The 2022 Gift Guide for Music Lovers

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The 2022 Gift Guide for Music Lovers

Now that streaming has essentially placed most all recorded music at our fingertips, it’s gotten a little more difficult to find a gift for that music-lover in your life. But we’re here to help. This year’s music gift guide includes a variety of potential presents at a variety of price points, 10 gift ideas for this holiday season.

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib

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Hanif Abdurraqib, the poet and music journalist known for his deeply emotional, personal writing about music, released yet another brilliant book last year, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance. Written in his typical blend of breaking down the music alongside an analysis of his personal life, or bringing the stories of musicians nearer and dearer to the reader, Abdurraqib once again proves that music can and should never be written about “objectively.” It is through his deep vulnerability that the reader’s heart is moved, and that they learn most fully from his writing. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Custom Vinyl Record

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Spotify playlists for your loved ones are great and all, but there’s something lost when it isn’t a physical mixtape that they can hold in their hands with love. Luckily, the people over at Vinylify have tapped into the vinyl craze to allow for a music mix with a bit of flair. You can have them press any collection of songs, and add a personalized album cover. Or, give your loved one a gift card, and allow them to listen to their favorite playlist on vinyl quality. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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LEGO Ideas Fender Stratocaster

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Ok, playtime just got really fun: for the budding (or grown) guitarist in your life, this Lego recreation of a 1970s Fender Stratocaster quite literally helps them build on their passion. The guitar is available in red or black, and comes with every detail you could think of—aa posable whammy bar, pickup switch, tuning pegs, guitar picks in four colors, rubber cables for a look of realness, and a folding stand your real guitar might be jealous of. At 14 in. long, it makes for a great display item once the puzzle challenge is over, accompanied by a buildable 65 Princeton Reverb amplifier (did you really think they’d forget that detail?). Give the guitarists a break from practicing…by gifting them a whole new way of approaching their favorite instrument. —Scott Russell and Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman

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Lizzy Goodman’s kick-ass oral history is a must-have for anyone wishing to learn more about and discuss the true ins and outs of the New York scene of the 2000s. Iconic bands such as The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and LCD Soundsystem cut their teeth here, and found their sounds amid the city’s post-9/11 turmoil—their and other bands’ evolutions are discussed in the interviews of which the book is composed. A much-discussed documentary based on the book has also just been released, and who wants to watch the movie without being able to say they read the book first? —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Mixtape Card Game

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Unlike other fast-played card games, this one encourages you to find out more about your loved ones’ musical values. The game, played simply and effectively with a deck of cards and whatever streaming service you use, asks you to choose different songs for different life moments—essentially asking you to score your life like a movie. And most importantly, you talk about your choices. Ever wonder why your dad always seems to hum along to that one Ella Fitzgerald song, or why that Rolling Stones track more often than not makes your best friend cry? The human body remembers in so many ways, especially through sound and music. With this game, you might just connect over a whole new trove of memories you never realized existed. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Otamatone

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Definitely don’t let the music lover in your life be the last to hear about this goofy new instrument that’s blowing up on TikTok right now. Music is for the adventurous of spirit, and that certainly includes trying out new things as they come up. This instrument is a portable synthesizer, where you can adjust the tone and bass by moving the mouth of the object, designed like a music note. As TikTok has shown us, there’s a lot one can do with such a simple seeming instrument—don’t think of this gift as a toy, think of it as a springboard for creativity. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney

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If you’re going into buying a gift without a clear idea of the tastes of the receiver, a beautiful book by a former Beatle is a bet that has a pretty high chance of being loved. Starting in 1956, Paul McCartney takes 154 songs and, bit by bit, breaks them down with you. He writes meaningfully about who inspired what (Queen Elizabeth makes her way in there), taking from literary inspirations such as Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and Alan Durband, his high-school English teacher. This is the great songwriter somehow made even more personal than his music, taking care and attention that has resulted in a beautiful book. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Teeny Tiny Record Player

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Gifts aren’t so much about what you need as about what you want, what shows you that other people have been thinking about you. And there seems to be no sweeter trinket to achieve the task than this mini record player. It fits in the palm of your hand, and is accompanied by three records (that really play!) and a little booklet about the history of vinyl and some top albums. If your regular size record player ever gets lonely, this makes the perfect companion. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Victrola Countertop Jukebox

Haven’t you always wished for a jukebox right in your kitchen? With this one, the queue is always up to you, and it doesn’t break the bank, or take up precious space. This countertop jukebox has bluetooth (don’t quite remember that feature from the ’50’s…), and includes radio, an Aux-in jack and a color-changing lighting set up. It so often seems that just that extra touch of fun lights and music actually emerging from a jukebox look-alike are what it takes to really get you in the mood for your music, dancing or otherwise. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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Vinyl Record Earrings

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With this gift, they’ll be able to make other people instantly aware of their passion, just in case a variety of band T-shirts don’t already do that for them. These vinyl earrings are a sweet match with anything, giving off a funky vibe just outside of the traditional. They don’t just have to be worn with jeans, but can mix up an otherwise plain dressier outfit, or be worn on a night out (a conversation starter, for sure). The earrings are all randomly paired together, giving them a more natural, organic feel. —Rosa Sofia Kaminski

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