I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Even if you’re not located in the U.S., it’s never a bad idea to take a few moments to consider the things you’re grateful for. It’s also that time of year when indie newspapers and major publications offer holiday gift guides for their readers. Their choices are usually aimed at those with special interests or hobbies. It’s a great way to discover items you won’t encounter in your local department store. With that goal in mind, here’s the somewhat annual and full week late Broken Hearted Toy Holiday Gift Guide.
Keep in mind that at this point, some gifts ordered from overseas might not reach the U.S. in time for a Christmas morning presentation. Also, while some items listed below are priced too high for the average budget, they’re still fun to look at. Just picture yourself as Tiny Tim gazing through the toy shop window in the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol.
If you’re a Beatles fan who’s still debating whether to shell out over $100 for the Revolver 5 CD Special Edition for yourself or as a gift, there’s an article in the November issue of MOJO magazine that’ll convince you it’s worth the money. Writer Victoria Segal does an amazing job of taking us into Abbey Road Studios during the recording of the landmark album, and we’re overwhelmed by the sheer creative energy of the four band members. In addition to all that music, the Revolver 5 CD Special Edition has a 100-page book with a foreword by Paul McCartney.
The website umusic.co.uk has set up an online version of three very hip shops that cater to the same rock and roll oriented clientele. There are illustrated store fronts for uDiscover, Abbey Road Studios, and The Sound Of Vinyl, and a click will take visitors to each site. uDiscover offers CDs and vinyl while The Sound Of Vinyl lives up to its name, and Abbey Road Studios has art, books, homeware, clothing, and other items for sale.
The Legends series of mini guitars is offering a Dire Straits edition based on the band’s Brothers in Arms album. It’s a handcrafted 1:4 scale replica of Mark Knopfler’s distinctive guitar, and comes with a USB key featuring his favorite Dire Straits recordings.
The Fest For Beatles Fans online shop offers a massive selection of Beatles group and solo recordings, books, t-shirts, toys, and all kinds of other merchandise.
Paul McCartney’s ambitious collection The 7" Singles Box is now available via his website. It’s packed in a wooden crate and features 80 seven-inch vinyl records covering the former Beatle’s output from 1971 to 2022. That includes picture sleeve hit singles with their original b-sides, as well as songs that have never appeared in the seven-inch format before. There’s also a 146-page book. The 7" Singles Box is priced at $611.98
Brett Morgen’s critically acclaimed David Bowie film Moonage Daydream is now available in digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD formats. The official David Bowie website has t-shirts, CDs, stickers, and posters, and magnets for sale. A Divine Symmetry - An Alternative Journey Through Hunky Dory, which features 48 exclusive, previously unreleased tracks on vinyl or as a 4-CD/Blu-ray box set, can be also be purchased from the David Bowie website.
The Who might just have the best online store of any rock band. Check it out for concert posters, vinyl records, t-shirts, buttons, stickers, socks, baseball jerseys, and other merchandise. The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, The Zombies, The Kinks, and U2 also have lots of cool stuff for sale on their websites.
For people in the northwest suburbs, d’Vine Wine and Gifts has a good selection of spirits and accessories that go with them. For example, small figurines of sultry bar patrons that fit on shot glasses or cocktail glasses.
The 55th anniversary 4CD/1 seven-inch single boxset edition of The Monkees album Headquarters is now available exclusively from The Monkees official website. It features outtakes, demos, and newly mixed songs from the original Headquarters.
This holiday season has an impressive selection of new rock and roll books. I’m pretty sure all the ones shown below are now available in book stores and online.
SURRENDER: 40 Songs, One Story, the new memoir by U2 frontman Bono is filled with insightful and often funny reflections on his life from a childhood in Dublin to being an international rock star. All the dates on his book tour sold out, and SURRENDER was recently nominated for The Dubray Biography Of The Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards.
Shiny Happy People is a new children’s picture book that matches the lyrics from that peppy song by R.E.M. with illustrations by Paul Hoppe.
Shot! By Rock - The Photography Of Mick Rock is a hardcover book packed with portraits of musicians the late photographer took throughout his highly successful career.
The Who - Concert Memories from the Classic Years 1964 to 1976 by author Edoardo Genzolini, with help from editor and contributor Jeremy Goodwin, promises “untold stories, hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, and uncirculated recordings clarifying the misinformation, myths, and legends.”
Fingers Crossed - How Music Saved Me From Success, the memoir from Miki Berenyi offers the Lush vocalist-guitarist’s reflections on being an international rock star in the 1980s and ‘90s.
Noted photographer Lynn Goldsmith’s latest book features portraits she took during a decade that still stands out for its vibrant music and culture. Titled Music In The ‘80s, the 352-page hard-cover book offers shots of The B-52’s, Bob Marley, Adam Ant, Bo Diddley, Bananarama, Bob Dylan, Susanna Hoffs, Aretha Franklin, Bono,, Debbie Harry, Ashford and Simpson, and other stars.
Don’t forget to support your local bands. There are a lot of options for live entertainment and if you discover a new favorite, be sure to check their website to see if they have music you can download or order through the mail. Buying one of the band’s t-shirts is another option. The Bandcamp website is another great way to discover and support independent musicians.
Indie record label websites such as Bloodshot, Pravda, Yep Roc, Mega Dodo, American Laundromat, Kool Kat Musik; and Fruits de Mer are always worth shopping, and The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame website has lots of inductee and exhibit memorabilia. Indiegogo and other crowd funding sites are a good way to support your favorite artists and pick up autographed items. And you never know what rare treasures you’ll discover on eBay and Etsy.
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