Swedish hip-hop artist Timbuktu will be doing a stint of shows in Ethopia in late April and bringing backing band Damn! as well as Mapei, Chords and Zoro along for the ride. Exact dates soon.

Adore Music has announced the signing of Killerchaps and will be releasing their debut album in the near future. Samples here: https://www.myspace.com/killerchaps

The Concretes have a new website: https://www.theconcretes.com/
Go there to check out the band's new video for the single "Kids".

Swedish rock'n'roll label Bootleg Booze will be releasing a split 7" featuring The Ruling Class, the band that formed out of the ashes of Puffball, along with UK-based act Black Radio. 500 copies, 100 in a special chrome-rim sleeve. Look for it on May 20.

In other Bootleg Booze news, the label is also putting together a new LP comp with the theme "Up north/Downunder" featuring 5 bands from Sweden and 5 from Australia. Acts confirmed so far include The Deadbeats (SWE), The Doits (SWE), The Sewergrooves (SWE), Sure-Fire Midnights (AU), and The Devilrock Four (AU). No release date yet, but I'll keep you posted.

The Confusions will release the new semi-live album "It sure looks like The Confusions but it sounds more acoustic" on April 25 and will celebrate with a special acoustic ('natch) show at Pipeline in their hometown of Sundsvall, Sweden. The album, as the title suggests, includes live records of 10 old songs plus one new one (and a few choice studio overdubs, thus my "semi-live" label). The band is also working on a new studio record for release later this year and is also working on releases outside of Scandinavia.

The new Montt Mardié album "Clocks/Windmills" will be released on April 18 via Hybris. Look for the first single "The windmill turns all the same" to hit radio in a week or so. A video will be filmed next Saturday. In other news, Montt Mardié will be bringing his band plus a 10-piece horn section and string quartet to do a special show at Södra Teatern in Stockholm on May 9. The whole thing will be filmed for an eventual DVD release.

Maia Hirasawa managed to sneak into this week's It's A Trap! Last.fm listening group top 10 track chart amidst all the various international indie flavors-of-the-moment:

01. The Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running
02. The Arcade Fire - Black Mirror
03. The Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
04. The Arcade Fire - Intervention
05. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
06. The Arcade Fire - My Body Is A Cage
07. The Arcade Fire - The Well and the Lighthouse
08. Modest Mouse - Dashboard
09. LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous
10. Maia Hirasawa - Gothenburg

Do you listen to music on your computer or with an iPod? Join us and share your tastes! Go here to learn more: https://www.last.fm/help/

The Faintest Ideas have a new super-limited 6-track 7" EP oun Happy Happy Birthday to Me. 200 copies only, so act fast if you want one. Look for a new split 7" with Boyracer on HHBTM in the near future as well as another 7" on Music is My Girlfriend.

The Guardian talks to Robyn, catching up with her as she gets ready to conquer the UK: https://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2039602,00.html

Pitchfork loves Swedish electronica act The Field: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/41792-from-here-we-go-sublime
Stylus agrees: https://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-field/from-here-we-go-sublime.htm

Help wanted! It's A Trap! needs more correspondents! I can use more people to write in with their own Bear Quartet posts and I could also use more reviewers. However, I'm especially interested in anyone who is able to contribute interviews or write a regular column. Compensation is negotiable, but is very definitely an option. Talk to me and we'll work it out.

The new Logh 7"s just showed up so all you folks who made preorders will be getting your copies shortly. Everyone else - place your order today to get it in on the current cheap price! I'll be raising it a bit tomorrow.

The Final Exit complete discography retrospective collection "Det engentliga Västerbotten - Komplett diskografi 94-97" will be released on April 2, just a few days after they play a reunion gig at Umeå Open. David Sandström's label Mofab Teg will handle the CD and Wasted Sounds will do the vinyl.

Finnish act Brightboy has confirmed that their new album will be called "Brightboy in the shadow of trance formers" and will be out sometime this fall. Listen to older tracks at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/brightboyspace