Kanye West at the Levi’s/Fader Fort © Seher Sikandar

SXSW 2009: Kanye West, Common, Erykah Badu, Devo, Red Riders, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Big Boi, Janelle Monáe, Chin Chin, Beach House, Solange, Kid Cudi

Austin’s South By Southwest Festival is four days of new bands eking out a following and amplifying their buzz while established acts assert their influence or grasp at a comeback. Giant Step’s Resident Mawuse Ziegbe took in as much of the long lines, late nights and musical highs as she could. Here’s her review of a weekend of sounds in the South.

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The annual Giant Step Survey is upon us once again, and as usual, it’s completely anonymous. We are asking more from you this year (it should take 15 minutes tops), but in return, we are giving much more back.

Aside from the never-ending love from us to you, everyone that finishes the survey gets TONS of free MP3 downloads from the likes of Q-Tip featuring Busta and Lil Wayne, Mos Def, Femi Kuti remixed, Santigold, N.A.S.A., Asa, Colin Munroe, and many more.

AND all of you who complete the survey will be entered into a lottery to receive one of the following prizes:

Limited Edition Gotan Project Box Set (7-inch vinyl, CDs, poster, etc)
Limited Edition Lily Allen Vinyl Picture Disk
Two VIP Passes to Giant Step’s Annual Summer Stage show (NY, summer)
Two tickets to Ben Watt at Cielo (NY, Mar 27)
Giant Step selection of current CDs
Two pairs of tickets to the Afro Funké Party (Santa Monica, Thursdays)

So thank you so so so much for taking this survey.

Much love.
Giant Step Family

The Giant Step Survey is now closed. Thanks to all those that participated!

Don’t miss Asa at Le Poisson Rouge this Friday, March 27, 2009!
Presented by New Africa Live.

“Sounds like a gathering of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff reggae, Erykah Badu phrasings, Joan Armatrading and Suzanne Vega acoustic guitar strumming, and Tracy Chapman lyrical sensibilities” – Huffington Post

Doors @ 7pm
Asa @ 8pm
Tix $20

The After Midnight Series, by visual artist Steven Lopez, has featured artists such as Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Minnie Riperton, India.Arie, Sade, Jill Scott and more. Lopez works by selecting a favorite song, then he begins the painting process in front of a live audience. Lopez’s new series, called After Midnight Soul, features Erykah Badu as the first source of inspiration. Check out this time-lapse Vimeo of him painting to “Amerykahn Promise”:

Erykah Badu- Amerykahn Promise from Steven Lopez on Vimeo

After Midnight Soul

Giant Step’s biweekly DJ series at Hudson Hotel returns in 2009 on Monday, April 6th.

As New York City’s premier Monday night event for the last two years, the Hudson has consistently seen a curated roster of DJ legends and pioneering artists as wide-ranging as Louie Vega, Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzanova, Bobbito and Danny Krivit, playing styles from soulful house, Latin, hip hop, jazz, funk and more. Mark your calendars now for quality music and dancing at Hudson to come.

RSVP for the first Hudson on Monday, 4/6 here.

Download MP3 here

“SATSURIKU Rejects” is a piano-laden, horn-heavy track with a drum and bass back beat and soft female vocals placed second stage. If you are familiar with earlier tracks from PLANET PIMP, (Storm, Fantastic Planet), you’ll recognize this as a groovier and more soulful departure from their usual organized artful chaos.

Check out this incredible multi-layered video for “I’m New”. Kutiman’s Thru You is a well-crafted mix of sound clips from various YouTube videos- think of the project as the Entroducing… of YouTube (as aptly referred to by Laughing Squid). Then check out Kutiman’s site to explore all the original sampled pieces.

Posted by Mawuse Ziegbe

I’ve always said that getting involved with friends is a no-no but recently I thrust my hand in the fire – and got burnt the hell up. There were red flags from jump: Brooklyn-based artist/actor/ “creative entity” (whatever), vegan (which to an African woman means starvation) attractive, tight-pants-wearing Black man (so he’s already hooked up with half of Fort Greene). As friends, we would giggle at parties and talk shit about people. With that kind of spiritual connection how could we lose? Well, now I’m out of a partner in bitchiness and I’ve added a name to my “please God don’t let me run into this yokel” list.

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