Holiday Gift Guide: An Early Elvis Anthology, Pearl Jam at Wrigley, a Portable Guitar Amp and More
Dec. 5, 2017
Another week, another batch of holiday recommendations from the AllMusic team. We haven't explicitly noted this before, but at least one of us has hands-on experience with each of the items on the list and can vouch for their usefulness and viability as a gift option. One of us happily spent a week rattling the windows of a lake house with the small but powerful Yamaha amplifier featured in this installment, and Lizzy Goodman's oral history of the resurgent New York rock scene of the early aughts has made the rounds in the office. We'll be back next week with some other cool things we enjoyed this year, and previous weeks' editions are still available.
Elvis Presley, A Boy from Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings
This triple-disc set could have been dubbed The Sun Years, as the set contains all the masters Elvis released for Sam Phillips' Memphis label, but all the outtakes, alternate mixes and seldom-heard acetates, as well as a disc of live material. This collection earned five stars on AllMusic and would be welcomed by any fan of rockabilly and early rock and roll. ($29.49)
Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011, by Lizzy Goodman
Journalist Lizzy Goodman engaged in nearly 200 original interviews with musicians, bloggers, music executives and fans to recount the rise of NYC indie rock bands in the early 2000s. The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and TV on the Radio all tangled together in the backrooms of Brooklyn rock clubs, and Meet Me in the Bathroom unravels the threads. ($18.35, hardcover)
Yamaha THR10C 10-Watt Amplifier
This short, squat amplifier from Yamaha packs a mighty punch in a very portable package. Weighing less than 10 pounds and featuring a wide array of tones and settings, there's no need to sacrifice sound quality or volume with this durable unit. Also included are a number of built-in effects, a tuner, a headphone jack for quieter moments, and a gig bag. ($299.99)
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon is everywhere and their streaming music service offers tens of millions of songs with new releases from today's most popular artists. Listen ad-free with unlimited skips or download for offline listening. Prime subscribers get deep discounts on the $9.99/month service, and there's also a $14.99/month family plan, which allows unlimited streaming for up to six users. (Monthly subscription)
Sennheiser HD 599 Headphones
Sennheiser has long been known for their terrific-sounding headphones, and the HD 599 are no exception. In addition to the superior sonic offering (via aluminum voice coil transducers, as everyone knows), the padded headband and large-cup velour-covered ear cushions (which rest easily around the ear) ease fatigue for marathon listens. ($195.99)
Pearl Jam, Let's Play Two
The most recent live document from Pearl Jam finds the band performing two shows at Chicago's venerated Wrigley Field. Director Danny Clinch draws parallels between the hardworking band's longevity and the hometown Chicago Cubs' much-belated World Series victory in 2016 -- of which Eddie Vedder was a featured spectator -- while the band tears through many of its biggest hits and a howling Beatles cover. ($24.98)
AllMusic Subscription
If you are a die-hard AllMusic user and value the service we provide, for only $12 a year consider giving yourself the gift of a paid subscription. It helps the site keep the lights on, removes the advertisements, and noticeably improves site speed for you, so unlike receiving underwear or a nineteen-pound fruitcake, everybody is happy. ($16/year)
Elvis Presley, A Boy from Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings
This triple-disc set could have been dubbed The Sun Years, as the set contains all the masters Elvis released for Sam Phillips' Memphis label, but all the outtakes, alternate mixes and seldom-heard acetates, as well as a disc of live material. This collection earned five stars on AllMusic and would be welcomed by any fan of rockabilly and early rock and roll. ($29.49)
Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011, by Lizzy Goodman
Journalist Lizzy Goodman engaged in nearly 200 original interviews with musicians, bloggers, music executives and fans to recount the rise of NYC indie rock bands in the early 2000s. The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and TV on the Radio all tangled together in the backrooms of Brooklyn rock clubs, and Meet Me in the Bathroom unravels the threads. ($18.35, hardcover)
Yamaha THR10C 10-Watt Amplifier
This short, squat amplifier from Yamaha packs a mighty punch in a very portable package. Weighing less than 10 pounds and featuring a wide array of tones and settings, there's no need to sacrifice sound quality or volume with this durable unit. Also included are a number of built-in effects, a tuner, a headphone jack for quieter moments, and a gig bag. ($299.99)
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon is everywhere and their streaming music service offers tens of millions of songs with new releases from today's most popular artists. Listen ad-free with unlimited skips or download for offline listening. Prime subscribers get deep discounts on the $9.99/month service, and there's also a $14.99/month family plan, which allows unlimited streaming for up to six users. (Monthly subscription)
Sennheiser HD 599 Headphones
Sennheiser has long been known for their terrific-sounding headphones, and the HD 599 are no exception. In addition to the superior sonic offering (via aluminum voice coil transducers, as everyone knows), the padded headband and large-cup velour-covered ear cushions (which rest easily around the ear) ease fatigue for marathon listens. ($195.99)
Pearl Jam, Let's Play Two
The most recent live document from Pearl Jam finds the band performing two shows at Chicago's venerated Wrigley Field. Director Danny Clinch draws parallels between the hardworking band's longevity and the hometown Chicago Cubs' much-belated World Series victory in 2016 -- of which Eddie Vedder was a featured spectator -- while the band tears through many of its biggest hits and a howling Beatles cover. ($24.98)
AllMusic Subscription
If you are a die-hard AllMusic user and value the service we provide, for only $12 a year consider giving yourself the gift of a paid subscription. It helps the site keep the lights on, removes the advertisements, and noticeably improves site speed for you, so unlike receiving underwear or a nineteen-pound fruitcake, everybody is happy. ($16/year)