We are very excited to be presenting two NYC shows featuring the marvelous miss Selah Sue. You may have heard us raving about her after sharing her most recent tune featuring J. Cole.

In just a few days, Selah will be embarking on a mini US tour, which will include show dates with her full band, as well as acoustic performances opening for Emeli Sande. Below are details on the NYC shows and more tour info is after the jump.

Enter our contest to win tickets to her NYC shows!

Event Details
Selah Sue Live on Wednesday, May 30th

Doors 6.30PM / Show 7PM
Tickets: $10

Bowery Electric
327 Bowery (@ 2nd St)
New York, NY

Selah Sue Live on Thursday, May 31

Doors 9PM / Show 9.45PM
Tickets: $10

Rockwood Music Hall
196 Allen Street
New York, NY

Tour dates after the jump

Every month our Next Step contest contest seems to pick up more – we are now ready for May entries!

So many awesome artists have been showcased through this series. Tara Priya in July, Iman Williams in August, Tall Black Guy Productions in September, Cole Williams for October, Tensei for November, Awalé for December 2011, Annabel (lee) & Richard E for January 2012, Krystale for February, and Derek Dumont for March!

Stay tuned for the announcement on our April Next Step winner next week!

The winner will receive an “Artist Spotlight” feature post on the Giant Step website, and up to $1,000 in Giant Step Marketing services!

Please note that we are accepting submissions from anyone that makes music – producers, singers, instrumentalists, rappers, and bands alike are all welcome.

This month, we are accepting submissions from today through Thursday, May 31st. That said, we are now open for May 2012 entries!

Submit your music for consideration!

Family,

Thank you for all your support, whether you have been with us for a number of years or are new to the Giant Step community.

We are committed to bringing you the very best in music culture. In order for us to improve and serve you better, we need your feedback, hence this short survey.

Take the Survey + Enter to Win Prizes here

At the end of the survey, you’ll have a chance to win sweet prizes, including:

Thanks in advance for participating!

Next week will mark the debut release for Columbia Nights, a soul, hip-hop, jazz, and electronic production duo who got their beginnings in Washington DC. The album is called Dawn | Dusk and broadly features jazz vocalist Sarai Abdul-Malik, who helps create that tingling energy in a song you don’t ever want to give up. Dawn | Dusk will be out May 15.

Below is a track called “Feel” to help you get a sampling of the sounds.

Enter our contest to win a copy of Dawn | Dusk.

Purchase Dawn | Dusk on Recordbreakin’

Facebook | Twitter | Official Site

Crate digger extraordinaire Kon (of Kon & Amir) aka the “re-edit/rework king of 2012″ (per Gilles Peterson), is putting together a 6-track compilation, Kon & The Gang featuring two of his edits. The remaining remixes/re-edits will be pulled from Kon’s favorite submissions to this contest, which will be hosted by our friends at Legitmix.

The Kon & The Gang compilation featuring the winning entries will be sold on Legitmix, a new revolutionary platform where remixers can sell and promote their work without sample-clearances. You can learn more about how Legitmix works by viewing the video below.

Get the scoop firsthand from Kon above and visit our contest page for more details.

Also, be sure to read the contest rules, and then submit your track(s) to www.legitmix.com.

Legitmix on Facebook | Twitter | Official Site

Tomorrow, Detroit producer Apollo Brown and emcee OC release their collaborative Trophies album. Easy on the ears with its classic hip-hop sound, the album has no features or special guests on this one – the producer/rapper duo carry their own weight on this straightforward headbanger.

Stream the full album on AOL.

Enter our contest to win a Trophies vinyl and CD

Apollo Brown on Facebook | Twitter

OC on Facebook

UK band The Impellers self describe themselves to make music that is a deeply funky super-heavy soul with afro breaks. Well, damn. Take a look at the video above for “Knock Knock” and become compelled shake it all the way through and past the weekend.

Today also marks the release of these party peoples’ new album, This Is Not A Drill. *Shimmy!* More grooving opportunities? We have the preview stream below on loop and we won’t stop ’til we get enough.

Enter our contest to win This Is Not A Drill.

Purchase This Is Not A Drill on Amazon

Facebook | Twitter | Official Site

Congratulations to Pittsburgh bred, LA based producer Derek Dumont for being our March winner! His music is an earthy electronic with sounds inspired by “landscapes and weather patterns, sunsets and city lights dotted in the distance.” Derek shares:

“As much as I want to make music that is fresh and stimulating, I want to make music that communicates on a therapeutic level, without being boxed into any specific genre. A level that allows people to escape to their concentrations.”

The young producer is featured on two tracks for Wiz Khalifa’s new mixtape Taylor Allderdice, and as such, be sure to dig into “Number 16″ and “Mia Wallace.” But that’s not introduction enough for this self-made beat maker who’s just getting started. Derek has also composed the soundtrack to a feature-length documentary entitled Only God Could Hear Me. Watch the trailer for the documentary after the jump.

And we are so very excited to premier the video for the gorgeous cinematic tune, “Yesterday,” above – don’t you see yourself on an epic rode trip in the middle of nowhere?! Below, we have been graced with the opportunity to share an unreleased track, “Colored Coma,” yet another brilliant cinematic tune – we’d pair it with the breakdown the protagonist has after finding out the love of his life is gone forever. After that is a free download for the previously released “One Night In Charlotte” – put this over a scene of all-night teenage shenanigans on a coming of age indie flick. Yep – we could make up stories to his songs all day.

Derek Dumont – “Colored Coma”
 

Derek Dumont – “One Night In Charlotte” [MP3]
 

Watch out for this dude – he’s not playing games.

Facebook | Soundcloud

Watch the trailer for Only God Could Hear Me after the jump

Next week join Latin music legend Johnny Colon as he revisits his boogaloo, salsa and Latin soul roots with his orchestra over two sets of classics at Le Poisson Rouge! Time for your tush to put in some work! To boot, the concert will benefit the East Harlem Music School Fund – score!

Enter our contest to win a pair of tickets to the show.

Event Details
Johnny Colon & His Orchestra Live
w/ Spanglish Fly, DJ Turmix

Wednesday, April 25th

Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker Street
New York City, NY

Doors: 7 PM
18+ w/ ID

Tickets: $20 (Advance)
Purchase tickets

Official Site

Just about a couple weeks ago, we highlighted a phenomenal UK vocalist who will soon be releasing her debut album in the US. And it appears as though yesterday Rebecca Ferguson leaked a new track along with a video, too!

Called “Backtrack,” the pop-friendly song is about a lover who lies and lies only to cycle back and try to cover it up and “backtrack” on what was said. And Rebecca ain’t having it. Click on the image above to view the video on Glamour.com, where it was exclusively released. On the same page, you’ll also find an interview with the quickly blossoming star!

A few very lucky folks will have the chance to see Rebecca live at one of two private industry shows! The Los Angeles show will be on Tuesday, April 24 and the New York City show will be on Tuesday, May 1.

Enter our contest to win tickets to the LA & NYC shows!

Facebook | Twitter | Official Site