Sound bytes: From the godfather of goth to Kylie Minogue

The Damage

Tapping the Vein

I discovered Tapping The Vein by accident, when the Philadelphia band played a show with Baltimore's Click almost a year ago, and, captivated by lead singer Heather Thompson's voice, I waited for the band to come back to Baltimore - but was out of town both of the times Tapping The Vein came back. Drat. Well, things are looking up, since Tapping The Vein is coming back to Baltimore on April 13 and the new album, The Damage, will be released shortly thereafter, on April 16.

The Damage showcases Thompson's voice - it bring to mind Tori Amos, Bjork and Sneaker Pimps' Kelli Dayton - against the goth/industrial rock of her bandmates. It is hard to pigeonhole the music as goth/industrial, however, because the music has a solid rock sensibility and audible trip-hop influences. In addition to Thompson, Tapping the Vein is made up of Joe Rolland on bass, Mark Burket on guitar and Eric Fisher on drums and doing the sampling and programming. Thompson's powerful singing alternates between open and vulnerable and defensive and angry, from song to song and sometimes within the songs themselves. Some of the album's stand-out songs are "Butterfly," "Sugar Falls" and "The Damage."

Tapping The Vein will be at the Vault (Baltimore and Eutaw Streets, 410-244-6000) on April 13. The Damage will be available April 16 through Nuclear Blast/Revolution Entertainment. Visit http://www.tappingthevein.com for more information.

And All That Could Have Been

Nine Inch Nails

And All That Could Have Been is the closest fans will get to a Nine Inch Nails greatest hits album, only it happens to be live. Songs such as "Terrible Lie," "Sin," "Wish," "Head Like a Hole" and, of course, "Closer" represent Trent Reznor's early offerings while "The Day The World Went Away," "The Great Below" and "The Frail" are from 1999's The Fragile. NIN is almost at halo twenty - for those unfamiliar with the halo system, each halo corresponds to a CD - with only six actual albums (if you include Things Falling Apart and the live album), but plenty of singles and remixes to keep the fans rabid. But, although Reznor is known for his inability to leave a song alone, most of the tracks on And All That Could Have Been are not too different than their studio counterparts. For someone looking for a greatest hits albums, this is a pro; for a fan eager for new material, it's a con.

If you are looking for the ultimate souvenir of the live NIN experience, though, And All That Could Have Been is also available as a DVD or VHS documenting the Fragility V2.0 tour. When I caught it on MTV2, it was actually like being there, in my back-of-the-pavilion seat. On the one hand, it's an authentic representation of the typical attendee's impression of the tour. On the other hand, I wonder how many people will wish for more close-ups and better lighting?

If you are still hungry for more NIN, also available is Still, a companion CD with nine additional tracks, including new material.

For more information, visit http://www.nin.com.

National Lampoon's Van Wilder

Music From the Motion Picture

One good thing about teen movies, even the worst of them, is that they have fun soundtracks. With few exceptions, there are two varieties of the teen movie soundtrack - the horror soundtrack and the comedy soundtrack. The former features "angry music" - Korn, Marilyn Manson, Godsmack, Orgy. The latter tends to feature pop-punk and alterna-rock - Offspring, Blink-182, Green Day, Foo Fighters.

The soundtrack to National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a perfect example of the teen comedy soundtrack. It is a who's who of high-energy, radio-friendly music. Songs from The Living End, Jimmy Eat World, Sum 41 and American Hi-Fi appear alongside music from Sugarcult and Fuzz Townshend. As is necessary, there need to be a few catchy "serious" songs - something for the "big realization" or "just got dumped' part of the movie. On this soundtrack, those songs are Swirl 360's "Okay" and Abandoned Pools' "Start Over."

Sia's "Little Man" is an interesting addition to the soundtrack - a hip-hop/R&B track that makes one nostalgic for Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Another pleasant surprise is "Things Are Getting Better," a groovy/funky track from N.E.R.D., a Neptunes project.

Visit http://www.ultimatummusic.com for more information.

Fever

Kylie Minogue

So, I'm watching MTV2 one day, and all of a sudden, I see this supermodel-looking chick, wearing next-to-nothing, singing a catchy dance song. Nothing new, right? Right. So, I glance at the singer's name when the video ends, but I forget it. But damn, the song is catchy. So I keep tuning in to MTV2 because I want to find out who this singer is, and find out that her name's Kylie Minogue and the song is called, appropriately, "Can't Get You Out of My Head."

Now, apparently, this Minogue woman has been a huge hit in Europe for years, plus way back when she was an Australian soap star. I feel, and rightly so, like the stereotypical stupid ignorant American who's completely unaware of anything going on in music outside of the United States. Then I happen to get a review copy of Fever, the album that's supposed to make Minogue a crossover success. I listen to it and find out it's dance music. I feel better about not knowing who Minogue is, because who can keep track of European dance music, really?

After listening to the album, though, I can see how Minogue stands out from the dance music scene and why she is set for an American cross-over. The songs are more interesting than the typical club fare, with enough variety to keep the album from becoming mind-numbing and repetitive, and with tinges of early Madonna. Plus, as far as crossovers go, being beautiful can't hurt. If you want to catch her in action, Minogue will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 16.

For more information, visit http://www.kylie.com.