Plus: Celebs Stop Tweeting; Portishead Prep LP
Gaga, Keys, Timberlake Sign Off Social Media for Charity
Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Usher and other celebs have agreed to sign off Facebook, Twitter and other social media as part of a new campaign called Digital Life Sacrifice, on behalf of Keys’ Keep a Child Alive charity. The entertainers said they will sign off of social media platforms on Wednesday — World AIDS Day — and sign back on when the charity raises $1 million. [Associated Press]
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke Leads “Human Sculpture”
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke led the creation of a “human sculpture” rendering of 11th-century Viking King Canute in England on Saturday. Yorke had previously called for volunteers for the project, a collaboration with the 350 Earth environmental awareness organization. The goal was to create an “image facing the sea that is visible from space.” [NME]
Portishead “Gearing Up” for Next LP
Portishead, who saw 11 years pass between the release of their second and third studio albums, are at least starting to think about their fourth. “I think we’re just gearing up to it, staring at each other a bit and getting ready to go,” guitarist Adrian Utley told the BBC. “It’s kind of early days and I don’t think any of us want to really hex it by putting too many rules on it, which we often do. The group’s most recent LP was released in April 2008. [BBC Radio 6 via TwentyFourBit.com]
First Single From Gil Scott-Heron/Jamie xx LP Released
“NY Is Killing Me,” the first single from We’re New Here, the joint album by Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie Smith of the xx, is available for download today at BoomKat.com. The album, which features Smith remixing 13 songs from Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here, is slated for release on February 22. [Press release]