Rock News: Music's high and low notes

VH1 VOGUE FASHION AWARDS

Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz and John Mellencamp will be among the performers at the 2001 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, to be presented Oct. 23 (at 9 p.m. ET) in New York City.

Other celebrities expected to appear at the seventh annual show include No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, hip-hop queen Lil' Kim, rapper/record mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs, singer Enrique Iglesias, rocker/actress Courtney Love and singer Nelly Furtado.

The hosts will be announced at a later date.

The nominees for the category of "Visionary Video" were selected online by visitors to VH1.com. They include:

-- U2, "Beautiful Day"

-- Radiohead, "Knives Out"

-- Fatboy Slim, "Weapon of Choice"

-- Aerosmith, "Jaded"

-- Everclear, "AM Radio"

-- Moby/Gwen Stefani, "Southside"

-- Dave Matthews Band, "I Did It"

Other award categories include Female Artist, Stylish Group and Rock Revolutionary Awards.

(Web site: VH1.com)

MY VH1 MUSIC AWARDS

"Damn I Wish I Wrote That!" and "Is It Hot in Here, Or Is It Just My Video?" are among the award categories suggested by fans for the upcoming 2001 My VH1 Music Awards.

The votes were cast online at VH1.com. Preliminary nominees include artists such as Dave Matthews Band, 'N Sync, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Staind, U2, Destiny's Child and Weezer.

My VH1 Music Awards -- the only fully-interactive music awards show -- will air live on VH1 Dec. 2 (at 9 p.m. ET) from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

As determined by the fans, the award categories are:

-- IS IT HOT IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST MY VIDEO? Preliminary nominees include J. Lo, "Love Don't Cost a Thing"; Nelly Furtado, "Turn off the Light"; and Lenny Kravitz, "Again."

-- BEST KEPT SECRET. Preliminary nominees include Gorillaz, India.Arie, Pete Yorn and Michelle Branch.

-- DAMN I WISH I WROTE THAT! Above all others, this is the song of the year. Preliminary nominees include Aerosmith, "Jaded; Moby/Gwen Stefani, "Southside"; and Alicia Keys, "Fallin'."

-- COOLEST FAN WEB SITE.

-- YOUR SONG KICKED A-- BUT WAS PLAYED TOO DAMN MUCH. Preliminary nominees include Staind, "It's Been Awhile"; Shaggy, "It Wasn't Me"; and Madonna, "Don't Tell Me."

-- MUST-HAVE ALBUM. Preliminary nominees include U2, "All That You Can't Leave Behind"; Destiny's Child, "Survivor"; and Janet Jackson, "All For You."

-- WELCOME TO THE BIG TIME! The group that made it big this year. Preliminary nominees include Alien Ant Farm, Train, Jill Scott and David Gray.

-- NAVEL ACADEMY. This year's best bellybutton appearance. Preliminary nominees include Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Usher and Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots.

-- MY FAVORITE MALE ARTIST. Preliminary nominees include Backstreet Boys, Incubus, Dave Matthews Band and Destiny's Child.

-- HOTTEST LIVE SHOW. Preliminary nominees include Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks and Backstreet Boys.

-- MY FAVORITE VIDEO. Preliminary nominees include Alicia Keys, "Fallin'"; Michael Jackson, "You Rock My World"; and Weezer, "Island in the Sun."

-- BEST ACTOR IN A VIDEO. Preliminary nominees include Christopher Walken (Fatboy Slim "Weapon of Choice") and Robert Downey Jr. (Elton John "I Want Love").

-- THERE'S NO "I" IN TEAM. Which dynamic duo teamed up for the best collaboration? Preliminary nominees include Ricky Martin/Christina Aguilera, "Nobody Wants to be Lonely"; Dido/Eminem, "Stan"; and Ladies of Moulin Rouge, "Lady Marmalade."

Fans can go to VH1.com through Oct. 24 to narrow down the nominations to five finalists in each category. The final nominees will be announced in early November, at which time fans will begin voting for a winner. Voting will continue right up to the moment the awards are presented.

The host and musical guests for the 2001 My VH1 Music Awards will be announced at a later date.

DESTINY'S CHILD

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least according to the recording industry. On Oct. 30, Columbia Records will release "8 Days of Christmas," the latest CD from Destiny's Child.

The seasonal album features holiday classics and original songs, largely co-written and co-produced by the trio's Beyonce Knowles.

(Web sites: destiny'schild.com, dc-unplugged.com, columbiarecords.com)

'MIRACLES HAPPEN 2001'

Dido, Sarah McLachlan and Carly Simon share the spotlight with Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and others on the third volume of Arista Records' fund-raising album.

"Miracles Happen 2001," a 10-song compilation CD will be sold exclusively in the more than 500 Ann Taylor and Loft women's retail stores nationwide. 100 percent of the net profits will be donated to support a fundraising event to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing research, education, screening and treatment for breast cancer.

The all-star line-up of female artists also includes Morcheeba, Natalie Merchant, Brand New Heavies, Beth Orton and Dionne Warwick.

(Web site: arista.com)

COLD

Cold headlines the third annual fall Cutty Sark Rock the Boat Concert Tour. The road trip kicked off Tuesday in Allentown, Pa., and will hit more than 40 cities.

Cold recently released "Bleed," the fourth single from the band's second album, "13 Ways to Bleed on Stage" (on Geffen Records). The CD features collaborations with Aaron Lewis, the lead singer of Staind.

Tour Dates:

DATE CITY VENUE

Oct. 2 Allentown, PA Crocodile Cafe

Oct. 3 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance

Oct. 4 Portland, ME The Skinny/State Theatre

Oct. 5 Concord, NH Chantilly

Oct. 6 Hershey, PA Shakey's

Oct. 7 State College, PA Crowbar

Oct. 9 Baltimore, MD Recher Theatre

Oct. 10 Norfolk, VA The Norva

Oct. 11 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre

Oct. 12 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall

Oct. 13 Knoxville, TN Blue Cats

Oct. 14 Greenville, SC Handlebar

Oct. 16 Atlanta, GA Masquerade

Oct. 17 Jacksonville, FL Edge 2000

Oct. 18 Ft. Meyers, FL Neptune's

Oct. 19 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sunrise Music Theatre

Oct. 20 Tampa, FL Masquerade

Oct. 21 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Café

Oct. 23 Houston, TX Engine Room

Oct. 24 San Antonio, TX Sunset Station

Oct. 25 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live

Oct. 26 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theatre (tentative)

Oct. 27 Tucson, AZ The Rock

Oct. 28 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy (tentative)

Oct. 30 San Francisco, CA Slim's

Oct. 31 Sacramento, CA Boardwalk

Nov. 2 Portland, OR Roseland

Nov. 4 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe (tentative)

Nov. 5 Boise, ID Big Easy

Nov. 7 Denver, CO Gothic (tentative)

Nov. 8 Wichita, KS Rita's Little Uptown (tentative)

Nov. 9 Pittsburgh, KS Foxtown (tentative)

Nov. 10 Springfield, MO Remingtons (tentative)

Nov. 11 Lawrence/Kansas City, KS Granada Theatre (tentative)

Nov. 13 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl

Nov. 14 Des Moines, IA Toad Holler

Nov. 15 Milwaukee, WI Rave

Nov. 16 Green Bay, WI Riverside Ballroom

Nov. 17 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall

Nov. 19 Indianapolis, IN Vogue

Nov. 20 Chicago, IL Metro

Nov. 21 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall

Nov. 24 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (tentative)

Nov. 24 Buffalo, NY Funhouse/Showplace (tentative)

Nov. 27 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre (tentative)

Nov. 28 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony/Tradewinds (tentative)

Nov. 29 Philadelphia, PA TLA (tentative)

Nov. 30 New York, NY Irving Plaza (tentative)

(Information is subject to change. Web site: CUTTYSARKUSA.COM)

ALICE COOPER

Alice Cooper is welcoming the public to his nightmare.

On Thursday, the rocker and Phoenix, Ariz., restaurant owner will open "Alice Cooper's Nightmare," a Halloween haunted house featuring a combination of high-tech Hollywood and rock 'n' roll special effects --- many of which were created by Distortions Unlimited, the designer of Cooper's tour effects, including the requisite guillotine.

The haunted house is located next to Alice Cooper'stown. It'll be open Wednesdays through Sundays, Oct. 4 through Oct. 21, and nightly from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3.

A special grand opening will be held Thursday, with 100 percent of proceeds to benefit the Sept. 11 Relief Funds.