Best of 2012 Pt 3

So here we are with more of the spring crop of 2012, of which there was much goodness. The third lp from San Diego/Brooklyn residents Delta Spirit made its online streaming debut on, of all places, the Wall Street Journal's website. We were happy to let our airwaves be occupied, anyway.

Here's one I forgot to throw in with the winter stuff. Lana Del Rey's controversial debut. 

Why controversial? Well ... that's a great question. Even before Lizzie Grant (her given name) first appeared, not quite ready for prime time, on Saturday Night Live she had detractors. The visually arresting videos she put up on YouTube took in millions of hits; anyone who saw the sheer number of people checking her out, months before her album even came out, could easily guess sales would be on the high side out of plain curiosity factor. So you had a group of self-appointed taste-makers dissing it purely because they didn't get to be the first ones to decide if it should be a hit or not, or if people who should like it or not. Some people get uptight when they have no control over things. And I get the idea our Lizzy likes making some people uptight.

How Can Lana Del Ray Not Become the Breakout Artist of 2012?

NY's Lana Del Ray (the stage name for Ms. Lizzy Grant) is poised to become the It girl for 2012, and it's not undeserved. She's got a sultry voice, a unique, atmospheric sound that music-oughtta-be-art lovers are going to eat up, and undeniable sex appeal. Described as a "gangsta Nancy Sinatra," the pouty torch singer already has a few in indie circles who are lining up to question her creds. I really don't think the wider world of music appreciators is going to care.