U2 readies new album; Bono raises money

The next U2 album is described as "very hand-played but still very electro" by someone who should know -- producer Daniel Lanois. Speaking to Sun Media, Lanois said he'll be in Dublin next week to begin sessions for the follow-up to U2's 2004 album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which he also produced. Lanois said, "Everyone has an appetite for breaking new ground and everybody wants to make a masterpiece." He also says they know it'll be hard work, but that usually means "you're busting through something that hasn't been done before."

Lanois has a long history with U2. He teamed with Brian Eno to produce the band's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire and 1987's multiple-Grammy winner The Joshua Tree. Lanois was also behind the control board for 1991's Achtung Baby and 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind.

U2's frontman was working his magic again this week, helping to raise $42 million for the fight against AIDS. The Bono-founded (RED) charity raised the money via an art auction Thursday (February 14th), with the funds going to the Global Fund of the United Nations Foundation, which works to fight AIDS in Africa. The auction, held at Sotheby's on New York's Upper East Side, featured pieces donated by a host of contemporary artists. The night's big-ticket item came from British artist (and auction co-host) Damien Hirst. His medicine cabinet, dubbed "Where There's a Will There's a Way," fetched a whopping $7.15 million.

The event brought out a host of celebrities, including actor/director Ed Burns, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, supermodel Christy Turlington and domestic diva Martha Stewart. Commenting on the auction and his fundraising efforts, Bono told People, "Tonight we're taking it to a whole new level."

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