IT'S A BOY!: We are very pleased to announce that hushhush ATTACK! has given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Weighing in at 2,880 ounces and measuring approximately 70 inches in length, its safe to say that the mother was split in two and was not available for comment. However, the father had this to say, "Dat der boy dun good music fer a long time and by golly he gun gedderdun at der old hushytack cump'ny!"

In all seriousness though folks, we are very happy to welcome on board the aforementioned "baby" Mr. Joe Arnold to the hushhush ATTACK! team. Joe comes from the wonderful world of radio and got his start at WJET Erie, PA as an office intern and shortly thereafter managed to fall upwards to the helm of Assistant Program Director and On-Air personality. Next up was his work with SFX and Clear Channel Radio. Joe has also worked at the radio industry trade publication Network Magazine Group (home of VIRTUALLYALTERNATIVE amongst others) tipping radio DJs, radio programmers, artist managers and anyone else who would listen to great new music. Joe also had a stint at WKST Pittsburgh before being abducted by yours truly at hushhush ATTACK!.

Do yourself a favor and drop Joe and email at joe@hushhushattack.com and welcome him to the team. Needless to say, our good friends at radio will be hearing from him very shortly so be prepared to feel the wrath of Mighty Joe Arnold!

Scatterblog was started 18 months ago by Melbourne DJ/remixer Scattermish with the goal of publicizing the music that excited him. "Considering I'm a DJ, I've always had a kinda DJ focus running to the music stuff," he reveals. "So they're usually upbeat electronic club tracks, fun things and dance-y things, but I don't constrict myself to this formula." Listing his current faves as Crookers, Spank Rock and M.I.A., some of the acts Scattermish has supported early on include the aforementioned Crookers, Buraka Son Sistema, Bonde Do Role, and Thunderheist. "I listen to pretty much all that is sent my way. A lot of it really doesn't suit my blog, though, so I don't end up posting it. Therefore, I end up sourcing most of the stuff myself--MySpace, record/mp3 stores and other blogs are a big help with that. I'd like more emails with tracks, though." Among the blogs Scattermish currently prefers are Gutterbroadcast.blogspot.com, electriczoo.blogspot.com and maddecent.com/blog. Scatterblog recently added some new writers, fellow Melbourne DJs Paz and Tranterco. In addition, Scatterblog likes to cover the art world with the assistance of local street artist Buff Diss, who writes about his non-musical finds.

Colin Lester

Name: Colin Lester
Title: MD/owner
Company: Wildlife Entertainment
Hometown: London
Current Location: London
Previous Jobs: None

--STARTING TO DIG--

>>How did you get into the music biz?
My career started playing in a rock band at the end of the seventies called 'The Eyes'. We were signed to Jet Records which was owned by the legendry Don Arden, who was also our manager, publisher, agent and in charge of all income known and not known to bands! We made an album with ex Wizard genius Roy Wood who appeared to like a drink or 10! -some introduction!

>>What did you want to be when you were 10?
13

 >>...and what did your parents want you to be?
Happy and rich!

>>If you had a musical genie that could grant you 3 wishes for the industry, what would they be?
1. People would stop moaning about the demise of the industry and concentrate on finding and breaking new talent in more creative and affordable ways.
2. The return of proper artiste development.
3. An industry that can focus on the future without the fears and un-certainty that currently reduces moral and confidence in most labels.

>>Mentors you've had in the music industry:
My greatest mentor was my late great father Harry Balsam for teaching me the value of commerce and the simplicity of business deals - he wasn't in the music industry.

>>Top 5 fav bands of 'right now'
Foo Fighters
The Killers
Babyshambles
Radiohead
Led Zeppelin

>>Worst album of all time:
Jason Donavan's Greatest Hits (not that I've heard it, so that may just be a bit discriminative...)

>>If you won a Grammy, what three people would you thank?
I hate to sound conceited but it would be me, myself and I - that's what all ego maniac award winners want to say but are to full of shit to admit it so they end up thanking the whole fucking world!

>>Why does your job rock?
Don't tell my artistes but I got into this business for the love of music and probably would do it for nothing...(maybe not!)

>>Famous person you resemble?
Eddie Murphy

>>Your daily reads
NME on-line and various artiste myspace and websites

>>Parting words?
This is the most exciting transaction in the music industry since the 70's and it needs to be faced with a certain knowledge and pure common sense - if any business spends more than it makes, eventually it will go out of business...simple! So embrace the future with confidence and lets ensure that record companies and artiste work together to create a better business model never forgetting that ultimately it's the music that pays all of our wages! Lets also hope the digital age puts the power of sales into the hands of the consumer and that we become less reliant on the personal tastes and corporate restraints of the gate keepers i.e. radio and TV PD's to break artistes.

SIGUR ROS RISES: Unlike their namesake, who ruled over France for 72 years, it was a short reign for Louis XIV atop the Mediaguide Alternative Specialty Song chart, as "Guilt By Association," the title track from their forthcoming Pineapple/Atlantic album, slips from the top slot after just one week, dropping down to #5. Taking over the pole position is "Hljomalind," the unpronounceable new single from idiosyncratic Icelandic minstrels Sigur Ros, which rises to the top after just two weeks on the chart, helping full-length Hvarf/Heim (XL) ascend to the #2 slot on the Album index. After a four-week span atop the Album chart, Radiohead's self-released In Rainbows falls to #3; replacing the Brit lads atop the index is none other than Band of Horses (Sub Pop), who had topped the Album end for two weeks before the Radiohead onslaught with Cease to Begin and its ubiquitous leadoff single, "Is There a Ghost" (holding strong at #3 on the Song chart). Meanwhile, second single "No One's Gonna Love You" debuts at #9 this week...so don't look for Band of Horses to disappear off the charts anytime soon. Other big debuts this week include Hot Chip at #2 on the Song chart with "Shake a Fist," which helped propel forthcoming DFA/Astralwerks full-length Made in the Dark to a #5 Album showing. Also enjoying a big debut on the Song chart are veteran rabble-rousers Oasis with new single "Lord Don't Slow Me Down" (Big Brother), which makes a splash on the chart at #4. Meanwhile, everyone's favorite Swedish cutups, the Hives, not only put on a killer show at Avalon in Hollywood last week, but their upcoming Octone/A&M effort, the cheekily titled The Black And White Album, debuts at #5 on the Album index this week.