or call us if you know anything).

The move by Google is partly symbolic.  The reason is that the Grooveshark Android app still works, even the version downloaded from Play just days ago.  It can also be found outside of Google Play in good working order, thanks to the open Android app ecosystem.  The only problem is that a large chunk of Android app searchers go to Play, making it a lifeline for companies like Grooveshark.

More as it develops. [DigitalMusicNews]