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POLLS, WE GOT POLLS America's pop music critics are seriously at odds with the Recording Academy on the question of the best album of 2001, judging by the Village Voice critics poll that landed Bob Dylan's "Love and Theft" on the top of the heap. Dylan's set was an easy winner with 3,005 points in the polling system. "Is This It" by the Strokes was a distant second with 1,613 points. But apart from Dylan, none of the five nominees for the album of the year Grammy finished in the critics' poll top 10. The rest of the critics' top 10 are "Vespertine" (Björk); "White Blood Cells" (White Stripes); "Amnesiac" (Radiohead); "Gold" (Ryan Adams); "The Blueprint" (Jay-Z); "Party Music" (The Coup); "Essence" (Lucinda Williams); and "Poses" (Rufus Wainwright). The other four Grammy nominees for album of the year are "Acoustic Soul" (India.Arie); "Stankonia" (OutKast); "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (U2); "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (Soundtrack, various artists). Williams is a Grammy nominee for female pop vocal performance for "Essence" and for female rock vocal performance for "Get Right with God." Adams is up for rock album for "Gold" and male rock vocal performance for "New York, New York." "Vespertine" and "Amnesiac" are up for the Grammy for alternative music album of the year. "The Blueprint" is nominated for best rap album and Jay-Z is up for best rap solo performance for "Izzo (H.O.V.A)" and rap performance by a duo or group for "Change the Game," featuring Beanie Sigel & Memphis Bleek. "Love and Theft" is also up for best contemporary folk album and Dylan is up for best male rock vocal performance for "Honest with Me." JANE'S ADDICTION Members of Jane's Addiction about about to start work on their first album in more than 10 years. The band, fronted by Perry Farrell, reunited last year to headline the Coachella Festival, and then performed a string of dates across North America. Now, new bassist Martyn LeNoble tells Rolling Stone magazine the band wants to continue playing live although not "the same repertoire." "We love playing together, and we play great shows but if we're ever going to do that again we know that we need some new material. I don't think we want to stop playing, but we do want to stop playing the same repertoire," he said. The band's last studio album, "Ritual de lo Habitual," was released in 1990. OASIS'S NOEL GALLAGHER Noel Gallagher of Oasis says music now is the best it's been in years. "If I were a kid right now, I'd be so excited," he told NME.com. The Oasis guitarist said the albums he has heard in the last few months are better than "anything that's been out in the last six years." He cited Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's self-titled debut CD and the Strokes' "Is This It" as among his favorites. Gallagher said Oasis's upcoming new album is "not a massive departure. It's still Oasis; we're still a rock 'n' roll band. But I reckon if we were a new band and this was our first album, people would be pretty blown away." No title or release date for the new Oasis recording has been announced. NICK CARTER Backstreet Boys fans can hear where Nick Carter got his start on "Nick Carter: Before The 'Boys' 1989-1993." The CD -- due in stores March 26 -- features Carter's first professional recordings, made in the Orlando, Fla., studio of Carter's producer and vocal coach Mark Dye. The 14 tracks include two songs written especially for Carter by Dye. Carter was barely a teenager when he joined Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough in the Backstreet Boys. The group became a hit in Europe in 1995 and three years later in the United States. COURTNEY LOVE Singer-turned-actress Courtney Love reveals she has had second thought about her marriage to the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. In an interview with actress Carrie Fisher on her Oxygen cable TV show "Conversations From The Edge with Carrie Fisher," Love said that raising their now nine-year-old daughter, Francis Bean Cobain, she recognizes the intense scrutiny that children of rock stars must live under. "I wish that I hadn't married him (Kurt)," said Love, speaking about their daughter. "It is cool having the last name, but once I was sitting talking to Lisa Marie Presley and thought 'This is going to suck.'" Love also discusses rumors of a relationship with actor Russell Crowe. "There are two trillion women who want to sleep with him and I don't," she said. "I just want to have a hug." OLYMPIC CLOSING CEREMONIES TO ROCK Christina Aguilera, Bon Jovi, Charlotte Church, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Savion Glover, Earth, Wind & Fire, Moby, 'NSYNC and Dianne Reeves are on the bill for what organizers hope will be a mesmerizing closing ceremony Sunday at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The broadcast on NBC also will feature appearances by past Olympic medalists Kurt Browning, Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton, Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi. Kenny Ortega, who is serving as a producer, director and choreographer for the show, said the closing ceremony will feature an "ice and tap challenge" for Glover, the Broadway dancer, and Ilia Kulik, an Olympic gold medallist -- with musical accompaniment by Connick and his swing band. Plans also call for a fireworks spectacular to begin at Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium and spread throughout Salt Lake City. In addition to the all-star lineup, there's also a cast of 2,500 dancers, singers, acrobats and gymnasts, assisted by 1,250 volunteers, mostly from the Salt Lake City area. The ceremony -- which also includes the traditional extinguishing of the Olympic Flame and the lowering of the Olympic Flag -- will air live in 160 countries around the world. GRAMMY AWARDS The latest additions to the talent lineup for next Wednesday's 44th annual Grammy Awards has led CBS to extend its planned three-hour live broadcast by half-an-hour. Billboard.com reports among the newly planned performances is a reprise of the Grammy-nominated duet between Tony Bennett and Billy Joel on the latter's "New York State of Mind." The track -- from the "Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues" album -- is among those up for this year's best pop collaboration with vocals award. The gala at the Staples Center in Los Angeles will also feature R&B veteran Patti LaBelle joining Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim, Mya and Missy Elliott for a rendition of LaBelle's 1975 No. 1 hit "Lady Marmalade." The remake of the track from the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack topped The Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks last year and is also nominated for best pop collaboration with vocals. In addition, best new artist nominee India.Arie will perform with Brian McKnight, Al Green and gospel singer Hezekiah Walker during an inspirational segment. Earlier in the week, Bob Dylan, Outkast, Joshua Bell, and the "Lady Marmalade" ensemble were added to the performance schedule -- joining U2, Alan Jackson, Train, Alicia Keys, Alejandro Sanz with Destiny's Child, Dave Matthews Band, 'N Sync with Nelly, and a tribute to the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. Meanwhile, Trisha Yearwood and Don Henley have joined the ranks of presenters that also include Bonnie Raitt, Britney Spears, the Dixie Chicks, Gloria Estefan, Gwen Stefani, Janet Jackson, Ja Rule, Kid Rock, and Michael W. Smith. BRANDY Brandy and her husband, producer/songwriter Robert Smith, are expecting a child, her label, Atlantic Records, confirmed Thursday. The baby is expected in a few months, MTV News reports. The 23-year-old singer and actress wed Smith last summer but kept news of the marriage a secret until recently. Brandy's third album, "Full Moon," hits stores March 5. GOO GOO DOLLS The Goo Goo Dolls have a new CD coming out April 9. "Gutterflower" is the band's first album in more than four years. It was written by guitarist John Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac, and produced by the band and longtime collaborator Rob Cavallo. The first single off the new album will be "Here Is Gone." It's being released to radio the first week of March. Meanwhile, Rzeznik, Takac and drummer Mark Malinin will perform Friday night at the Olympic Medals Plaza as part of this year's Hallmark Olympic Celebration Series in Salt Lake City. (Web site: googoodolls.com) ELTON JOHN Elton John doesn't care much for today's generation of music-making entertainers. In an interview with the BBC, he compared acts such as 'N Sync and Britney Spears to packets of cereal -- all alike and bland. He accused today's record companies of caring more about "making a quick buck" than actually nurturing talent. Appearing on the network's "Newsnight" program, John says too many of today's acts are "average and mediocre ... I think it damages real people's chances, real talent, of getting airplay. It's just fodder." He even blasted most music videos and says he rues the day that he decided to turn his "Greatest Hits" album into a live-action format. ALICE COOPER Fourteen years ago, Alice Cooper and his wife, Sheryl, sat through a boring variety show at their daughter's school, Hopi Elementary in Phoenix. "I looked at the audience and saw parents looking at their watches and thinking, 'When can I get out of here?' It was just short of being dismal," Sheryl Cooper told the Arizona Republic. So she and her rock-star husband took over the show, elevating it to near professional theater. This week, the 35th annual elementary school show is expected to sell out once again -- with shows Thursday and Friday at Arcadia High School. "It's phenomenal," said Chris Sibbio, the show's producer for several years, whose first-grader is in the cast. "It's mini-Broadway. It's not a talent show, it's a full-blown production." The newspaper said the Coopers write and direct the show each year. This year's production, "Hopi Doodle Dandy," is a patriotic celebration of America, complete with songs, skits and a snow-making machine in the finale. Alice will make his annual appearance in the show, as will Sheryl, who dons a fat suit to become the character Large Marge. P. DIDDY Another artist is trying to leave P. Diddy's Bad Boy recording label. 112 -- the label's current best-sellers -- wants to move over to Def Jam.Def Soul, MTV News reports. In response, P.Diddy has filed a restraining order in Manhattan Supreme Court, leaving the quartet in limbo until a judge decides if they can lawfully leave. "I am shocked that someone who I considered a close friend for 15 years is attempting to steal one of my acts," Diddy said about Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen in a statement last week, adding that he felt "betrayed." No comment from Def Jam, 112 or their managers. A little more than a week ago, Diddy said he was leaving his distributor, Arista, and Arista announced it would be handling Faith Evans' recordings from now on. DESTINY'S CHILD On the same day Destiny's Child was taking home Grammy gold, the trio was being sued by two former members. E! Online reports LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, two of Destiny's original singers, filed a federal lawsuit in Houston Wednesday, claiming they were dissed in song by Beyonce Knowles and Co. Luckett and Roberson say a lyric in Destiny's Grammy-winning monster hit "Survivor" caused them irreparable harm. As a result, they're suing for defamation and breach of contract for failing to adhere to the settlement between the band and the singers when they left the group. The suit also names Destiny's label, Sony Music. Additionally, Luckett and Roberson want to keep "Survivor" from ever being played on the radio or performed in concert again. The bad blood between Roberson and Luckett and the other two original members of Destiny's Child, Knowles and Kelly Rowland, dates back to 1999, when the two began complaining about their perceived second-class treatment. They eventually sued the band and its manager, Matthew Knowles -- who happens to be Beyonce's father and Rowland's guardian -- and were kicked out of the group in 2000. That lawsuit was settled out of court, with the stipulation that neither side make "disparaging" public statements about the other. A lawyer for Destiny's Child calls the latest allegations "ridiculous." At the Grammys Wednesday,Destiny's Child won Best R&B Performance by a Duo/Group with Vocals for "Survivor." BRITNEY SPEARS Concerts West has announced that Britney Spears will add a second leg to her "Dream Within a Dream" tour, due to popular demand. The tour will kick off in Las Vegas on May 24 and make stops in 30 North American cities -- including Chicago, Vancouver, Houston, Boston, Portland and Los Angeles. It's scheduled to wrap up in Dallas on July 22. Before taking the show on the road again, Spears will travel to Italy, Germany and England in March to promote the release of her movie-starring debut in the teen comedy "Crossroads." 'UNITED WE SING' India.Arie, Hootie and the Blowfish's Darius Rucker, Mya, Master P and Rita Marley -- the widow of Bob Marley -- are among the artists lending their voices to "United We Sing," a benefit single to aid the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. The fund was started by the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America to help the children and spouses of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The recording session took place Thursday, RollingStone,com reports, and also included actresses Christina Applegate and Carmen Electra. The song was co-written by Nile Rodgers and is being produced by Full Force, who have worked with 'N Sync, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. CROSBY STILLS NASH AND YOUNG Flu has felled Neil Young, forcing Crosby Stills Nash and Young to postpone Friday's show at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash. The concert has been rescheduled for April 28. All tickets already issued will be honored for the new date. CSNY are currently about halfway through their 2002 nationwide "Tour of America." The almost three-month road trip follows up the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' hugely successful 2000 reunion tour, which marked their first live shows as a foursome in 25 years. (Web site: csny.com) DETROIT MUSIC AWARDS Eminem, Madonna, Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker, Marshall Crenshaw, The White Stripes and D-12 are among the nominees for the 2002 Detroit Music Awards, which will be presented April 19 at the State Theatre in downtown Detroit. The DMAs are an annual presentation of the Motor City Music Foundation (MCMF), a non-profit volunteer organization formed to nurture, promote and expose musicians and their work in the greater metropolitan Detroit area. Among this year's multiple nominees in 72 categories are The Brothers Groove, Buggs Beddow, Jan Krist, The Wrenfields, The Alligators, Carl Craig, The Dearing Concert Duo and others. Distinguished Achievement Awards will be presented to Detroit Jazz great George 'Sax' Benson, Longtime Detroit radio host Ed Love and the annual Cass Corridor event "Dally in the Alley." Live performances at this year's show include a special Detroit-style Hip-Hop Throwdown featuring Royce da 5-9 along with friends Obie Trice and Paradime. Other artists performing are George 'Sax' Benson, the heavy metal band Riot in Progress, past Reggae award winners Immunity, and Country artists Janis Leigh and Traci Leigh Bouchard. There will also be a special tribute to the late Aaliyah by student dancers from the Almdale Conservatory and the Detroit Dance Academy. Members of Second City will host the event for the second year in a row. HIP-HOP HALL OF FAME Hip-hop trailblazers Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, Run-DMC's DJ Jam Master Jay, Crazy Legs and some of the people who inspired them in their youth were all present Wednesday night in New York for the inaugural Hip-Hop Hall of Fame induction ceremony, MTV News reports. Unfortunately, many of the first 15 inductees -- including the father of hip-hop DJ Kool Herc, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-One and Russell Simmons -- were no-shows. The late Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were also among the inductees. The Hip-Hop Hall of Fame is part of the Hip-Hop Super Conference & Expo, which runs through the end of the week at the Puck Building. It's the brainchild of David Olu, who created the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame board game two years ago. He told MTV News the inductees were chosen by people voting at the Web site (hhsc2002.com) the past few months. Notorious B.I.G. was the favorite, getting 60 percent of the nods. Organizers said they're currently trying to secure a location for the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame museum. My Favorite things about Angelfire.
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