10 holiday gifts to hit the right note for music lovers

By Maria Sherman, The Associated Press on November 20, 2024.

Music fans should be easy to shop for this holiday season, right?

Wrong! What do you pick up for the friend who knew about that rapper months before the rest of the world? What about the audiophile, whose listening habits are particular and immovable? Your sister loves Taylor Swift, but surely she already owns everything the pop star has ever released, right?

Here’s a gift guide for the audio lover in your life – from a can’t-miss box set for the Elvis Costello obsessive to a set of wine glasses that will be music to everyone’s ears.

Play it by … wine

Chances are, you’ve seen someone play water glasses before – rubbing the rim of a glass with a finger can produce musical notes, which change depending on how full the glass is. Uncommon Goods has taken the idea a step further: What if, instead of water glasses, you used wine? And what if there was a way to determine which notes could be produced, by marking each glass like a measuring cup? Well, that’s exactly what they did. Compose a symphony of one with these wine glasses. $68.

Clear the way

A recent trend in venue security is the clear-bag policy. The goal is to streamline bag checks upon entry, making the process safer and faster. If you’re looking for a great gift for a loved one who plans their life around stadium and arena shows, look no further. The clear bag is an alternative to shoving everything in your pockets and clutching your smartphone to your palm. Herschel has a few reasonably priced bags that are practical, stylish and will meet most venue guidelines. $35.

Elvis Costello has entered the building

A new six-disc Elvis Costello box set, “King Of America & Other Realms,” has what you’d expect from a revisit to Costello’s 1986 “King of America” album – a remastered version of the original, demos of most songs, a live concert from the era, even some newly recorded takes. The “Other Realms” is what sets it apart. Building on the original album’s roots-based theme, half of the set explores other Costello recording adventures in the United States – many from the 2000s – with alternate versions and previously unreleased tracks. Highlights are duets with Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, and the often overlooked “April 5th” song with Rosanne Cash and the late Kris Kristofferson. Inventive and full of buried treasures, the box is an enriching look back – and a great gift. $139.98.

Learn Korean!

There’s no better gift to give or receive than one that expands horizons. In “Learn! Korean with BTS,” K-pop fans can discover a new language through their love of BTS and members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook. The book package teaches Korean consonants and vowels, using the names and songs of BTS. A workbook is supplemented by video and other media. What could be better – or more rewarding – for the K-pop fan? $44.49.

Loud and proud

A decent pair of headphones is step one on the journey to true bliss for the audiophile. However, carrying around a studio set may not always be in the cards. But a noise-canceling pair? That’s necessary. Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones are a solid investment, all high-fidelity audio perfect for a long plane ride or a daily commute in equal measure. $229.

For the Swifties

Everyone knows someone who loves Taylor Swift. But what do you give the superfan who already owns all her albums in every colorway? Unisex jewelry, maybe? In honor of this year’s release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” get them the official gold-plated, stainless-steel, chain-link bracelet featuring the “TTPD” logo on the pop star’s website. It comes in two sizes: a small/medium option, 7.5 inches long, and a large/extra-large option, 8.5 inches long. $40.

For the soul

Music books are always a good idea. For the hip-hop expert, a new text from the critic Marcus J. Moore, “High and Rising: A Book About De La Soul,” is a necessary cultural history of the hip-hop trio of Kelvin “Posdnuos” Mercer, Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur and Vincent “Maseo” Mason, who changed music forever. The book covers their ascent, and the ways in which the group defied expectations and defined a new Black alternative music, as well as the legal troubles they faced. $27.89.

Get up and go

Pop-punk band Green Day’s coffee brand, Punk Bunny Coffee, is ideal for fans of their palm-muted power chords and political anthems – and for those who prefer their morning brew to be organic, fair trade and delicious. This holiday season, they’re offering a few limited-edition roasts, including some themed after their best-known albums, like “Dookie” and “American Idiot.” If coffee isn’t preferable, no worries! They’ve got a limited-edition hot cocoa, too. $13.99-$17.99.

Lights out and away we go

There’s never a wrong time to buy Bad Bunny merchandise. And there’s really never a time to buy Bad Bunny merch when it is themed after his blockbuster single “Monaco” and features Formula 1 iconography. The pinnacle of motorsports is growing in popularity globally, so if you know someone who loves both reggaeton and Sergio “Checo” Pérez – and who doesn’t? – Bad Bunny’s concert T-shirts are at the intersection of both. $55.

Take a trip to West Germany

Let’s be honest: True music lovers enjoy all different genres and styles. Those with the deepest knowledge are insatiable; they want to learn as much as they can about a variety of different subcultures and niches. For those real ones, the best gift this holiday season is the first ever oral history of Krautrock, Christoph Dallach’s “Neu Klang: The Definitive History of Krautrock,” featuring German bands like Can, Neu!, Amon DÃ¼Ã¼l, Popul Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Faust, Cluster and, of course, Kraftwerk. $29.80.

___

Associated Press journalist Dave Bauder contributed to this report.

___

For more AP gift guides and holiday coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/gift-guide and https://apnews.com/hub/holidays.