Overrated / Underrated 2012: The ups and downs

A buzzed-about documentary from this year, this story of the Chinese artist-activist exposed the passion that’s made Ai Weiwei a celebrated figure worldwide. First-time director Alison Klayman didn’t dig too deeply into personal details, but with a story this compelling, even the broadest strokes examining the power of art and the individual against oppression are inspiring.   (Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images)

Like a visual Twitter for shutterbugs, the photo app has earned a big enough profile to be referenced on “Saturday Night Live” and tapped by celebrities as a way to remain in the public eye. But with a hastily walked-back terms-of-use update that would’ve allowed users and their photos to show up in ads, the service showed the kind of disregard for privacy that only its owner — Facebook — could love.   (Lionel Bonaventure / AFPGetty Images)

: As we head into next year, keep an eye on cable companies as the call for a la carte television steadily grows louder. Internet options such as Hulu, Netflix and iTunes already allow TV viewers to follow the shows they want, and while companies struggle with simply keeping the home team on the air, technology is changing the game. And ultimately, consumers are winning.   (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

Prepare yourselves: The cloud is here. And while it’s intoxicating to consider the shelf space that can be liberated with all our favorite music floating in some nebulous hard drive over our heads, is there any substitute for buying something and savoring it? As convenient as media has become to find and consume, it’s worth remembering to appreciate these things as well.  (Troy Maben / AP)

Maybe the most hummable train wreck on TV, this heir to the “American Idol” franchise feels like the original but louder, flashier and overall more unpleasant. The whole show is packaged with the lead-fisted subtlety of a pro wrestling broadcast, and the traditional infighting at the judges table has been amplified to meaner heights with Simon Cowell. And that’s not even mentioning the music, which seems more shallow and cynically driven than ever.   (Ray Mickshaw / AP)

The world of TV comedy is a land of low expectations, but this newcomer from the producer of “The New Girl” has enough promise to encourage optimism. Its premise of mismatched siblings raising a kid may not be the freshest, but it makes up for it in execution, starting with an agreeably goofy cast rounded out by the charmingly goofy Dakota Johnson and Groundling alum Nat Faxon, who has the thick-headed physical chops of Will Ferrell.   (Jennifer Clasen / AP)

A somewhat baffling approach to TV viewing, this idea has surfaced in a number of publications showing people are actively watching shows they do not like. “The Newsroom,” “Smash” and the recent “Liz & Dick” are among the shows that have benefited, which is really just a snarkier way of calling something a guilty pleasure. But despite all this mock appreciation, Nielsen has yet to announce plans for an ironic ratings category.   (Melissa Moseley / AP)

The field of jazz banjo is fairly narrow, and even though Fleck has long flirted with fusion in his recordings, this pairing with a band that includes pianist Marcus Roberts and drummer Jason Marsalis finally brings his seemingly unconventional leanings into focus. The aptly named album “Across the Imaginary Divide” is intricate and joyfully swung, and the group’s stop at Catalina this week should be equally sharp.  (Brian Tietz / AP)

The latest Bond installment is raking in the cash with its mature themes and another impeccably tailored turn from the granite-faced Daniel Craig. But connoisseurs know that any action movie is only as good as its villain, and that’s what makes Bardem’s turn as the twisted Silva all the more vital. Giggling and flirting through every scene, Bardem unveils a new, fun wrinkle to his bad-guy arsenal, first honed in “No Country for Old Men.”  (Francois Duhamel / AP)

This gorgeous singer is a tabloid force of nature (particularly through the lens of the ongoing saga with her controversy-courting ex-boyfriend/assailant, Chris Brown), and her constant media presence would be a lot easier to take if there were interesting music left in its wake. But all we have is icily overproduced, mostly generic pop that’s indistinguishable from much of the pop charts, and no amount of significance read into its depressing backstory adds any depth.  (Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)

Just look at this band’s name. Isn’t it adorable in its preference for lower-case letters and a matter-of-fact period at the end? But despite impressive sales for the album “Some Nights,” the typographically humble group is just being honest — there’s just not much reason for excitement in the band’s melodramatic melodies and yelping, electro-tweaked vocals from Nate Ruess (formerly of the Format). May we suggest a new grammatical flourish, such as “Fun?”  (Stuart Wilson / Getty Images)

Other than its Portland, Ore., setting, there¿s not much to differentiate this NBC show from the raft of supernatural-leaning shows that hit the airwaves in the post-”Harry Potter” era. But Weir Mitchell stands head and shoulders above his costars and his show’s middling special effects as the dryly sensitive Monroe, a reluctant werewolf who whiles away his time among adventures as a foodie, cellist and cozy sweater enthusiast.  (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

As Usher and even Justin Bieber have proved, the world needs young singers to step into Michael Jackson’s shoes as princes of pop. And despite a promotional push that included a puzzling (and not very funny) double-dip into hosting and performing as musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” there just doesn¿t seem to be much new to be heard from Mars. Is it a good sign when an “American Idol” cover of his “Runaway Baby” outshines the original?   (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Though occasionally compared with Beck early in her career for her dalliances with electronics, Orton’s latest album is a purely organic affair. Backed by a crack yet understated band that includes drummer Brian Blade and guitarist Marc Ribot, the breathy-voiced Orton turns to elements of vintage British folk for a sunlit, woodsy collection buoyed by gentle guitar and strings that sound richly bittersweet any time of year.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Despite glowing reviews and a killer cast, “Seven Psychopaths” still underperformed at the box office, and maybe writer-director McDonagh is partly to blame for being just too difficult to sum up in a trailer. A twisted, self-aware blast led by a witty Colin Farrell, “Seven Psychopaths” is sharp enough to earn McDonagh another screenwriting Oscar nod, but he keeps being presented as something akin to an Irish Tarantino. He’s so much more.  (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

It’s been proven with the success of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” that there’s money to be made with this former horror fringe-dweller, but we’ve reached a saturation point. This Halloween has seen a number of local zombie-themed events, and a counter-terrorism event in San Diego even hosted a zombie drill, which makes almost as much sense as an Easter Bunny hunt. Can Hollywood get back to run-of-the-mill maniacs with axes soon, please?  (Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images)

Now that smartphones have made great strides in capturing the freakishly famous on video, footage is readily available anytime someone gets a little green in public. First Justin Bieber learned the dangers of dairy last month, and now Lady Gaga had a digestive incident of her own onstage in Spain. We just need a third incident and it’s a trend: Getting sick will officially replace the sex tape as the new low-budget career boost.  (Ian Gavan / Getty Images)

The Garden State’s been the butt of jokes for years, but now the pop culture pendulum has swung the other way. It’s not that shows like the mercifully cancelled “Made in Jersey” and its predecessors “Jersey Shore” and “Real Housewives of New Jersey” give the state an inflated sense of self (New Yorkers will surely ensure that doesn’t happen), it’s that an overabundance of Jersey unfairly prevents so many other states from branding themselves with annoying stereotypes too.  (Matt Sayles / AP)

After a 2011 that found him releasing three eclectic albums, trumpeter Douglas looked inward with his latest, a recording dedicated to his late mother. A lush collection of hymnals and elegies reworked into widescreen jazz, “Be Still” is highlighted by the crystalline, Alison Krauss-like vocals of bluegrass singer Aoife O’Donovan, but it’s Douglas and a nimble band that shines through with a record crafted for the autumnal golden hour.   (Joe Giblin / Associated Press)

With rustic harmonies and rousing melodies, all the ingredients are in place for this nouveau-folk band to win over the hardest musical heart. So why do so many of this U.K. band’s pleasant songs fade into the background? Maybe it’s the overabundance of breezily sincere emoting from leader Marcus Mumford or the inescapable feeling that all the earnestness in the world can’t overcome the sense this music isn’t saying anything new.  (Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for Guinness)

In the Internet era, pop culture topics seemingly exist on two settings: invisible or inescapable. The latest beneficiary is Psy, the amusingly self-effacing Korean rapper behind “Gangnam Style,” a techno-pop trifle/dance craze that went from YouTube to “Saturday Night Live” in roughly five minutes. Now that Psy has signed a record deal, you have to wonder which catchy phenoms his career will mirror most: Baha Men or Los del Río?   (Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images)

It’s easy to rack up genres in attempting to describe this Berkeley-based ensemble. Chamber-gypsy-jazz-folk? Sure, let’s start there, but the group’s latest album, “The Rain Is a Handsome Animal,” adds poetry to the mix with lyrics taken from the works of e.e. cummings. Featuring an evocative, percussionless mix that includes Ben Goldberg’s twisting clarinet, Rob Reich’s accordion and the violin (and lilting voice) of Carla Kihlstedt (pictured), Tin Hat utterly shines.   (Eric Parsons / For The Times)

By the time you read this sentence, it’s possible that this film brought to you by the “marketing visionary” behind the Teletubbies will already have disappeared from theaters. Here’s a tip for future visionaries: Don’t bring up the fact that your movie was made in the spirit of selling consumers something. Even though that tends to be true most of the time, at least have the courtesy to pretend it’s not on billboards.  (Matthew Mitchell / Associated Press)

Some might best remember this song as the soundtrack for a twitchy Ray Liotta near the end of “Goodfellas,” but it made a welcome recent cameo in the excellent LCD Soundsystem documentary “Shut Up and Play the Hits” during one of the band’s final shows. In bandleader James Murphy’s hands the song gets a swirling dance-rock update, but the original’s guitar-and-bass drive remains intact and timeless.   (Marten Van Dijl / EPA)

With a new album due this week, this Baltimore-born group satisfies a key requirement for being an indie rock heir to the Grateful Dead by being utterly baffling to those who aren’t onboard. With the group’s signature mix of swirling psychedelia, restless rhythms and electronic burbles around chattery, nonsense vocals, “Centipede Hz” will be adored by those already following the band far out, and maybe it sounds best from there.   (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Given the overabundance of travel shows mutating and reproducing on TV, maybe it’s fitting that the most unique of the bunch exists only online. Levitch will sound familiar if you caught his starry-eyed turn in Richard Linklater‘s “Waking Life” or 1998’s “The Cruise”; here, he’s perfectly in his element leading tours of unconventional sites such as Chicago’s former Hobo College, sometimes while talking with inanimate objects.   (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

You might remember Cherry as creator of the nearly inescapable “Buffalo Stance” back in the ‘80s, but a better reference point for her latest work is fiery jazz trumpeter Don Cherry (her stepfather). A ferocious mix of Neneh Cherry’s soulful vocals and powerful European free-jazz combo the Thing, this project mixes original music and songs by the Stooges, Ornette Coleman and Suicide into something new and bracingly alive.   (RAFA RIVAS, AFP/Getty Images)

Is it fair to knock a film if it seems already aware of its own inessentialness? Even this movie’s name admits to its own disposability, but for all the fleeting thrills that came from seeing Hollywood invent an action hero retirement plan on the fly with this movie’s first, it’s hard to imagine there’s more fertile ground to be tilled asking these vintage actors to return in all their alarmingly fit glory. On the bright side, it seems to keep everybody involved from running for office.  (Frank Masi / Associated Press)

Beloved by a generation for extolling the virtues of “Girl Power” (as long as that power included small outfits and five distinct personality types), Sporty, Scary, Ginger, Daffy and Sneezy (or however they’re known) were back in the spotlight during the scattershot closing ceremony of the London Olympics. Now before things get out of hand, please leave us to today’s pop stars who seem only preoccupied with making boys call them — wait, is this progress?  (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

What were the odds that this frontman for Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker would become such an advocate for the modern musician? In two well-considered posts that went viral online, Lowery first broke down the harsh realities of the new music industry, then took a young NPR intern to task for bragging about not paying for music. Whether you agree with Lowery or not, he’s doing important work in furthering the conversation.  (Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images)

< Every summer brings one song that requires a frozen poker to the eardrum to escape, and 2012’s is this brain-infesting confection from Carly Rae Jepsen (pictured), which for some reason inspired a whole raft of musicians and celebrities to make a cover video in response. Although one involving the Roots and Jimmy Fallon was pretty cute, it’s time for everyone to take a step back before the virus spreads further — for the good of mankind.   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Though the reviews for “The Newsroom” have been unfavorable, Sorkin still is one of television’s most brilliant writers, and odds are his new HBO show will still feature no shortage of goose bump-raising lines. Still, he’d be a lot easier to root for if another writer could put words in his mouth every now and then because his anti-Internet rants have started sounding anti-modernity — and the sooner he lays off his condescending tone the better.   (Nate Shron / Getty Images)

Dismissed by its own company as a “hobby,” this little square hockey puck is a surprisingly enticing option for those ready to cut out their cable. Bringing the computer into the living room in an intuitive, simple way, it’s intriguing to access your music and streaming video using Apple’s typically elegant interface. Now all it needs is to be open to more of the Internet’s riches (with, say, a browser or Hulu) and we’ll really “think different” about TV.   (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)

If there’s any potential fallout from the musical costume drama curiosity that is “Rock of Ages” (and really, haven’t we seen enough of Tom Cruise‘s abs at this point?), it’s the possibility that it could inspire more stars to grab a microphone. We’ve weathered amiable recordings from Scarlett Johansson and Jeff Bridges recently, but for every would-be Zooey Deschanel who finds a voice there are a thousand Steven Seagals who shouldn’t.   (David James / Associated Press)

Samberg showed a gift for absurd laughs in his “Saturday Night Live” digital shorts, but he’s not off to a promising start in switching to the big screen. His underwhelming “Hot Rod” from 2007 looks brilliant compared with the dreadful-looking Adam Sandler vehicle “That’s My Boy,” and next year doesn’t look much brighter with a planned role in a “Grown Ups” sequel nobody wanted. Keep working on those songs, Andy.   (Tracy Bennett / Associated Press)

Although there’s nothing wrong with loving where you live — and we do — the first track on this band’s summer-bright sophomore album is so puffed with Southern California pride that it veers into self-congratulation. Despite Bethany Cosentino’s vocals sounding like an irresistible mix of sun and sugar, a jangly pop song boasting “Why would you live anywhere else?” probably won’t help our rankings in the next “most hated state” survey.  (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

If you hear more shouting than usual from the neighbors this month it’s thanks to this event, which every four years rounds up the top soccer nations in Europe in pursuit of continental bragging rights. Though many countries have made the news while staving off further financial meltdowns, it’s inspiring to watch world-class athletes and face-painted fans (with their national tics) show their true colors, even if you’re ambivalent toward what everyone else calls “football.”  (Oliver Weiken / EPA)

You can’t blame the DVD rental company for trying to up its profits, but some of its selections seem angled toward camouflaging themselves as bigger (and better) films. “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” comes out Friday, but the completely unrelated “Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies” is available now. Like “Snow White and the Huntsman”? Then you’ll know it’s a long way from “Grimm’s Snow White.” Be careful out there.   (George Frey / Getty Images)

You wouldn’t expect an indie rock drummer who appears to be engaged in a naked fight with Devendra Banhart on a recent album cover to release a record this contemplative. A collection of inviting and often melancholy pieces for solo piano, Rogove touches on pop and classical music through the hands of Medeski Martin and Wood keyboardist John Medeski, who delivers Rogove’s songs in lush, living color.   (Mariah Tauger / For The Times)

Sure, it was fun for a while to watch the bearded Alexander Ebert bounce on stages with his expanding band like the Manson Family covering Arcade Fire with unavoidably peppy songs like “Home.” But the hippie pop orchestra shtick has worn thin, and no matter how many homages to classic folk rock there may be on the band’s new album, “Here,” it all feels like a slickly produced costume drama.  (Charles Eshelman / Getty Images)

Now that “Snow White and the Huntsman” is packing theaters with the force typically reserved for superhero films, we can look forward to more big roles for this actress, who’s probably best known as half the fun couple from “Twilight.” Anticipation is running high for her turn in the adaptation of “On The Road” — will she play someone mysterious, sullen and of few words? Or will she actually (finally) play a different character?  (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

The ongoing performance piece that is James Franco‘s career took another left turn recently with “Rebel,” a Franco-curated art show inspired by the film “Rebel Without a Cause.” While it’s been entertaining to watch this actor tweak audience expectations since his post-”Freaks and Geeks” rise (notably in playing a pretentious artist named Franco on a daytime soap), being unpredictable isn’t the same thing as being interesting.   (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

Dare anyone speak ill of this heir to the classic rock throne? While it’s great to hear White playing with a drummer capable of more than the caveman beats of the White Stripes, it’s difficult to figure why such an avalanche of praise follows his every move. Yes, he’s got an ear for history, a sharp eye for visuals, and plays a killer guitar, but before we induct him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, can’t he make one truly surprising record?   (Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

We admit a small measure of glee in watching the Facebook IPO land with a bit of a thud after inspiring a rash of luxury spending in the already pricey San Francisco area (though we still love you, NorCal). Maybe the social networking giant will eventually mount a Wall Street comeback, but right now it seems some people have realized that a supposedly game-changing website is really just a glorified means to share baby pictures.  (Joerg Koch / Associated Press)

Last week, NBC announced it was replacing Dan Harmon, the demented genius behind “Community,” after low ratings and maybe a few too many public spats with Chevy Chase. Still, for a show that’s drawn a devoted audience for Harmon’s twisted re-imagining of the sitcom tha’’s included homages to “The Legend of Zelda” and a paint-spattered “Die Hard,” it’s tough to imagine how its weird appeal can survive.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

With the campy “Dark Shadows’ in theaters, we have to wonder if Tim Burton has any interest in surprising us any longer. Ever since the heartfelt and beautifully quirky “Ed Wood,” Burton has specialized in churning out what could be called “Tim Burton Movies,” the sort of films that may be visually dazzling and often require Johnny Depp in goth-adjacent costume. It’s entertaining to look at, but Burton could give us so much more.   (TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA, AFP/Getty Images)

Ordinarily it’s best not to get invested with Fox’s overblown but declining musical juggernaut, but once in a while a line must be drawn. With luck, by this time clearer heads will have prevailed and extracted this dorm room Dave Matthews from the airwaves, but given the whims of teenage girls and the show’s incoherent judging, his grunted violence toward innocent rock tunes goes on. The man must be stopped.   (Michael Becker / Associated Press)

Just when you thought a stake had been driven through the “five boys and a melody” pop formula that begot New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, the phenomenon is back with the U.K.’s chart-topping One Direction. Brace yourselves, everyone — this is how the siege begins before these groups start reproducing on our shores. Honestly, England, we’d apologize for that whole revolution thing if you’d just quit exporting this stuff.   (Phil Walter / Getty Images)

Maybe better known by one of the names on his Twitter bio (“The Black Guy From ’40 Yr. Old Virgin’”), Malco should finally make a name for himself as a top-tier comic talent in “Think Like a Man,” a new film with stand-up star Kevin Hart. Malco was a scene stealer in Showtime’s “Weeds” and the aforementioned Apatow movie, but his Web-friendly turn as life coach Tijuana Jackson on “Funny or Die” helped take him to the next level.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Each year brings one song that’s inescapable, and 2012’s early winner is the daintily melancholy “Somebody That I Used to Know” from this Australian singer-songwriter. But it’s not enough that the song itself seems everywhere, it’s the many covers reproducing at an alarming rate on “Glee,” “The Voice” and YouTube that further push the limits of tolerance. The song’s fine in a modern-day Mr. Mister kind of way, but can we move on now?  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Though we could live without the footage of struggling baby penguins and the inevitable heart-rending “nature is harsh” lessons, there is no greater use of your large-screen television and HD video signal than this documentary series. Created by the people behind “The Blue Planet” and “Planet Earth,” this series digs into the perilous lives of polar bears, penguins and beluga whales and finds life worth savoring -- and saving.  (Chadden Hunter / Associated Press)

A few thoughts now that “Harry Potter” and “The Hunger Games” have earned several dump trucks full of money. First, does it point to an infantilization of pop culture that literature targeting teens and tweens keeps hitting with adults (at the expense, presumably, of adult-ready books)? And second, writers and publishers should get used to the idea that evocative blends of fantasy and solid storytelling aren’t just for kids anymore.   (Murray Close / Associated Press)

The grand dame of dance-pop has an unparalleled track record of reinvention and a steady dedication to the cutting edge of music and fashion. Now, with her dated new album, “MDNA,” it’s time to accept that the 53-year-old singer rests alongside the Rolling Stones as the sort of act that releases albums well below the level of its prime as serviceable fodder for massive tours that inspire joy, dancing and the spending of serious cash.   (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

There’s no denying the pure entertainment in the NCAA‘s annual spider web of brackets and tiny schools from basketball backwaters upsetting major college programs that basically function as NBA farm systems. But the bandwagon-jumping from just about every publication extending the gimmick to best book covers, TV shows, movies and pop radio favorites has gotten out of hand. Doesn’t anyone remember top 10 lists?  (Paul Rogers / For The Times)

With a gently scuffed, quavering voice, this singer-songwriter reached new heights with her new album, which is titled in reference to her period of semi-homelessness. Produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner, the record is a quietly addictive listen with Van Etten’s lyrics on heartache and uncertainty landing with such disarming rawness that you sometimes wonder if she’s sharing too much -- yet you can’t help wanting more.  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

On the surface it’s a forward-thinking move for the network to allow subscribers to watch past seasons of its original shows online, but ultimately HBO is missing the bigger picture by not allowing customers to subscribe to only a streamable option. Though it’s easy to imagine current cable and satellite users enjoying the app’s portable ease, imagine the money HBO would make if they made it available to everybody. After all, it’s not TV, right?   (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

An inventive vocalist often filed under “jazz” simply for want of a suitable genre to contain his otherworldly sound, Bleckmann’s latest album is a gentle yet consistently rewarding take on the Kate Bush songbook. Backed by seasoned jazz players such as Grammy-nominated drummer-composer John Hollenbeck, Bleckmann’s lilting, acrobatic voice takes Bush’s already singular vision somewhere unexpected and every bit as heartfelt.   (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

It’s hard to complain about one of Dr. Seuss’ most enduring creations becoming a box-office star, but there’s something unsavory about the formerly soft-spoken character getting words put in his mouth. Though it’s inevitable that Hollywood’s 3-D update would become something much louder, seeing Seuss’ conservationist creation also shill for cars and cellphones feels like someone should’ve thought to “speak for the Lorax.”   (Universal Pictures / Associated Press)

Every generation has its era-defining band, and these sunny sons of Hawthorne certainly would qualify as one of them. And while after 50 years and an impossibly influential body of work they deserve the curtain call, it’s tough getting any more excited about this than the next, inevitable reconvening of the Rolling Stones and what’s left of the Who. You can bring back the band and trot out the hits, but nobody can bring back the time.   (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

This host is too young, that host is too old, this category is too big while the other is too small. The right films never win, there’s too much red carpet coverage and, of course, it’s all about campaigns and commerce, not the art. If these are common refrains for you, the Academy Awards aren’t the weather -- you can do something about it. Turn off your TV, maybe go see a movie. We hear there are a couple of good ones out there.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

It’s a little puzzling in a best picture category big enough to nominate “War Horse” and “Midnight in Paris” that there was no room for this taut, almost startlingly grown-up thriller. A contender for adapted screenplay, for original score and for Gary Oldman‘s understated performance as a crafty espionage vet, the film deserved more notice for its oppressively brown ‘70s sets and the careful direction from “Let the Right One In‘s” Tomas Alfredson.  (Jack English / EPA)

In a baffling, over-the-top Grammy appearance last week, this former next-big-thing followed a well-worn route in looking for publicity: Start offending religious groups. And while all that seemed missing in Minaj’s exorcism-evoking performance of new single “Roman Holiday” was an outraged soft-drink sponsor à la Madonna‘s 1989 “Like a Prayer” controversy, these high-concept attention grabs work a lot better if the song is good too.   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Ostensibly a bluegrass band if you consider only the all-acoustic instrumentation, this project co-led by Largo favorite (and former Nickel Creek mandolinist) Chris Thile offers a new, giddily supercharged take on folk-pop. The group just released its second album, “Who’s Feeling Young Now,” which features a head-spinning mix of sticky melodies, instrumental fireworks and, for good measure, a twisted, rustic take on Radiohead‘s “Kid A.”   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

M.I.A. performs during the Super Bowl halftime show last year.  (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

An in-demand producer who collects Grammy nods the way some collect stamps, Henry may be best known for the warm glow he’s cast on award-winning records by Solomon Burke and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. But he deserves as much notice for his own work as a singer-songwriter. Colored by rich acoustic instrumentation and Henry’s lyrical literary flourishes, this 2011 album is a great place to get to know Henry’s voice.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

For all the hype about the past-its-prime return of this L.A. band, there’s something very “Voodoo Lounge”-feeling about the news that Van Halen has recorded a new album. The single “Tattoo” is underwhelming, and the rest of the album’s promised takes on vintage material will still be heard on tour as beer breaks between “Unchained” and “Panama.” The band already reunited in 2007, so this is just a convenient excuse for another lucrative tour.   (Charles Sykes / Associated Press)

If a sports championship is near, it must be time for a celebrity to bungle a pregame take on the singer-slaying “Star-Spangled Banner.” Last week, it was Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, who outraged a nation of frustrated “American Idol” judges; after so much outcry, it’s time for two choices. Accept that, like nations, no two versions of the song can be alike, or prevent future hand-wringing by opting for the more agreeable “America the Beautiful.”   (Gene Sweeney Jr. / Baltimore Sun)

Welcome to 2012, where an artist can be the Next Big Thing, have the social import of her music debated among critics and be tapped for a too-soon set on “SNL,” only to have her sound just bad enough to conceivably kill her career after only two songs and a still-unreleased album. This is the ballad of Lana Del Rey, a possibly interesting artist with a decent voice who just might already be finished before she started. Who dares to be next?  (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

With a ‘90s revival in full swing, there may be no more vivid time capsule of the decade than these blue-and-gold relics, if you can still find one near you. With most rentals a Red Box-fighting 99 cents, it’s a surprisingly workable option when all else fails. The odd reality is that despite all the talk of streaming video and technological advances, renting the movie you want can still be simplest and most efficient with a decades-old business model.  (Paul Sakuma / Associated Press)

Coming soon to a CW affiliate near you, the somewhat unfortunately named “Oh, Sit!” takes network creativity to new heights by promising a riveting round of “musical chairs for adults,” which apparently will include a live band and an obstacle course. Place your bets for how long it will take for more childhood activities to air, such as high-concept twists on tag, high-speed skipping and, of course, watching TV.   (David Guttenfelder / Associated Press)

Days removed from a birth that reportedly took a whole hospital wing to accommodate, the Internet was abuzz over Blue Ivy Carter and her first vocal credit on Jay-Z‘s new single, “Glory.” As touching as it is to hear the ever-proud papa boast about one day taking his kid shopping on Savile Row, the interest wanes quickly when you consider how many children are born every week into poverty instead of recording careers.   (Emmanuel Dunand, AFP/Getty Images)

The second season for this IFC sketch comedy series with “Saturday Night Live’s” Fred Armisen and Wild Flag’s Carrie Brownstein has enjoyed more advance praise than ever, but it needs to deliver more consistency. Most gags merit more knowing nods than laughs, and as tasty as the meat can be skewering the sacred cows of urban hipsterdom, many sketches go on just too long.  (Danielle Mathias / Associated Press)

First noticed for perfecting an eyebrow-shaded glare as Sylar on NBC’s “Heroes,” Quinto has risen from being Vulcan-ized as Spock in the “Star Trek” reboot to something far more intriguing. He earned raves in a production of “Angels in America,” and his campy turn in “American Horror Story” was light-years from his shellshocked Wall Street foot soldier in “Margin Call,” a film he also co-produced. Where else can Quinto boldly go?  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

A welcome sighting on some year-end best-of lists, this category-busting songwriter deserves a wider audience, particularly among those waiting for Prince to recapture past glories. But that diminishes what Van Hunt has done on this gleefully twisted record, which mixes soul, psychedelic funk and fuzz-rock into something original that sounds not only from another time but another planet.   (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

A flip of the calendar always inspires reflection on the previous year, and one moment from 2011 that leaves a mark is knowing Katy Perry tied Michael Jackson’s long-held record for No. 1 hits from a single album with the pop tarts spawned from “Teenage Dream.” Though it’s a comfort knowing the numbers are a bit skewed given the current music industry, this hangover still might take another year to recover from.   (Victor R. Caivano / Associated Press)

A U.K. singer-songwriter whose latest album made a splash among only select circles, Marling’s twisting and addictive “A Creature I Don’t Know” deserved a more fixed presence on the year-end lists of the last month. Though only a brain-scrambling 21, Marling is armed with a sharp, roomy voice and a wicked way with words that can recall a brilliant cross between Joni Mitchell and Lucinda Williams.   (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)