The Sounds @ Marquee Theatre

It never hurts to have sex appeal on your side, and The Sounds have the act down pat. The band’s new wave energy is sassy and sexy. It also helps to have Maja Ivarsson, the “Hottest Woman of Rock,” according to Blender magazine, around. (You can thank Sweden’s liberated ideas of sexuality for that one.) They shimmied their way into the hearts of the mainstream a full decade after their inception with “Hurt You,” featured in a Geico commercial starring the Geico cavemen. But it can be difficult to see a flop coming, and like the sitcom spinoff featuring those unlikable Neanderthals, the band’s 2011 record, Something to Die For, was something of a critical letdown, scoring just 54 out of 100 on the aggregated review site Metacritic. Still, they have acclaim on their side from the past and from their fans. “Our shows are energy, just pure energy! We have the best fans, and it really triggers us when we see our crowd go nuts. That makes us play better. They make us play better,” guitarist Félix Rodríguez writes on the band’s official website. With that kind of fan appreciation and a solid past, we’re willing to kiss and make up.