Jan 30
Music & Entertainment
After applying a little pressure, I was able to get Rasterboy and JooJoo from our forum to make it out to the One Step Beyond event I recently posted about.
cool kids

Cool Kids kicked off the night lovely, rockin’ their 90’s throwback uniforms in front of the growing crowd. Unfortunately, like most hip-hop acts, there was a lot more shouting than was hoped for especially since their recorded versions are a lot more laid back w/ smooth deliveries rather than thuggish outbursts. Still, they performed a solid set and had me jumping and they were only the opening act.

kis sister a-trak

Kid Sister, with a case of bronchitis, still pulled through and hyped the crowd up lovely. She graced the crowd with an extra song from her repertoire that she claims never makes it into her live performances. So, it seems as if she felt comfortable with an NYC crowd. Her set was fairly short, but built up to her hot track of the moment Pro Nails, when for the second verse guess who hops on stage?

kanye

Mother F#$%ing Kanye West. I was two people away from the stage and once he jumped on, the entire crowd pushed up a foot. I had my camera in his face almost the entire time and this is the best shot I was able to get. Unexpected, but definitely appreciated, his cameo made the museum explode on Friday. Kanye performed w/ Kid Sister for her last song before going into a mini 3-song set all from Graduation, his latest album. A-Trak finished the night w/ a stellar set of jams, many of which were remixed by himself. That could have been the end of my weekend right there and I would have been satisfied. Did I rub it in your face enough? I hope so; you should definitely join in next time.

Lastly, don’t forget to comment on the blog if you haven’t already done so. Tomorrow’s the last day to enter into the iTouch drawing.

Posted by scubaSteve on 01/30/08 at 3:16 pm.

Jan 28
Uncategorized

There’s much talk these days about the upcoming Superbowl. Even after 4 years of HS marching band and even more years of living in a town where Buckeyes are considered heroes, I am not going to pretend I know anything about football. I do know however, that this year’s game will be one of the most important games – shall I dare to say - ever? If the Giants win, they will have won every away game (which is a huge feat), and they will have prevented the Patriots from an undefeated season. If the Patriots win, then duh – they just had an undefeated season! Either way, it’s going to be interesting and I have to admit I’m pretty curious about the outcome.

One of the biggest reasons that I am so interested in this game is because of a scene in the movie I Am Legend. In the beginning of the movie, a screen crawl appears beneath Emma Thompson’s interview that states, “Giants lose to Patriots for second time this season 23 to 7”. Click here for the link.

According to Snopes, the chance of this happening on a regular basis is pretty damn slim. Giants and Patriots only play against each other once every four years, and the only way for it to happen TWICE in one season is if they both make it into the Superbowl – which of course is what is happening now. Will Patriots beat Giants for the second time? Will the score be 23 to 7? If so, does this mean Emma Thompson will cure cancer and we will all either die or become superhuman hairless gray monsters with dislocated jaw lines? Will Smith, please save us before the end!!

Posted by bubblevicious on 01/28/08 at 3:34 pm.

Jan 25
Uncategorized

When       Fri Jan 25 (9pm)
Where      American Museum of Natural History (W 79th St @ Central Park W)
Price        $20
Details      Event Info  
Note: Admission price includes a free ticket for a future museum visit. Tickets are available online, at Other Music, and at the door.

Irene Bradish of Flavorpill writes:
The only thing better than seeing A-Trak in a bumping club is partying with A-Trak in a big-ass museum. Tonight, Kanye’s DJ of choice tears up the turntables with his signature blend of crunk, punk, and funk, after shining the spotlight on his Fool’s Gold label signee (and significant other) Kid Sister. The manicured new priestess of hip-pop drops lyrics live, while her Windy City neighbors the Cool Kids check retro street beats and bass-fat tunes to pop and lock to.

WHAAAAAT?!?!?  All I want to know is,… who’s coming with me?  C’mon, people, someone step up and join me.  Seriously, I need at least one partner in crime to join me if I’m gonna go to this.  And I REALLY want to go to this. I’ll give you four reasons:

Reason #1:  As Kanye West’s DJ, A-Trak is probably the DJ who has the most visual presence in the pop landscape.  On top of that, he’s also one of the best turntablists out there period.

A-Trak beat juggling in a club in China

Reason #2:  Kid Sister has got this electro-hip-hop ish down and her energy is remeniscent of Salt-n-Pepa; perfect for a live show. 

Kid Sister - Pro Nails

Reason #3: Cool Kids are bringing people waaaaaay back with their spare beats and MF Doom-like (KMD days) delivery.  Weren’t you wondering when the old school (and I mean oooooooold school) sound was gonna come back around?

Cool Kids – Black Mags

Reason #4: You’ll be partying in the Museum of Natural History!

Posted by scubaSteve on 01/25/08 at 12:45 pm.

Jan 22
Music & Entertainment
Click play to listen or eject for download.
The Prodigy vs. The Killers – Smack my Killer Bitch (Kid Kaos Mix)
Mashup” title=
I have enough time to put up a quick post. I’m not quite a fan of the mashup, but I just heard this one today and thought it deserved a nod. Mostly, I like Prodigy’s part in this song (remember the controversial music video that couldn’t get air play during sunlight hours? See below). While I do like the Killers, I always switched to a different station every time Somebody Told Me came onto the radio. And I never really understood the whole “…you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend…” part.Anyways, this mashup put together by Drum&Bass DJ/producer Kid Kaos is pretty crafty and I gotta say he molded the two together very nicely. By the way, the Black Book contest as well as my own mixtape contest (details here) are still in effect. Let’s see those comments people!!!
Posted by scubaSteve on 01/22/08 at 4:27 pm.

Jan 18
Uncategorized

Happy Hour

Thursday, January 24th 2008.

We understand that after a painful week of dealing with bosses, clients, a-holes and such, all you really want is to relax and kick back with a couple of friends over finger food and cheap drinks. We’re putting together a happy hour to fulfill this need and hope you’ll be able to join us.

iPod Giveaway
To thank everyone for their ongoing support of BlackBook, we’re giving away 2 iPod Touches, as well as 2 complimentary bottles for our next event. Read instructions below on how to enter.

Entry Method 1
Bring your business card to the event (write your personal email if you prefer) as a submission. 2 Winners will be announced and given vouchers to collect their prize at our next event on February 2nd.

Entry Method 2
Register an account at the BlackBook Blog and leave a comment to enter the raffle. 2 Winners will be announced on the blog on February 1st. Deadline is January 31st 2008, 12PM EST.


Event Details
Thursday, January 24th 2008
Drinks starts flowing at 6:30PMat Gypsy Tea
33 W 24th St (btwn 5th & 6th Ave)
View WebsitescubaSteve on set, weaving delicious beats - rock, pop, hiphop and everything in between.

Drink Specials!
$5 Domestic Beer / $6 Imports & House Wine / $9 Patron & Johnny Shots. ALL NIGHT LONG!
6:30-9PM: Buy 1 Get 1 Cocktails (Well Drinks)
9PM-12AM: Buy 1 Get 1 Shots (Excluding Top Shelf)
Don’t forget to contact us for table specials!
Email us at info@whatisblackbook.com for more info.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Posted by rasterboy on 01/18/08 at 2:52 pm.

Jan 17
Music & Entertainment
samsparro2.JPG
Click play to listen or eject for download.
Sam Sparro – Black & Gold
So, we’re back from our writer’s strike. Black Book has decided to cave into our demands and all the contributing writers are getting one of each of the awesome products below (thanks bubblevicious).Unless you’ve been hibernating these past couple years, you should know that Electro-Anything has been working its way into the mainstream (props to Kanyeezie for dropping the Daft Punk sampled electro-hip-hop Stronger on us).Sam Sparro is an artist that’s taking part in this emerging trend of melding established sounds with electro beats. The L.A. Times has compared this Australian uber-hipster (check the gold reflecting luchador outfit) to the likes of Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye.Wow, VERY bold comparisons to make in my book, but I have to say I’m liking his material very much and look forward to picking up a full length when it becomes available (no dates yet). Check the left sidebar to get the one song I was able to find for you guys, but his official website has more Electro-Soul goodness for you. Also, one little extra below, Sparro’s Cottonmouth video.

In conjunction with the free iTouch/bottle giveaway Black Book is having, first person to correctly get the artist and song name that Cottonmouth samples (the piano part), I will send you a special scubaSteve mixtape to your mailbox. Ooooh~ I know you’re salivating already. Hint: It’s from another soul singer.

Posted by scubaSteve on 01/17/08 at 6:10 pm.

Jan 16
Gadgets & Technology

ninja

Ninja Sword Ear Cleaner.

I know. When I first saw it, I thought the same thing you are thinking now - I must have this sword. How cool is this? It’s a Ninja Sword, but it kicks the shit out of your ear wax. Genius.

radiator

Natural Wave Ceramic Radiator Plate.

One of the first things I notice about most NYC apartments is that annoying, screechy radiator. It’s loud, way too hot, and makes the air incredibly dry. But I don’t think I’d mind it as much if I had one of these things on top of it. In fact, if I had one of these things I’d probably live in an apartment that had a radiator just to use it! But alas, this is only a concept design and not (yet) for sale.

Yoda Backpack.
The Force is strong in those who have the guts to carry around this Yoda backpack in public. But I’ll bet my lightsaber that you secretly want to buy it!

thumbthing

Thumb Thing.

Yes, it’s really called the “Thumb Thing”, and its brilliant. I don’t know about you, but I never knew I needed this to survive until this very moment. It makes a cute little gift for bookworms.

Instant Irish Accent.

When I first saw this, I was sure it was some kind of a joke. But it seems to be a real breath spray that gives you an instant Irish Accent. Curiosity got the best of me, and now I’m going to have an accent in 3-5 business days.

Posted by bubblevicious on 01/16/08 at 9:21 pm.