We are a couple of days late on this, but we wanted to report on the passing of music and civil rights legend Odetta, of heart disease at age 77. Dubbed “The Voice of Civil Rights Movement” and “The Queen Of American Folk Music” by Martin Luther King, Jr., she help to inspire a generation of aspiring singer/songwriters and helped to ignite the folk music boom of the early 1960s. Despite failing health in recent years, including being confined to a wheelchair, the strong willed singer Odetta continued to consistently perform and had hoped that her next high profile gig was at President-elect Obama’s inauguration. She will be missed.
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- Win a date to Ikea with a member of Pavement
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Finally, a veritable who’s who of indie rock have lined up to contributed exclusive tracks for a new charity album called Dark Was The Night. The 32-track compilation includes the likes MMJ, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Cat Power, Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch, Yo La Tengo and more. The album will hit stores on February 17, and will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download all to benefit the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS.
