I really like Savages by the alternative indie act Council. It has big anthem, kind of reminds me of Imagine Dragons and those type of acts. The song was meant to coincide with syncs in March Madness, MLB and other sporting events, but the coronavirus epidemic happened and has caused the events to be canceled. Fortunately for the bands sake, the lyrics ‘we live like savages’ is still relevant today because a crisis can bring out the worst in people. The track was producer Matt Squire who helmed records for Panic at the Disco! and UnderOath. Check out the track on our Indie Invaders Playlist.

It’s official, Dua Lipa is the biggest pop artist now. Her success caught critics by surprise because most artists aren’t given a second chance after a first successful album.  They are usually written off as a one-hit-wonder, more than ever in the digital streaming era.

The smart artist quickly realize they need  a catalogue of unforgettable songs once they catch the publics attention. Dua Lipa took this approach. She used the same songwriting/production team that crafted her worldwide smash New Rules and  followed it up with Don’t Start Now.

Whereas many artists like Lady Gaga chose to postpone their albums, the Brit singer moved up her release. Fortunately for her, critics love her album, giving it the best album of 2020 so far.

No doubt the up-beat 80’s inspired album Future Nostalgia has an untimely release. But maybe this is what people need now during pandemic. I don’t know. Her songs are dance-floor ready but the clubs are closed.

Here is the thing. I like Dua Lipa. Where many artists are live streaming social distancing and clean-your-hand skits – Dua Lupa still is a mystery and unknowable.

According to reports, the singer now currently self-isolating in an Air B&B in London.

TikTok, the Chinese video-sharing app with hundreds of millions of users around the world, instructed moderators to suppress posts created by users deemed too ugly, poor, or disabled for the platform. These same documents show moderators were also told to censor political speech in TikTok livestreams, punishing those who harmed “national honor” or broadcast streams about “state organs such as police” with bans from the platform.

The ultimate goal of TikTok is to enforce rigid constraints while attempting to bolster its image as a global platform of self-expression and anything-goes creativity.

TikTok controls content on its platform to achieve rapid growth in the mold of a Silicon Valley startup while simultaneously discouraging political dissent with the sort of heavy hand regularly seen in its home country of China.

TikTok wants perfect people with pretty faces to dominate the platform. One document goes so far as to instruct moderators to scan uploads for cracked walls and “disreputable decorations” in users’ own homes — then to effectively punish these poorer TikTok users by artificially narrowing their audiences.

TikTok moderators were explicitly told to suppress uploads from users with flaws both congenital and inevitable. “Abnormal body shape,” “ugly facial looks,” dwarfism, and “obvious beer belly,” “too many wrinkles,” “eye disorders,” and many other “low quality” traits are all enough to keep uploads out of the algorithmic fire hose.

I got quickly hooked on the track All Night Long by ives. It’s relaxing and chill in times like these. Speaking of chill, the track landed on several Spotify Playlists including Just Chill, Softly, and Soft Glow. I think the New Zealand artist perfectly weaves a web of electro pop, commercial pop, and indie electronic. The track comes off her Romantic EP who was was released on Valentines Day. We added the track to our Indie Invaders Playlist – give it a stream, and another stream.

Spotify comes to the rescue and will help artists who are struggling financially over the coronavirus crisis.

“Though streaming continues to play a key role in connecting creators with their fans, numerous other sources of revenue have been interrupted or stopped altogether by this crisis,” the platform notes in a new blog post about its efforts.

Spotify is working to add a new feature to its Spotify For Artists platform that will enable artists to fundraise directly from fans, and Spotify will not take any cut of the contributions. This will give artists on Spotify the ability to link out to a verified funding page for themselves, another artist in need, or any other initiative.