The Boss Martians

What do you call a pretty good surf band that suddenly drops the hodad act and discovers a gift for raw, catchy rock 'n' roll tunes? The Boss Martians, that's who. Like any good power-pop band, the Seattle group is in touch with its record collections: Elvis Costello, the Who, the Cars, and Cheap Trick are among the stones touched by airtight albums like Making the Rounds (2002), The Set-Up (2004), and the new Pressure in the S.O.D.O. But like any great power-pop band, the Boss Martians understand that finding the right source material is only half the job; the secret ingredients to great rock 'n' roll are personality and passion. If Iggy Pop deigns to do a guest spot on your record (as on S.O.D.O.'s "Mars Is for Martians," which he also co-wrote), you're probably getting it right.