Photos (c) Patrick McMullan It doesn't get any better than this. On Wednesday night, 300 hundred lucky souls including me, Benicio Del Toro, Julian Schnabel, Kirsten Dunst, Mary Kate Olsen, Tom Brady, and Ivana Trump LOL! and some other famous people I didn't recognize were crammed into The Florida...

The 51st Annual Grammy Award nominations have just been announced. Yes, Lil Wayne and Coldplay garnered the most this year, but we at Giant Step would like to acknowledge some of the talent we've stood by over the last several months. Here is an abridged list of nominees, ranging from M.I.A. to Sara Bareilles, Jazmine Sullivan and Duffy and others – all of whom are worthy of the spotlight and recognition that accompanies a Grammy Award in 2008. The venerable Poptracks site has done...

If 2008 goes down in history for the current economic crisis, 2009 will be the upturn the world so desperately needs, and we're kicking the year off right with a double celebration on January 18th at Cielo: an homage to Martin Luther King Jr. and a pre-inaugural bash for the first ever African American president. The man who coined the phrase “rare groove,” London's Norman Jay MBE with his Good Times sound system, takes to the decks alongside New York's very own Nickodemus of...

Come celebrate the winter season with friends and family at Giant Step's annual holiday party this December 15th. Special guest Alex Barck of the Berlin-based production crew Jazzanova will DJ the night, providing an exclusive 4 hour set at Hudson. While you're busy boogieing down to the groove, please don't forget to join in the holiday cheer and donate a gift to the Toys For Tots Foundation. Toys can be dropped off at specified locations across the nation, and donations can be...

True philanthropists and talented musicians, Heroes Of The Dancefloor release Torch , the second in a series of albums, whose proceeds, including publishing mechanicals and royalties, benefit homeless charities. Torch proceeds will go directly to two New York charities: Picture the Homeless and Coalition for the Homeless . Heroes of the Dancefloor's Torch is a fusion of...

In the home stretch of his second and final term, current President George W. Bush has issued 14 pardons, one of which is for the former Fugee rapper John Forte. Arrested at the Newark International Airport for accepting $1.4 million in liquid cocaine, Forte began serving a 14-year sentence in 2001 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute. It was his first offense and a non-violent crime. Many of Bush's remaining pardons are thought to be cover-up...

Photo of Alice Russell This week is all about revelations. Firstly, TK Wonder is the greatest rapper alive. She rocked the When Boy Meets Girl IV show at Southpaw which featured acts like Sarah White who pumped out sweet, punky soul that is a pain to classify but easy to shimmy to. With her psychedelic leggings and a feather in her hair, TK looked like Gem playing a game of Cowboys and Indians. But...

Currently featured on the latest Zune commercial, Grammy Award-winning artist Common returns with more of his own cutting-edge hip hop on his 8th album Universal Mind Control . The Zune promotion showcases the "mixview" function, which creates a collage of related artist imagery. So for example in the case of Common, Afrika Bambaataa is one of the mixview options because his music inspired the electronic breakbeats of his single, "Universal Mind Control (UMC)." When Common's...

So, I have this crush. He's this mannish, dude-ly, male person. He builds things. He smokes things. He skies down things. It's awesome. He's also wicked different from me. When he tells me about his time on a ranch in Wyoming, all I can think is, "what the fuck is Wyoming?" When he invites me over for Scrabble I desperately hope it's a euphemism for something involving latex and candle wax. Sadly, the earnest, good-guy gleam in his eye tells me it's not. But in the interest...

DJ Melodic aka "Paco", beloved Soular Grooves DJ, and close member of the Giant Step family, is currently in critical condition at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston after suffering cardiac arrest this weekend. His close friends and family organized a raffle and musical benefit to help cover the medical expenses during this difficult time. His condition is improving every day, but the family needs your support to give Paco a full recovery. Here's how you can help: * Please...