Chris DeLine

Rising out of a Swedish scene that was rife with such garage-rock revivalists as the Hives, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, and Mando Diao, the Sounds were driven by a radically different sound in 2002 with their debut album, Living in America. To the casual music fan, the band might be most recognizable from their song “Hurt You,” which was featured in one of the Geico Caveman commercials last year. That song comes from the 2006 breakout Dying to Say This to You, which found the Sounds stepping up their polished, electronic-infused glamour-punk as they began to expand their music to a global audience. Having played more than 500 shows around the world since the album’s release, the relentless performers returned this past summer with Crossing the Rubicon, the Sounds’ third album, which peaked at #64 on the Billboard 200. Now directly in the middle of an insanely rigorous 75-date fall tour, the Sounds will be joined by Cincinnati’s Foxy Shazam as the band returns to Minneapolis for the second time this year. With Semi Precious Weapons. 18+.

[This critics’ pick was originally published by City Pages.]