Mcknight displays musical brilliance

Film Review: Mr. Death

The Scoop

Keenan Singleton

Sorry, girls.

You only have three more chances to snag yourself a Wackstreet, oops Backstreet Boy.

Kevin Richardson, 28, and Brian Littrell, 24, two of the five members of the multi-platinum selling group, have announced engagements to their longtime girlfriends.

Richardson proposed to his partner of seven years, Kristen Willits, on Valentine's Day.

"We've been through a lot together," Richardson said.

Littrell popped the question to actress Leighanne Wallace saying later, "There's just a right time for everything, I guess."

Breaking up is hard to do

Eddie Wolfe/Columbia Records

Destiny's Child, the best thing to come out of Houston since The Daily Cougar, has long had rumors of a break-up. That finally came when two charter members, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett, were dismissed from the group.

A reliable record industry source has also indicated that Roberson and Luckett did not actually record on all of the female quartet's sophomore release, The Writing's on the Wall.

The group has already chosen two replacements: Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams.

Franklin has prior connections to the group -- she was a dancer in its "Bills, Bills, Bills" video -- while Williams has worked as a backup vocalist for fellow r&b songstress Monica.

"We couldn't be more excited that Farrah and Michelle have joined us," remaining members Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland said. "We're all really looking forward to the next phase of Destiny's Child."

Rock on

Your local record store will be overflowing with new rock/alternative releases this week with 10 or more hot albums hitting the shelves.

Posthumous CDs are so chic nowadays.

Tupac's Still I Rise and B.I.G.'s Born Again come to mind, and now you can add former INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence to that list.

Hutchence recorded what would become his one and only solo album before he committed suicide in 1997.

With help from producers Andy Gill and Danny Saber, Hutchence wrote the material for the album way back in 1995, before pushing it aside to finish INXS' 1997 album, Elegantly Wasted.

Listen for the album's final cut, "Slide Away" featuring Bono from U2.

Also coming out this week are the soundtrack to The Next Best Thing featuring Madonna, the recently-enhanced Christina Aguilera, Moby, Solar Twins and Beth Orton.

Two please

Christmas time is over, but for some reason people are still playing reindeer games (whatever those are).

Ben Affleck headlines the almost-stars flick, Reindeer Games, in which he plays a recently released ex-con who is blackmailed into participating in one more heist.

The film also stars Charlize Theron as Affleck's girlfriend and Gary Sinise as the leader of the heist.

We love you Houston!

Here's who's playing in Houston this week.

Aerial Theater (all times 8 p.m.)

Lucero & Pablo Moncero -- Feb. 26.

Jaguares -- Feb. 27.

Marc Anthony -- Feb. 28.

Compaq Center

Backstreet Boys (sold out)-- Feb. 28, 29.

Numbers

Lords of Acid with Praga Khan and Genocide II -- Feb. 27.