The Moonbabies just finished a new video for "Sun AM". Look for it soon.

Moonbabies have been confirmed as the openers for the upcoming Eskobar tour. Those dates again:

04/15 - Nalen, Stockholm
04/16 - Storan, Göteborg
04/17 - Folkets Hus, Nybro
04/21 - Kino, Karlskrona
04/23 - KB, Malmö
04/24 - The Tivoli, Helsingborg
04/28 - Katalin, Uppsala
05/01 - Dinos, Sandviken

Aversion reviews the Moonbabies: http://www.aversion.com/bands/reviews.cfm?f_id=1511

The Legends, Niccokick, Deportees, Strip Music and Moonbabies are the first bookings confirmed for the Pop Dakar Festival in Stockholm on May 22.

Some last-minute tour additions for the Moonbabies before they hit the road:

03/08 - Prime Club, Köln (GER) w/Fountains of Wayne
03/11 - Erdbeermund, Karlsruhe (GER) w/KVLR

Full dates and new reviews on their website: http://www.moonbabies.nu/

Moonbabies have been confirmed for Arvika Festival.

New Swedish dates for the Moonbabies:

03/25 - Umeå Open, Umeå
05/22 - Pop Dakar, Stockholm
05/29 - Springbreak, Kalmar

New artists added to the Umeå Open lineup: Turbonegro, Metric, Chords, Dismember, Tiger Lou, Moonbabies, Monkeystrikes, Swing-A-Ling Movement, DJ Topaz, Sagor & Swing, Indiffernet, Ninja Massacre, Tidy-Ups, Tor Lundmark & Songes and Sofia Gustafsson.

Another great review of the Moonbabies: http://onetimesone.com/sound/reviews/m/moonbabies-orange.php

The Moonbabies have posted some pics from their record release party at Loppen in Copenhagen last week: http://www.moonbabies.nu/gallery/gallery.htm

It's official: Moonbabies are now booked by Motor in Sweden. That means a lot more big shows are soon to come. But before that, they'll be doing a record release show in Denmark on February 13 at Loppen in Copenhagen where they'll be premiering a few songs for the first time ever.

Also new here at the trap is an interview I did with Ola Frick of the Moonbabies. Check it out!

Interview: Ola Frick/Moonbabies

Drum roll please! Here it is at last, the It's a trap! top 10 records of 2003...

10. Junior Senior - D-d-don't Stop the Beat (Crunchy Frog/Atlantic)
This record is 100% mindless entertainment and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially when it's done so well. For some reason, the geniuses behind the American version decided to tack on two bonus tracks and totally kill the way the album ends. I don't get it - it ruins the purpose of the fade out that runs back into the first song. Ridiculous.

09. Opeth - Damnation (Koch)
I've always been a big fan of Opeth's softer moments, so I eagerly anticipated the release of this record and was not let down at all. Besides being one of the better live shows I saw this year, this proves that the band can transcend the boundries of the metal genre into realms of prog and melodicism far beyond their peers. The fact that a number of my non-metal friends also consider this one of 2003's best proves it.

08. Kaizers Orchestra - Evig Pint (Broiler Farm)
Take the music of Tom Waits, add a dash of Sixteen Horsepower, throw in a heathy dose of Nordic/Eastern European folk, add some pump organ and metal percussion and you're just about there. The Kaizers manage to strike a great balance of huge pop hooks with a subtle dark and dangerous edge. Don't let the fact they sing in their native Norweigan tongue scare you off because you'd be missing out. I don't need to know what they're saying to know they're good.

07. The Knife - Deep Cuts (Rabid Records)
This is not your usual electropop. The brother/sister duo of Karin and Olof Dreijer use the same elements of others in the genre, but in the process they manage to craft something far more interesting and multifaceted. It may sound like simple dance music at first, but there is far, far more at work here. Karin's unique vocals may put you off at first, but trust me - they are just another part of what makes The Knife great. Give it time.

06. Isolation Years - It's Golden (MNW)
It took me all year to finally understand the qualities that make this record great. I decided to put this on during a drive through the pine forest while on vacation and suddenly it all made sense when combined with the scenery. Isolation Years is a great example of what I love about the Scandinavian scene, especially the bands from around Umeå. Their sound is so distinctive, yet I can't quite put my finger on it. I just know it when I hear it in their lyrics and melodies. So evocative.

05. José González - Veneer (Imperial Records)
This record was surrounded by so much hype I was ready to pan it just because of my contrary nature. But you know what? Sometimes there's tons of hype for a reason. Maybe not quite the second coming of Nick Drake like you may have been led to believe, but still damn good.

04. Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard (Chalksounds/Hidden Agenda)
I've said it before and I'll say it again - this is the pop record of the year. It's almost too flawless, it's so meticulously put together. If it doesn't grab you immediately, I'd check your pulse.

03. Beyond Dawn - Frysh (Peaceville)
Probably the only record this year from a band who followed up a previously great release (the amazingly titled "Electric Sulking Machine") with something even better, other than Logh (see #1). Beyond Dawn never ceases to amaze me as they grow and innovate. You can still hear traces of their doom metal past in their refined, modern sound, but they have moved into a realm beyond genres. Listen to their cover of Autopsy's "Severed Survival" and maybe you'll understand. It really is a crime how underappreciated this band is.

02. Carpet People - More Bad Weather Coming Out of the Rain (Chalksounds)
The perfect companion soundtrack for a long northern winter. The utterly fearless way they let the songs expose themselves by stripping down the instrumentation is stunning. So sparse, somber, striking and dark, but yet so starkly beautiful at the same time.

01. Logh - The Raging Sun (Bad Taste Records)
I can barely think of where to begin here, this album is just too good. Logh never ceases to amaze me with everything they do. Every release of theirs in another gem in their crown and I'm thoroughly convinced at this point that they can do no wrong. Another band who epitomizes what I love about Scandinavian music and whose sound conjures up images of cold Swedish landscapes.

Top ten: 2003