3/27/13: It's been a few years since Coldplay released their live album, 'Mylo Xyloto,' an album that frontman, Chris Martin, once said was all about "love, addiction, OCD, escape and working for someone you don't like." While the band is likely still riding on the coattails of the album tour's success (it grossed more than $171.3 million in ticket sales), Gwyneth Paltrow's hubby isn't resting on his laurels for too long. The prolific lyricist has just announced the he will auction off an electric guitar that he played on said tour in an effort to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. His Fender Classic Series 72 Telecaster will be auctioned on CharityBuzz.com, who explain: "The guitar was set up and modified specifically for, and used by, Chris Martin to play 'God Put A Smile On Your Face' on tour. The guitar tech had to put the guitar back together after each show, making this guitar completely unique." Proceeds will be split between the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. Right now, the highest bid stands at $10,000, and will surely climb in the next two weeks. The final day of the auction is April 9. Folks may have also seen Martin when he performed at the epic 12-12-12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief, playing an acoustic rendition of "Losing My Religion" alongside R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe.

The phenomenon was called 'Brit Pop.' Thank the Beatles for foreshadowing the coming of such a brand of music. And right there at the most recent level of musical enterprise was a band that came about in 1998 called Coldplay. Featuring Chris Martin on vocals and piano, Jon Buckland on guitar, Will Champion on drums, and Guy Berryman on bass guitar, you're looking at a remarkable band that emphasizes exactly what Brit Pop really is.

Their first studio album was 'Parachutes', and it hailed the monumental release of one single called 'Yellow.' Coldplay, however, never really hit it big until they released their second album in 2002, entitled 'A Rush of Blood to the Head,' which spawned the hit singles 'The Scientist,' 'Clocks,' and 'In My Place.' Furthermore, the third album, 'X&Y;' exploded onto the scene with yet another hit single, 'Speed of Sound.' It was clear that Coldplay was on an upward trajectory.

Is there another comparison in Brit Pop? Look at U2. You love them. Radiohead was legendary, and Oasis was divine. So what would you expect from this techno-electronic, pop-new-age sound from these talented musicians that make up Coldplay? Nothing but sheer sound delicacy as fans clamored for new material. It came in the form of the band's fourth studio album, 'Viva la Vida or Death And All His Friends,' which was met with largely favorable reviews and received three wins at the 51st Grammy Awards, coming at a critical juncture for the band.

Their latest release, 'Mylo Xyloto,' bowed in late October 2011 and proved the band had staying power. 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall' rolled out as the first single, and the second, 'Paradise,' became the best-selling rock single in the UK by selling 410,000 copies. To date, it has sold over 6 million worldwide.

Coldplay is always wondering what it can do next, and expectations are huge. The band kicked off the 'Mylo Xyloto Tour' in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates in late 2011, then continued into 2012 with shows scheduled in North America, Europe and Australasia. The band will play the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 3 and 4, the United Center in Chicago on August 7 and 8 and the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 10 and 11.