The Pink Logs are at it again and this time they are having fun in the streets of Beverly Hills...literally. They managed to catch up with Ed & Robin from The Small Hours and the scene quickly turned into a Western. Luckily no one was hurt or ticketed for jaywalking. To see other Pink Log adventures press this.

Steve Theo

Steve Theo - First Contact/WFNX Boston, MA

How did you get your start in the business?

Started DJ'ing at my college radio station, WBTY-Bentley College Radio. Then interned and/or worked at Planetary, Sony, Columbia, and now co-founder of Pirate!

Describe WFNX for someone tuning in for the first time.

We are part of the Boston Phoenix (our weekly arts paper) and therefore not controlled by some radio conglomerate. That means we can take chances on indie bands, we don't have to wait for some national directives, and we can please the listeners easier that way. We focus on indie/alternative/modern rock with a good mix of current stuff and old school but not played out alternative hits.

Tell us about the specialty shows on WFNX.

We have First Contact (the indie/new music show), New England Product (the local show), One In Ten (the gay/lesbian talk show) and the Jazz Brunch which all have run on the station on Sundays for years!

How do you put together your playlist for First Contact?

I go up every weekend with a clean slate, check out anything brand new first and add anything that's great to the stack, and then fill in from stuff I didn't get to before and or stuff I spun before but want to spin again. The show is only an hour and the stuff comes in at a 20-30 CD/week clip so getting to everything is impossible, but I normally squeeze in 12-15 songs/week.

How responsive is your market to new music? Any success stories breaking any bands?

Being one of the biggest college towns certainly helps, we have 100s of thousands of students come to town every fall hungry for what's new. So I think that really helps us stay fresh and keep people interested. Not to mention our partnership with the Phoenix and the big events we put on together. We had great bands like The Silversun Pickups whom we championed on the show a couple years ago, then went to regular rotation real early for us, then played our yearly "Best Music Poll" and is now huge nationally. WFNX was the first station in America to play The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Keane, The Bravery and Snow Patrol, to name a few.

What do you feel is the next big music trend?

If I knew I wouldn't be talking to you right now! Really though I'm hoping that the big Ska comeback is near! HA! I mean hhA!

The best part of your job is...

Getting sent every new CD that comes out and being able to discover new bands that I otherwise never would have heard of. Also, working at a station that allows their specialty hosts to control their shows and doesn't have the normal radio corporate atmosphere.

Random Question Time

First song you ever played on air: Wow. Ever? At college probably something terrible like Powerman 5000 or maybe something cool like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

Band you thought would be huge but hasn't yet: Be Your Own Pet

Last thing you paid for: Beer.

Boston cream pie or Boston Marathon: Pie.

Bill Belichick & Spygate, true or false: In Bill We Trust!

It's spring time and that means the weather is changing, March Madness is in full swing and most importantly, new music is here! You can expect new music on your desk from Stealing Love Jones and Farryl Purkiss. If you haven't received your copies, email joe@hushhushattack.com and we'll take care of you. (subject to availability)

STEALING LOVE JONES - SELF TITLED (Sheer Music)

"Combine the power of the Foo Fighters with the pop sensibility of Britney Spears"- South African Press

Suggested track "Kicks" on TUKS Fm & Radio PUK in South Africa went to No.1

Video for "Kicks" also made the highest rotation on MK89 in SA

Played SXSW 2008 and currently on tour with KONGOS

Website: www.myspace.com/lovejonesband

FARRYL PURKISS - MOMENTS EP (Sheer Music)

Suggested track "Ducking And Diving"

Toured with Missy Higgins, Ben Lee and Bob Evans

Recommended if your listeners enjoy Jack Johnson & John Mayer

Farryl Purkiss is confirmed to play MUSEXPO 2008 on April 27^th

Website: http://www.myspace.com/purkissmusic 

The B-52s - "Funplex (CSS Remix)" (Astralwerks)

Let's face it, most bands don't stand the test of time, but don't put The B-52s in the same category as "most bands." The B-52s have been together since 1976, years before many bands on the radio today were even born. If you attend any Spring Break event, 80s-themed party or listen to any party compilations there is no doubt that their smash "Love Shack" is included. Their other hits include "Roam," "Good Stuff" and the underground anthem "Rock Lobster." There's no doubt that you are familiar with their sound and their look and hell, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! That's exactly the vibe that The B-52s had when they started to record their new album, Funplex. The band began to tour heavily in 2000 and that is when they started writing the new album. Road blocks such as members living in different part of the US and the many different music trends in the last eight years didn't stop the band from moving forward, only made them more determined to release new music. The Funplex Remix EP, available soon on iTunes, includes remixes done by CSS, Peaches and Scisssor Sisters. Listen here for the CSS remix-just perfect to give your listeners a little rhythm, while playing a band that your audience is already familiar with. The new album is out now and the band is on the True Colors tour with Cyndi Lauper.

301 Useless Facts to keep you busy

Ida Maria - Oh My God (Nesna Records)

Other than the Antarctic, Nesna, Norway just may be the unlikeliest place on earth to breed a rock star. A tiny village--population 1,776, boasting a single gas station and pub--Nesna lies just south of the Arctic Circle,making the winter months one long, dark "tunnel" with little to no sunlight to relieve the monotony. However, this forbidding landscape has indeed produced a promising singer: Ida Maria, a 23-year-old whose music sounds like Bjork backed by Blondie, or Janis Joplin joining The Jam, or Billie Holiday sitting in with The Strokes. Live, she's a manic, crazed whirling dervish, slam-dancing around the stage, screaming at the top of her register and all but trashing her guitar against the speaker stack. Ida Maria was touted as the breakthrough artist at this year's Eurosonic and is already garnering support from international tastemakers such as BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, Xfm's John Kennedy, BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq and Indie 103.1FM Los Angeles' "Passport Approved." Ida Maria will play her first North American performance at MUSEXPO and rumors abound that a forthcoming American release is being pursued by Columbia Records President Rick Rubin. Check out the video for Oh My God here and for touring info and other songs, check the Ida Maria MySpace page.

BREEDERS BOW WITH A BANG: Though the group was formed in 1988 by the Pixies' Kim Deal and Throwing Muses' Tanya Donelly, the outfit known as the Breeders subsequently released only three albums over the ensuing years, with the last being 2002's Title TK. However, as 2008 kicks into gear, there's cause for celebration: April 8 will witness the release of the Breeders' fourth album, Mountain Battles (4AD/Beggars Group), which this week tops the Mediaguide Alternative Specialty Album indexÉan accomplishment equaled on the Song side with "Walk It Off." Kim Deal, twin sister Kelley Deal and the rhythm section of Jose Medeles and Mando Lopez will mark the occasion by kicking off a Euro jaunt on April 7, returning Stateside in time for the Coachella Festival on April 25 prior to embarking on a full-fledged American tour. Check all the details at their marvelously monikered new website, www.breedersdigest.net. In a rare sign of unanimity amongst the Specialty panel, the #2 and #3 slots on both charts are identical: the Black Keys' "Strange Times" (Nonesuch), which had held down the top spot for the last two weeks, drops to #2 on both indexes, just ahead of the Ting Tings' "Great DJ" (Columbia) at #3. Top debut on the Song side belongs to Atlantic's Death Cab for Cutie with "I Will Possess Your Heart," which garners enough spins to also chart at #8 on the Album end. The only other Top 10 debut on the Song side belongs to Vagrant's Dr. Manhattan with "Big Chomper, Big Chomper," which clocks in at #9. Finally, debuting at #5 on the Album end is the soundtrack album for the upcoming casino-based card-counting movie 21 (Columbia), with LCD Soundsystem's "Big Ideas" leading the way on the Song side at #4.

Gas prices in 1998

Now that we have cured most of our hangovers and we are able to clear out our eardrums, we are able to give you the rest of our thoughts on SXSW 2008.the good, the bad and the in between.

THE GOOD:
"eat. drink. fuck. rock. repeat." - Kyle Mortenson, A.I. Music
"Met some beautiful people & girls" - Clyde Erwin Barretto, Fanatic Promotion
"Hot, Drunk, Meat, Skinny Jeans" - PJ Bloom, Hunnypot Unlimited
"Devotchka, Billy Bragg, Lemonheads, BBQ, and Chili Con Queso!!!!!!" - Krystal Pistol, Epitaph

THE BAD:
"I think I caught something..." - Rick Adalsen, Adalsen Consulting
"I didn't like any bands." - Stix McGruff, Drum Teacher
"I f&*%* got arrested there" - Anonymous

THE IN BETWEEN:
"92 degrees in the shade" - Justin Gage, Aquarium Drunkard
"Cueing, Peyote, APTBS, DieDieDie, Spindrift" - David Benge, Speak n Spell
"Five words? I can't think..." - Carlo Cavagna, UK Trade & Investment