Holiday Gift Guide: Last Minute Edition
Dec. 19, 2016
In the weeks leading up to the holidays, we've done our best to tip you off to some music-related recordings, books, gadgets, clothing items and more that we've hand-picked from the vast depths of Amazon. Now, we're almost at the finish line: did you forget someone on your list? Or maybe need something to do with those Amazon gift cards? We've compiled some of our favorite items for one last list of ideas for the holiday shopping season. And check out our previous installments for the rest of our earlier picks.
The Beatles Yellow Submarine Lego Set
If there is a kid (of any age) on your shopping list who loves the Beatles, the newly announced LEGO version of the Fab Four in their psychedelic finest is right up their alley. Anyone who doesn't like this gift is a Blue Meanie. ($59.99)
Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music
This eight-hour documentary series explores the roles and accomplishments of music producers over the decades. With Phil Spector and George Martin as its starting points, the series follows pop music's lineage from vocal groups to rock bands to funk to hip-hop, and features interviews with dozens of A-list musicians and producers, as well as ample studio footage from the recording sessions of some of music's most iconic albums. This is far from a rehash of the 'Classic Albums' series or Time Life's rock history set, and the amount of new content and the variety of artists covered makes for a wealth of information. ($31.99)
Kikkerland Make Your Own Music Box Kit
This music gadget allows you to create your own melody by punching holes in the music paper strips provided. A simple melody strip and instructions are included. Ideal for creative kids and budding composers alike. ($14.71)
AllMusic Subscription
To keep the lights at AllMusic, we have to run ads. There's no way around it, and it's been a fact of life online since the days of 14.4 modems and NCSA Mosaic. The thing is, these ads can get more and more elaborate over time, and loading them can bog down a site. That's why we offer paid subscriptions to AllMusic: for $16 a year, all the ads are gone. Poof. It helps us directly and noticeably speeds up the site for you, so it's a real win/win. ($16/year)
Digital Underground T-Shirt
My nose is big, uh-uh, I'm not ashamed. Big like a pickle; I'm still getting paid. (Starts at $12.45)
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon launched its own streaming service this fall, and just expanded into the U.K., Germany and Austria. Echo owners and Prime subscribers get deep discounts on the $9.99/month service, which gives you access to tens of millions of songs, whenever you want them. There's also a $14.99/month family plan, which allows unlimited streaming for up to six users. (Monthly subscription)
Timeline: Music & Cinema
Stack the deck against your friends and family with this chronologically-minded trivia game focusing on music and film history. We've broken this one out a few times at AllMusic HQ and can vouch for it as the only game where it's important to know if Off the Wall came out before or after Back in Black, and if Raging Bull fits in between the two. ($19.65)
Audio-Technica LP120 Direct Drive Turntable
The latest generation of turntable enthusiasts is probably ready for an upgrade from their standard entry level record players. The LP120 from Audio-Technica is a big step in that direction, shifting to a direct drive motor and boasting features like an adjustable counterweight, several precision settings and USB support. One of the best ways to take care of your records is to play them on a good unit. (Available in black and silver, $249.00)
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen's Memoir
At a stout 510 pages, the Boss goes in deep on his own life with his memoir, tracing the path from his humble New Jersey roots to the stadium-filling, best-selling, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducee that he's become. He also pontificates about the conflict between staying true to one's origins while building the confidence and swagger to assure yourself that this many people deserve to know the things you have to say. ($19.50, hardcover)
The Beatles Yellow Submarine Lego Set
If there is a kid (of any age) on your shopping list who loves the Beatles, the newly announced LEGO version of the Fab Four in their psychedelic finest is right up their alley. Anyone who doesn't like this gift is a Blue Meanie. ($59.99)
Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music
This eight-hour documentary series explores the roles and accomplishments of music producers over the decades. With Phil Spector and George Martin as its starting points, the series follows pop music's lineage from vocal groups to rock bands to funk to hip-hop, and features interviews with dozens of A-list musicians and producers, as well as ample studio footage from the recording sessions of some of music's most iconic albums. This is far from a rehash of the 'Classic Albums' series or Time Life's rock history set, and the amount of new content and the variety of artists covered makes for a wealth of information. ($31.99)
Kikkerland Make Your Own Music Box Kit
This music gadget allows you to create your own melody by punching holes in the music paper strips provided. A simple melody strip and instructions are included. Ideal for creative kids and budding composers alike. ($14.71)
AllMusic Subscription
To keep the lights at AllMusic, we have to run ads. There's no way around it, and it's been a fact of life online since the days of 14.4 modems and NCSA Mosaic. The thing is, these ads can get more and more elaborate over time, and loading them can bog down a site. That's why we offer paid subscriptions to AllMusic: for $16 a year, all the ads are gone. Poof. It helps us directly and noticeably speeds up the site for you, so it's a real win/win. ($16/year)
Digital Underground T-Shirt
My nose is big, uh-uh, I'm not ashamed. Big like a pickle; I'm still getting paid. (Starts at $12.45)
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon launched its own streaming service this fall, and just expanded into the U.K., Germany and Austria. Echo owners and Prime subscribers get deep discounts on the $9.99/month service, which gives you access to tens of millions of songs, whenever you want them. There's also a $14.99/month family plan, which allows unlimited streaming for up to six users. (Monthly subscription)
Timeline: Music & Cinema
Stack the deck against your friends and family with this chronologically-minded trivia game focusing on music and film history. We've broken this one out a few times at AllMusic HQ and can vouch for it as the only game where it's important to know if Off the Wall came out before or after Back in Black, and if Raging Bull fits in between the two. ($19.65)
Audio-Technica LP120 Direct Drive Turntable
The latest generation of turntable enthusiasts is probably ready for an upgrade from their standard entry level record players. The LP120 from Audio-Technica is a big step in that direction, shifting to a direct drive motor and boasting features like an adjustable counterweight, several precision settings and USB support. One of the best ways to take care of your records is to play them on a good unit. (Available in black and silver, $249.00)
Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen's Memoir
At a stout 510 pages, the Boss goes in deep on his own life with his memoir, tracing the path from his humble New Jersey roots to the stadium-filling, best-selling, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducee that he's become. He also pontificates about the conflict between staying true to one's origins while building the confidence and swagger to assure yourself that this many people deserve to know the things you have to say. ($19.50, hardcover)