What a year, huh? 2020, to summarize a common sentiment, has not been awesome. That doesn’t mean it can’t end on a high note, though.
We’re in the midst of the holiday season, and if there are any music fans you’re still trying to get gifts for, let us give you a hand. We’ve gathered a heaping handful of gift ideas for you to look over and consider, and there are a ton of options here, too. Whether you’re looking for a headlining gift or an opening act to stuff in a stocking, you can’t go wrong with something listed below. We got everything from Megan Thee Stallion’s clothing line to clever music accessories to audio solutions, so pore over our picks below and maybe you’ll find something that can help give somebody’s 2020 a satisfying conclusion.
We’ve conveniently divided the list into groups of gifts that would be fitting for a certain kind of person, so let’s start with:
For the fan who wants to look fresh
Fashion Nova x Megan Thee Stallion
Price: varies
If you’re reading this, it’s possible you already have something from Megan Thee Stallion’s new collaboration with Fashion Nova, as the line moved $1.2 million of product in just its first 24 hours of availability. If you don’t (or if somebody in your life doesn’t), though, there are plenty of options that should please any of Meg’s hotties. The line has looks for all budgets, too: There are tops for under $30, or if you have a bit more to spend, there’s a white feather jacket that’s a real statement piece.
Get it here.
David Byrne-designed merch
Price: varies
Earlier this year, David Byrne’s online magazine “Reasons To Be Cheerful” launched a “multimedia editorial project” called “We Are Not Divided.” The project was described as “a six-week collaborative journalistic exploration of our capacity to overcome division,” and on top of that noble cause, it has spawned some top-rate merch. This is a rare opportunity to get a shirt (or mug, bottle, bag, notebook, etc.) designed by Byrne himself, and his illustrations would look great on your body (or holding your hot beverages, your cold beverages, your written thoughts, etc.).
Get it here.
Golf Wang clothes and accessories
Price: varies
Tyler The Creator’s Golf Wang clothing line has been a gift guide staple for about a decade now, and it has really evolved to become an entity that’s something beyond just Tyler. Vibrant new items are always being introduced, and as it stands now, the Golf online store has everything from masks to lighters to socks to sweaters to jewelry to underwear. Basically, if there’s a gap in your wardrobe, Golf Wang can probably fill it.
Get it here.
Noise For Now masks and t-shirts
Price: varies
Noise For Now describes itself as “a national initiative that enables performers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of reproductive justice, including abortion access.” If that’s a cause you want to financially support, the initiative now offers a way to do it that that involves you getting a slick-looking article of clothing in return. There are shirts, bandanas, masks, and more emblazoned with the Noise For Now logo or pro-Roe vs. Wade messages, so the collection is worth a look if what Noise For Now does resonates with you.
Get it here.
For the fan who wants to hear everything
Beats Flex wireless earbuds
Price: $49.99
Not all great headphones need to cost an arm and a leg. These new Beats Flex wireless earbuds are great for home or travel, and feature 12 hours of battery life in four distinct colors: black, yellow, blue, and gray. We’re highlighting a couple higher-end headphone options below, but sometimes it’s important to have that set that can easily go anywhere with you, and that stay connected to each other in case you have the habit of misplacing small things.
Get it here.
Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds
Price: $249.95
Yes, the price point is a little higher than the other Beats offering we are highlighting, but it’s also well worth the jump. In a year when outdoor exercise is one of the few treats we still are able to experience, these headphones make a hike or a run a fully immersive audio experience. There’s a reason why Beats is such a beloved brand in the headphone industry, and these have some great functionality, including 9 hours of battery life and sweat and water resistance. Plus, I just love that they wrap around my ear, helping me not to drop them as I jog around LA.
Get it here.
Sonos speakers and Sonos Radio HD
Price: varies
This was my first year using Sonos and I am hooked. There is a wide variety of products that the speaker giant offers, but the essentials are the One and the One SL, which you can strategically place in a living room and buy additionals for other rooms in the house. I also am a big fan of the Port, which allows me to incorporate my vinyl listening into the Sonos experience. But if there is ever a reason to make the Sonos jump, it’s the launch of Sonos Radio this year. Not only do you have voice-activated, pristine sounding speakers that you can just as easily operate from a phone app, but now Sonos connects to radio stations across the country as well as their own highly curated offerings, including exclusive channels from the likes of Thom Yorke, Third Man Record, Brittany Howard, and many more. And they just launched a subscription HD version of the service, too.
Get it here.
Skullcandy Evo Crusher headphones
Price: $199.99
If you want bass that will rock your world, you can’t go wrong with this line from Skullcandy. The adjustable, sensory bass on these bad boys is just what the doctor ordered for much of the modern music being created today, and its 40 hours of battery life will keep you listening for long beyond your workday and commute. But while the Evo Crushers are a well-rounded product sure to satisfy people of all listening habits, a wise person once said “it’s all about the bass.” With these headphones, that’s never been more true.
Get it here.
DuoTen IPX7 shower speaker
Price: $32.99
The aforementioned speakers and headphones are perfect for their intended use cases, but you might run into trouble if you try to use them while jamming out in the shower. Fortunately, speakers for that specific purpose have long been made, and this one here is one of the most-bought and highest-rated ones on Amazon. It’s only a hair over $30, too, so whether you’re looking to (very carefully) dance in the shower or want to enjoy a podcast or audiobook in the bath, here’s an inexpensive way to make that happen.
Get it here.
Oda speakers and performance membership
Price: $299 for speakers, $79 for membership
I got to take this for a spin earlier this year and Oda is doing something very cool in the home listening space. When more artists are exploring live streaming out of necessity, Oda is looking at this as a possibility beyond the current world circumstances. First, you get the Oda speakers, which look like warm wood panels that can sit unobtrusively anywhere in your house. Then, you get to listen to them come alive. Artists like Arca, Bradford Cox, Jessica Pratt, and Madlib perform special live sets designed specifically with Oda’s sound in mind, serving up tunes for engaged listening, rather than just a streaming playlist you can throw on in the background. This is a new experience for dedicated music fans that miss concerts, and one that should thrive even when live in-person shows return.
Get it here.
For the fan who makes their own music
Tash Sultana x Fender Signature Stratocaster guitar
Price: $1,099.99
Tash Sultana has established themself as one of indie’s most fascinating and creative guitarists of the past few years, so they are more than deserving of their own Signature Stratocaster from Fender. This gorgeous instrument has a transparent cherry-colored finish and is furnished with all-gold hardware, so even if you’re not a Sultana obsessive (yet), this would be a beautiful gift for an artist who has been very good this year. And hey, we’re even giving you the chance to win one of these right now.
Get it here.
Pick-a-Palooza DIY Guitar Pick Punch
Price: $25.95
The holiday season is also gift card season, so if you’re a guitarist, here’s a solution for all that plastic that becomes useless after you’ve spent the money: Turn it into guitar picks. This hole punch from Amazon will turn gift cards, old credit cards, or any sort of comparable bit of flat plastic into a perfectly sized and shaped pick. With nearly 3000 ratings that amount to a 4.5 out of 5 average score, the Amazon community has spoken, and they’re saying that this is worth the pick-up, especially since the kit comes with a handful of other goodies.
Get it here.
Fender x Brixton Limited Edition Headwear Collection
Price: varies
Style and functionality defined. This Fender x Brixton collab looks great on your head, so much so that you wouldn’t even notice the pick holders present inside of them. It’s only fitting that one of the most beloved names in headwear would match so perfectly with one of the most trusted names in guitars. Personally, I’m more of a ball cap or beanie guy, but if you want to sport a look closer to one of the Mumfords or Stevie Ray Vaughn, this new series has you covered.
Get it here.
Blue Yeti USB microphone
Price: $129.99
The Blue Yeti has become an essential microphone for anybody who wants a consumer-level but high-quality piece of equipment at a perfectly resonable price. From podcasts to music, this mic has been used for basically any audio-capturing purpose and has done the job well. Heck, just the other day, I was watching an NBA interview and I noticed that Kemba Walker was talking into one. I’ve personally had one of these since 2014, and all this time later, it has held up tremendously well and delivers results that never leave me wanting.
Get it here.
For the fan who wants to drift away
Vona and Sigur Rós’ “Sleep” and “Wake” CBD tinctures
Price: $99.95
I’m not going to lie, this year has been massively stressful for an abundance of reasons. Thankfully, there is CBD to help many of us keep anxiety in check and remain calm. Sigur Rós, ever the calming force in music, got into the CBD game this year with this duo of tinctures, made for both “Sleep” and “Wake.” It doesn’t take a genius to figure out when each of these are appropriate, but it’s important to remember that this product uses organic ingredients and sustainable materials. An important note: there is no THC in this! But now in many states in the US, we can find that elsewhere.
Get it here.
Extract Labs THC-free CBD
Price: varies
More CBD! This one doesn’t have a direct music tie-in, but CBD is honestly the most appropriate gift of 2020, and is great for a night of sitting by the record player with loved ones. I personally like the 1:1 CBD and CBG Broad Spectrum Tincture, and it makes me especially happy to know that there are no pesticides, herbicides, solvents, or chemical fertilizers used.
Get it here.
Harmony wine by Boyz II Men
Price: varies
The music of Boyz II Men has soundtracked a romantic evening or two in its day, an essential component of which is some wine. Now, you can get both of those things from the same source, as the group has their own wine brand, the appropriately named Harmony. Whether you want a Bordeaux Rose, Bordeaux Red, or Bordeaux White, you’re in for one sweet day.
Get it here.
Igloo Grateful Dead coolers
Price: varies
Hopefully, we’re just a few months away from throwing some drinks and snacks in a cooler and getting together with friends for a concert, a barbecue, or any of the other social endeavors that we’ve sorely missed this year. And, when we are back to such activities, this collaboration from cooler icon Igloo and music icon The Grateful Dead is a must-have. Available as both traditional Igloo coolers and backpacks, the series features the legendary Dead artwork, tie-dyed aesthetic, and, of course, great functionality to ensure that food and beverages remain as icy cool as they started. I can feel summer coming just by looking at them.
Get it here.
For everybody else
Custom Cameo video
Price: varies
Good luck approaching a celebrity in the street these days, or even seeing one. There is still one way to interact with some big names, though, and that’s by getting them to film a custom video message for you or a loved one on Cameo. The platform has a surprisingly large roster of musicians that includes Akon, Redman, Arlo Guthrie, Kenny G, and a number of others.
Get it here.
Vinyl records
Price: varies
All year, we have been keeping track of the best vinyl releases in a monthly column, so if you have a friend with a turntable and a collection that welcomes additions, our archives are a great place to start your hunt. We’ve highlighted new releases, reissues, and special editions, and there have been items from all over the musical spectrum. In January, for example, we included It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers and some Joy Division live albums. No matter who you’re shopping for, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something that will suit their tastes.
Get started here.
Gang Of Four 77-81 box set
Price: $131.24
If you want a more direct vinyl recommendation, here’s one: This box set features Gang Of Four’s early work along with some wonderful box-set-y goodies. The official description of the collection really speaks for itself, so I’ll let it: “The box set contains Entertainment! and Solid Gold (both remastered from the original analog tapes), an exclusive singles LP, and an exclusive double LP of the never officially released Live At American Indian Center 1980. Additionally, the package includes two new badges, a C90 cassette tape compiling 26 never-before-issued outtakes, rarities and studio demos from Entertainment! and Solid Gold, and an epic 100-page, full-color handbound book.”
Get it here.
Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs
Price: $23.98
After a year pretty much without concerts, there’s finally a shred of hope for the future of live entertainment. There has been talk about a coronavirus vaccine in the not-so-distant future, so when concerts eventually come back, you can make sure the concertgoer in your life is ready with high-quality earplugs. Even beyond live music, hearing protection is important, so these would be great to wear while mowing the lawn, working with power tools, babysitting, or doing anything else that could potentially damage your hearing in the long run. (Just kidding about babysitting, please be an attentive caregiver if put in that position.)
Get it here.
Chasin’ The Bird: Charlie Parker In California graphic novel
Price: $99.99
Charlie Parker made some of the most beautiful jazz the world has ever known, and this graphic novel gives his story the visual accompaniment it deserves. The publisher’s statement about the book notes, “The graphic novel explores Bird’s relationship with the characters and events he encountered during his time in L.A. including recording some of his signature songs with Dial Record founder Ross Russell, a brief but influential stay at the home of famed jazz photographer William Claxton, a party for the ages at the ranch home of artist Jirayr Zorthian, and others who found themselves in the orbit of the jazz genius.”
Get it here.
Bring Music Home coffee table book
Price: $75
In a time when concert venues have never been more missed, this new book from Tito’s and Yeti, Bring Music Home, has never been more appropriate or welcomed. It features images of and words about storied performance spaces like The Filmore and Baby’s All Right, all in 400 pages that has exclusive photos and stories. On top of the quality of the product, a portion of proceeds go to benefit The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), so the books looks good and you can feel good about having bought it.
Get it here.
Some of the products listed here were sent to Uproxx as samples.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.