The anti-Aguilera, Beth Orton is a too-often overlooked musical force that beats the pants off all of the current Diddy/Lavigne/Timberlake junk on the airwaves. If you've never heard Beth Orton, it's an experience you won't soon forget.

A British singer/songwriter/musician, Beth Orton's best-known song is a haunting melody called "She Cries Your Name." Because the YouTube video imbed has been disabled, I've posted the direct link to it below. Even if you never listen to anything else of Orton's, you owe it to yourself to listen to this one.

Beth Orton has been more popular in the U.K. than the U.S., possibly because she receives less airplay in the U.S. While her first album, Trailer Park, was well-received in the U.K. and earned her two BRIT award nominations, the album was largely overlooked in the U.S. Her later albums did better in the U.S. market, with 2002's Daybreaker reaching #40.

One reason that she may not be as high profile as less talented singers is that her many causes remain extremelyimportant to her. She was offered a gig as the face of both the Gap and Calvin Klein and she refused both. She is very much against sweatshop labor and a suporter of fair trade practices, which has limited her commercial appearances.

The limited appearances, however, have made her that much more of an enigma to her fans. She is reported as being extremely personable and genuinely dedicated to environmental and health causes.

She maintains a carbon-nuetral status for her CD production by having trees planted to offset the emissions produced by their production. Her trees are planted in Mexico.

She has helped to raise money for an African AIDS charity- SING. The charity helps to educate African mothers about how to prevent AIDS from being spread in utero.