TOP 10 Albums of 2012:

1. “Koi No Yokan” Deftones
   
2. “Bloom” Beach House
3. “Information Retrieved” Pinback
4. “Battle Born” The Killers
5. “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger” River City Extension
6. “Oshin” DIIV
7. “Handwritten” Gaslight Anthem
8. “Shields” Grizzly Bear
9. “Attack On Memory” Cloud Nothings
10. (tie)”In Our Heads” Hot Chip / “Negotiations” Helio Sequence

**All votes were tallied from S*ALT listeners, staff, & artists**

The best Christmas / Holiday playlist featuring New, Old & Traditional…

We promise NO Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, N Sync, Kelly Clarkson, and the like.

S*ALT’S 36 Hours of Christmas will begin at 6a PST Christmas Eve… and wrap up around 6p Christmas Day

Icky Blossoms combine bass-heavy electronic grooves, pop structure, and a rock & roll swagger to pioneer a sound on the audio vanguard: music that is simultaneously avant garde, catchy and danceable. Their music spans from the anthemic to the introverted, chronicling the twists and turns of the human condition. Nodding to great sub-genres of the past, while creating songs firmly propelled into the future. Each band member arrives at the group from distinct musical backgrounds and collectively cite varied influences including contemporary pop, electronic, hip hop, experimental, no wave and world music. When Derek, Sarah, and Nik each input their particular inspirations they create a final product that is not only wholly unexpected, but greater than the sum of its parts.

Icky Blossoms’ sound and explosive live shows caught the attention of Omaha’s distinguished Saddle Creek, which has since signed the trio to release their debut LP. The self-titled album, produced by Dave Sitek from TV On The Radio, is slated for a July 17, 2012 release and features tracks that range from “Perfect Vision,” an experiment based around trunk thumping low end and chainsaw guitars, to “Babes,” which was lauded by Rolling Stone as a “girl-power dance anthem.” Other standout tracks include “Heat Lightning,” with its hypnotic arpeggiated synths, electro pulse and sirenesque vocals;  the more raucous “Sex to the Devil,” featuring futuristic synth lines and esoteric lyrics; or “Temporary Freakout,” a classic pop song within an unconventional structure.

S*ALT’s A to Z Anthology

The largest Indie-Alternative Music library on the planet… from start to finish. AIRING NOW. Over 15,000 songs.