The Vines

The Vines

History has proved that being tagged Australia's Nirvana didn't do the Vines any favors when America discovered the band in 2002, although they did eventually hook up with Foo Fighters producer Rob Schnapf. Following the band's early success on modern-rock charts, however, things got weirder and worse when frontman Craig Nicholls was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a developmental disorder. Now that Nicholls maintains his health better, expect a renewed round of hype accompanying an upcoming album of new material. Meanwhile, there's plenty to recommend this collection, even if "Best of" strikes most as premature. "Highly Evolved," from the disc of the same name, sounds like the Arctic Monkeys before they evolved; "Outtathaway" offers a White Stripes-type template without the self-regard; "Factory" adds reggae bounce and Beatles-esque harmonies to the cacophony of yowls that earned the Vines their original comparison to Kurt Cobain and company. (Friday, March 14, Pangaea, 12mid.)