Two years ago, WLGX Louisville took its Adult Hits "Louie-FM" format a generation younger, becoming "Gen-X Radio" Its initial success spurred a format boomlet that would include not just sister Clear Channel stations, but also outlets from Citadel and Entercom (which had already launched a somewhat different '90s-format elsewhere).

Now, Guns 'N' Roses and Dr. Dre are on hold (or at least on the Webstream) for a month and WLGX is "Gen-X-mas." In doing so, it's going up against holiday formats at Cox's Mainstream AC WVEZ (Lite 106.9) and Christian outlets WJIE and WSYI (Shine-FM).

WLGX isn't streaming its holiday format. (The stream is being used to offer the regular Gen-X format. You're able to link to other Clear Channel holiday formats on the station site, but not the stream.) But we were still able to take a First Listen.

Gen X-Mas is definitely a different holiday station in terms of imaging. One stager positions the station for those listeners who fall somewhere between "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Elf." Another invokes "playing Duck Hunt under the Christmas tree on your new Nintendo." There's also a more straightforward promise of "52 minutes of Christmas music an hour."

Musically, Gen-Xmas doesn't play that much music you wouldn't hear on a Mainstream AC holiday format. But the proportions are reversed—there's still one tentpole record every hour from a '60s MOR artist, but the bulk of the holiday standards are from relatively recent artists. Here's Gen-X'mas just before Noon on Sunday, Dec. 4:

Bryan Adams, "Christmas Time"
Taylor Swift, "Last Christmas"
Andy Williams, "Happy Holidays To You/It's The Holiday Season"
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, "Christmas Eve-Sarajevo 12/24"
Mariah Carey, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
Jimmy Buffett, "Mele Kalikimaka"
TLC, "Sleigh Ride"
Elton John, "Step Into Christmas"
Josh Groban, "I'll Be Home For Christmas"
Harry Connick, Jr., "This Christmas"
Jessica Simpson & Rosie O'Donnell, "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"
John Lennon, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
Colbie Caillat, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"