It shouldn't be a rare thing but it is: A young, critically lauded rock 'n' roll band ascends, even rockets to success on the strength of nothing but the force of its talent. Behold the latest evidence, "Always Alright," a new track from Alabama Shakes.

Soaked in hellcat rockabilly and wasted rock 'n' roll, the raw and brazen Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside know where the garage party is at. They could knock, but it's more fun to kick down the doors.

We asked the DJs of 88.1 KDHX to pick their "Songs of the Year," and as you'd expect, they turned in an incredible range of styles and sounds and themes. Taken as a whole, these 33 songs provide a snapshot of the music that made us dance and sing in 2012.

Another year is now coming to a close, and it's time to take a look at the albums released in 2012 that made the biggest waves on-air at 88.1 KDHX this year.

Various Artists
Rave On Buddy Holly
Fantasy/Concord

The songs on most tribute records can be broken down into three categories: 1) rote repeats of the original tune, 2) efforts to be hip or edgy that cause the song to lose its essence and 3) versions where the artist hits the sweet spot between being true to the song while still putting his or her mark on it.