Presidents Of The U.S. Are Riding High In The Musical Polls

The Presidents of the United States of America are on a roll.

The wacky Seattle band, whose self-titled debut album reached the Top 20 in Billboard magazine rankings and sold a million copies, was nominated for a Grammy yesterday for best alternative music performance, topping an incredible year.

Band member Jason Finn, calling while driving to Portland, where the band plays tonight at La Luna, called the nomination "pretty exciting and pretty weird."

He said the band hopes to make it to the Grammy Awards ceremony Feb. 28 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

"We want to get to wear tuxedos and date a bunch of the girls from `Friends,' " Finn quipped.

In just the past few weeks, the band has played "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show With David Letterman," had its New Year's Eve gig at Moe's broadcast live in New York and shown on the Jumbotron in Times Square, and appeared on Fox Television's "MAD-TV." It plays a sold-out concert here tomorrow night.

"With all the things that are happening to us right now," Finn said, "it's getting harder and harder to blow us away. But this certainly ranks up there with the strangest things that have happened. We're just happy to be in the running."

The Presidents weren't the only Seattle band to garner Grammy nominations. Pearl Jam got three, and Nirvana and Alice in Chains got one each.

The Pearl Jam nominations, including one in the presitigious album of the year category, came as no surprise. Its "Vitalogy" LP was one of the most popular and critically acclaimed releases of the year, with domestic sales of 5 million. The album was also named in the rock album category, and a song from it, "Spin the Black Circle," was cited for hard-rock performance.

Band members could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Alice in Chains was also nominated in the hard-rock performance category, for its song "Grind."

"They're up skiing and probably won't hear about it for a day or two," said Susan Silver, the band's manager. She wasn't even sure were they were. "They just said they were going to find the best snow around here."

Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged in New York" album was nominated in the alternative music performance category. Among other nominees in the category was "Foo Fighters," the self-titled debut album by the band headed by former Nirvana member Dave Grohl. A representative of Nirvana's label, Geffen, said the surviving members of the band may issue a statement about the nomination within the next few days.

Winners will be announced on CBS Feb. 27.

Here is a list of nominees:

Record of the year: "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men; "Gangsta's Paradise," Coolio; "One of Us," Joan Osborne; "Kiss From a Rose," Seal; "Waterfalls," TLC.

Album of the year: "Daydream," Mariah Carey; "History Past, Present and Future Book I," Michael Jackson; "Jagged Little Pill," Alanis Morissette; "Relish," Joan Osborne; "Vitalogy," Pearl Jam.

Song of the year: "I Can Love You Like That," Maribeth Derry, Steve Diamond, Jennifer Kimball; "Kiss From a Rose," Seal; "One of Us," Eric Bazilian; "You Are Not Alone," R. Kelly; "You Oughta Know," Glenn Ballard, Alanis Morissette.

New artist: Brandy; Hootie & The Blowfish; Alanis Morissette; Joan Osborne; Shania Twain.

Female pop vocal performance: "`Fantasy," Mariah Carey; "I Know," Dionne Farris; "No More `I Love You's,"' Annie Lennox; "One of Us," Joan Osborne; "You Got It," Bonnie Raitt; "Colors of the Wind," Vanessa Williams.

Male pop vocal performance: "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?," Bryan Adams; "You Are Not Alone," Michael Jackson; "Believe," Elton John; "Kiss From a Rose," Seal; "When We Dance," Sting.

Pop performance by a duo or group with vocal: "I Can Love You Like That," All-4-One; "Love Will Keep Us Alive," Eagles; "Let Her Cry," Hootie & The Blowfish; "I'll Be There For You," The Rembrandts; "Waterfalls," TLC.

Pop collaboration with vocals: "Someone to Love," Jon B. featuring Babyface; "When You Love Someone," Anita Baker with James Ingram; "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men; "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?," The Chieftains with Van Morrison; "Scream," Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.

Pop instrumental performance: "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," The Allman Brothers Band; "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Kenny G; "Yesterday," Dave Grusin; "Song B," Bruce Hornsby; "Mariachi Suite," Los Lobos.

Pop album: "Daydream," Mariah Carey; "Hell Freezes Over," Eagles; "Medusa," Annie Lennox; "Bedtime Stories," Madonna; "Turbulent Indigo," Joni Mitchell.

Traditional pop vocal performance: "Julie Andrews-Broadway-The Music of Richard Rodgers," Julie Andrews; "Demi-Centennial!" Rosemary Clooney; "Back in Business," Eartha Kitt; "Broadway Legend," John Raitt; "Duets II," Frank Sinatra.

Female rock vocal performance: "Lay Down Your Pain," Toni Childs; "Down By The Water," PJ Harvey; "You Oughta Know," Alanis Morissette; "St. Teresa," Joan Osborne; "Don't Have Time," Liz Phair.

Male rock vocal performance: "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Bob Dylan; "Somebody's Crying," Chris Isaak; "Rock and Roll Is Dead," Lenny Kravitz; "You Don't Know How It Feels," Tom Petty; "Peace and Love," Neil Young.

Rock performance by a duo or group with vocal: "Run-Around," Blues Traveler; "Hotel California," Eagles; "What Would You Say," Dave Matthews Band; "Kashmir," Jimmy Page and Robert Plant; "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," U2.

Hard-rock performance: "Grind," Alice In Chains; "Spin The Black Circle," Pearl Jam; "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver," Primus; "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," Red Hot Chili Peppers; "The Seventh Seal," Van Halen.

Metal performance: "S.F.W.," Gwar; "Paranoid," Megadeth; "For Whom The Bell Tolls," Metallica; "Happiness In Slavery," Nine Inch Nails; "More Human Than Human," White Zombie.

Rock instrumental performance: "Jessica," The Allman Brothers Band; "Shapes Of Things," The Jeff Healey Band; "Vrooom," King Crimson; "Every Now And Then," Santana with Vernon Reid; "Tender Surrender," Steve Vai.

Rock song: "Dignity," Bob Dylan; "Downtown," Neil Young; "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," Bono, U2; "Hurt," Trent Reznor; "You Oughta Know," Glen Ballard, Alanis Morissette;

Rock album: "Forever Blue," Chris Isaak; "Jagged Little Pill," Alanis Morissette; "Vitalogy," Pearl Jam; "Wildflowers," Tom Petty; "Mirror Ball," Neil Young.

Alternative music performance: "Post," Bjork; "Foo Fighters," Foo Fighters; "To Bring You My Love," PJ Harvey; "MTV Unplugged In New York," Nirvana; "The Presidents of the United States of America," Presidents of the United States of America.

Female R&B vocal performance: "I Apologize," Anita Baker; "Baby," Brandy; "I Belong To You," Toni Braxton; "Always Be My Baby," Mariah Carey; "The Way That You Love," Vanessa Williams.

Male R&B vocal: "Brown Sugar," D'Angelo; "This Is How We Do It," Montell Jordan; "I Hate You," the singer formerly known as Prince; "Baby's Home," Barry White; "For Your Love," Stevie Wonder.

R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal: "I'm Your Man," All-4-One; "If You Love Me," Brownstone; "A Change is Gonna Come," Terence Trent D'Arby and Booker T and the MG's; "All I Need (is a Chance)," Take 6; "Creep," TLC.

R&B song: "Brown Sugar," D'Angelo; "Creep," Dallas Austin; "For Your Love," Stevie Wonder; "Red Light Special," Babyface; "You Can't Run," Babyface.

R&B album: "My Life," Mary J. Blige; "Brown Sugar," D'Angelo; "The Gold Experience," the singer formerly known as Prince; "CrazySexyCool," TLC; "The Icon is Love," Barry White.

Rap solo performance: "Gangsta's Paradise," Coolio; "Keep Their Heads Ringin'," Dr. Dre; "Big Poppa," The Notorious B.I.G.; "I Wish," Skee-Lo; "Dear Mama," 2Pac.

Rap performance by a duo or group: "1st of tha Month," Bone Thugs-N-Harmony; "Throw Your Set in the Air," Cypress Hill; "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need To Get By," Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige; "Feel Me Flow," Naughty by Nature; "What Would U Do?," Tha Dogg Pound.

Rap album: "E.1999 Eternal," Bone Thugs-N-Harmony; "Poverty's Paradise," Naughty by Nature; "Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version," Ol' Dirty Bastard; "I Wish," Skee-Lo; "Me Against the World," 2Pac.

Female country vocal performance: "Baby, Now That I've Found You," Alison Krauss; "You Don't Even Know Who I Am," Patty Loveless; "Safe in the Arms of Love," Martina McBride; "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)," Pam Tillis; "Any Man of Mine," Shania Twain.

Male country vocal performance: "Standing on the Edge of Goodbye," John Berry; "Go Rest High on that Mountain," Vince Gill; "Gone Country," Alan Jackson; "I Can Love You Like That," John Michael Montgomery; "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere," Dwight Yoakam.

Country performance by a duo or group with vocal: "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone," Brooks and Dunn; "Amy's Back in Austin," Little Texas; "Here Comes the Rain," The Mavericks; "Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)," Shenandoah; "Tryin' to Get to New Orleans," The Tractors.

Country song: "Any Man of Mine," Robert John "Mutt" Lange and Shania Twain; "Go Rest High on that Mountain," Vince Gill; "Gone Country," Bob McDill; "I Can Love You Like That," Meribeth Derry, Steve Diamond and Jennifer Kimball; "You Don't Even Know Who I Am," Gretchen Peters.

Country album: "Junior High," Junior Brown; "Music for All Occasions," The Mavericks; "John Michael Montgomery," John Michael Montgomery; "The Woman in Me," Shania Twain; "Thinkin' About You," Trisha Yearwood; "Dwight Live," Dwight Yoakam.

New age album: "Dream Suite," Suzanne Ciani; "An Enchanted Evening," Kitaro; "Trust," Patrick O'Hearn; "Tyranny of Beauty," Tangerine Dream; "Forest," George Winston.

Contemporary jazz performance: "Elixir," Fourplay; "We Live Here," Pat Metheny Group; "Tales," Marcus Miller; "Larry and Lee," Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton; "Dreamland," Yellowjackets.

Jazz vocal performance: "Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver," Dee Dee Bridgewater; "Close Your Eyes," Kurt Elling; "An Evening with Lena Horne," Lena Horne; "A Turtle's Dream," Abbey Lincoln; "Quiet After the Storm," Dianne Reeves.

Jazz instrumental performance, individual or group: "Wanton Spirit," Kenny Barron with Roy Haynes and Charlie Haden; "Steal Away," Charlie Haden and Hank Jones; "Double Rainbow - The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim," Joe Henderson; "I Never Told You - Fred Hersch Plays Johnny Mandel," Fred Hersch; "Infinity," McCoy Tyner Trio featuring Michael Brecker.

Rock gospel album: "Big Tent Revival," Big Tent Revival; "Lesson of Love," Ashley Cleveland; "Jars of Clay," Jars of Clay; "Home Run!," Geoff Moore & The Distance; "No Doubt," Petra.

Pop-contemporary gospel album: "The Music of Christmas," Steven Curtis Chapman; "Unbelievable Love," Larnelle; "Find It on the Wings," Sandi Patty; "I'll Lead You Home," Michael W. Smith; "My Utmost for His Highest," Various Artists.

Latin pop performance: "Nuestras Canciones," Adolfo Angel & Gustavo Angel; "Hay Amores Y Amores," Rocio Durcal; "La Carretera," Julio Iglesias; "Cuando Los Angeles Lloran," Mana; "Amor," Jon Secada.

Traditional blues album: "Charles Brown's Cool Christmas Blues," Charles Brown; "Them Update Blues," Lowell Fulson; "Chill Out," John Lee Hooker; "The Last Real Texas Blues Band featuring Doug Sahm," The Last Real Texas Blues Band featuring Doug Sahm; "Turn It On! Turn It Up!," Roomful of Blues.

Contemporary blues album: "The Man," Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown; "(Live '92-'93)," Albert Collins and the Icebreakers; "Some Rainy Morning," Robert Cray; "Slippin' In," Buddy Guy; "Blue Night," Percy Sledge.

Traditional folk album: "While Passing Along This Way," Norman & Nancy Blake; "South Coast," Ramblin' Jack Elliott; "Then and Now," Ali Akbar Khan; "The Oak and the Laurel," Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum; "From ... Another Time & Place," Dave Van Ronk.

Contemporary folk album vocal or instrumental: "The Long Black Veil," The Chieftains; "MTV Unplugged," Bob Dylan; "Train A Comin'," Steve Earle; "Wrecking Ball," Emmylou Harris; "Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings," John Prine.

Reggae album: "Rasta Business," Burning Spear; "Free Like We Want 2 B," Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers; "Boombastic," Shaggy; "Hi-Bop Ska! The 30th Anniversary Recording," Skatalites; "Live It Up," Third World.

World music album: "Boheme," Deep Forest; "Cesaria Evora," Cesaria Evora; "Firin' in Fouta," Baaba Maal; "Raga Aberi," Shankar with Zakir Hussain & Vikku Vinayakram; "The Splendid Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco," The Splendid Master Gnawa Musicians of Morocco featuring Randy Weston.

Musical show album: "Anyone Can Whistle - Live At Carnegie Hall," "Hello, Dolly!" "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying!" "Kiss Of The Spider Woman," "Smokey Joe's Cafe - The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller."

Classical album: "Bartok: Divertimento; Dance Suite, etc.," Chicago Symphony Orchestra; "Berlioz: Les Troyens," Charles Dutoit conducting the Orchestre Symphony de Montreal and various artists; "Debussy: La Mer; Nocturnes; Jeux, etc.," Pierre Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra; "Music for Queen Mary (Works Of Purcell, Morley, Blow, etc.)," Martin Neary conducting the New London Consort, Westminster Abbey Choir and Various Artists; "Prokofiev/Shostakovich: Violin Cons. No. 1," Mstislav Rostropovich conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

Orchestral performance: "Bartok: Divertimento; Dance Suite, etc.," Pierre Boulez conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; "Debussy: La Mer," Pierre Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra; "Elgar: Enigma Variations; Falstaff; Grania and Diarmid," Simon Rattle conducting the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; "Hindemith: Mathis Der Maler - Symphonie; Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by C. M. von Weber, etc.," Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra; "Shostakovich: Sym. No. 8," Andre Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

Opera recording: "Berlioz: Les Troyens," Charles Dutoit, conductor, Orchestre Symphonie de Montreal; "Borodin: Prince Igor," Valery Gergiev, conductor, Kirov Opera & Orchestra of St. Petersburg and the Kirov Chorus of St. Petersburg; "Mozart: Don Giovanni," John Eliot Gardiner, conductor, the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Chorus; "Mozart: La Clemenza Di Tito," Christopher Hogwood, conductor, Academy of Ancient Music Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music Chorus and various artists; "Rossini: Tancredi," Alberto Zedda, conductor, Collegium Instrumentale Brugense and Capella Brugensis.