Stockholm, Sweden's chill Urban Cone

Available at iTunes Sweden. For now, YouTube, baby.

Obviously, I missed out huge on the release of "Urban Photograph" (mp3) this time of last year. In two short days, Urban Cone's new single, "Freak" from their upcoming EP, has become my entire heavy rotation playlist. They recently played a show with LA darlings, Foster The People, which I'm 100% positive worked to both their benefit. Equally.

I can only up the hype on these Scandinavian newcomers. They're smart, melodic, and commercially-marketable. With a strong dancefloor beat, the layers of rolling tom, intermittent crash cymbal, funky guitar passages, and soaring synthesizer hooks are delightful. The vocals- the vocals!- are acute in a good way, but I use that adjective as a descriptor for the fivesome as a whole. They're sharp and intense now.

Fingers crossed, they'll be sharp and intense later, after the warm reception of this initial release, when they begin working on full-length material. A moment's skepticism, mostly because I'm all for the slower development of young artists, but I have faith that this band will prove me wrong.

(I even like'd them on Facebook yesterday. For those who know me, such an action is not to be taken lightly. Not at all, haha.)

Urban Cone is Rasmus Flyckt, Magnus Folkö, Tim Formgren, Emil Gustafsson and Jacob William Sjöberg. Universal Music Sweden.