Bowie Pillows, DIY Synths And Daft Punk Yo-Yos – Quirky Christmas Gifts For The Music Lover In Your Life

Ho, Ho, How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? Or your Christmas list, for that matter. To avoid any embarrassment on the big day, here’s a 20 point gift guide loaded with treats perfect for any music obsessive. From the classics no Chistmas should be without (oh yes, we’ve found the perfect pair of socks) to personalised pressies and game changing gadgets that will get you in the good books for years to come.

Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965 – 1966: The Bootleg Series Vol.12: Collector’s Edition box set
If you’re one of those types who really does wish it was Christmas every day, stick on this 18 CD limited edition Bob Dylan box set when you wake up on the 25th and don’t look back. Every note recorded between 1965-66, newly created picture sleeves, unreleased tracks and much more. Your family will thank you for it. Especially when you’re knee deep in Disc 4, which is solely comprised of 17 different versions of ‘Like A Rolling Stone,’ false starts, rehearsal takes, alternative lyrics and beyond.

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Meow The Jewels cat food bowls
Some people say buying your cat a Christmas present is the first sign of madness. We’d say remixing your second album with a bunch of cat samples just about tops it. Being the cold hard gangsters they are, Run The Jewels have released a series of pimped up cat food bowls to accompany ‘Meow The Jewels.’ Whiskers and Cristal, anyone?

Daft Punk Yo Yo
The official Daft Punk Genuine Russell Yo-Yo ‘Super Edition’ is about as retro as music merchandise is going to get. Made with a vintage 80s mold, measuring just over 2” in diameter and affectionately known as ‘Strings of Fury’, get meta and insist a performance of an around the world spin to (yes, you guessed it), the duo’s lyrically challenging 1997 hit Around The World.

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DIY mobile phone projector
If you find yourself on the receiving end of a christmas list demanding a state of the art Ultra HD curved TV, fear not. Reduce that price tag by 1000% and set ‘em up with a DIY mobile phone projector instead. Sure, the quality isn’t quite the same. But it exudes a lo-fi charm, reduces all the crowding round your phone and offers endless potential for late night psychedelic house parties. NYE sorted, mate.

Lana Del Rey paper dolls
You know you’ve reached a certain level of fame when you’re being made into a paper doll. Paper Lana is perfect for the pop loving, craft obsessive in your life. Plus, you’ll be able to conduct an instant and deeply psychological reading on their current mental state depending on which outfit and hairstyle combo they are drawn to first. It’s like the fortune telling christmas cracker fish 2.0.

Foo Fighters-inspired street sign (also have The Beatles and other artists)
A street sign. No one will see that coming. And unlike the hilarious ‘men at work’ road sign your mate kept in his uni bedroom as a triumphant symbol of beer induced confidence, these are legal and actually look pretty cool. The Handsome Signs etsy shop offers a range of options. Everything from ‘Champagne Supernova’ to ‘Abbey Road’ and the sure fire first date winner, ‘Highway To Hell.’

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Amy Winehouse ‘AMY’ DVD
It’s not exactly festive family viewing, but ‘Amy’ is without doubt the music documentary of 2015 and an important addition to any music and / or film lover’s collection. When the tragic portrait of the late singer’s rise and fall was released earlier this year, we gave the “exquisitely told” music doc a 9/10. Read the review here.

Badly Drawn Rappers etsy shop…
They might not all admit it, but being immortalised via the old school medium of portraiture is up there on every great rapper’s bucket list. Luckily, a series of high end, soon to be collectable, deeply moving representations of hip hop’s finest have been hand drawn, printed and framed just in time for Christmas. From the poetic lines stretched across Kanye’s forehead to the mangled tree branches that have clearly inspired The Weeknd’s iconic hair do. Badly Drawn Rappers have something for everyone. Plus there’s a ten print deal currently available for every member of Wu Tang Clan. Throw your sharpies in the air.

A Tribute To Record Stores – Bernd Jonkmans
400 pages, 190 different record stores, 36 countries over 5 continents, this beautiful collection by photographer Bernd Jonkmanns is a moving portrait of record shops around the world, with all their individual, eccentric, dusty crates and poster’d walls. Just be sure the music obsessive in your life isn’t too close to the end of a boozy Christmas day when they start flicking through its pages. Jonkmanns started the project in 2009 and sadly, many of the shops have since closed.
No one wants tears at Christmas do they, eh. (Sob).

DIY guitar pedal kit
Everyone loves building something in their pajamas on Christmas day. A DIY guitar pedal kit is the logical next step on from the classic Lego spaceship. Ain’t nothing more festive than the sound of a homemade ‘Engorged Gherkin Fuzz’ or ‘Fat Furry Freak’ pedal busting out a melodic version of Silent Night. Everybody, now…

DIY modular synth kits
Or go modular. The DIY synth kits available at Thonk range from £19 to £141 and allow all sorts of whirring home made modular additions to be built by any discerning synth lover. Before you know it you’ll be soundtracking the Dr Who Christmas special with your very own alien frequencies.

The Maccabees socks
Buying someone socks for Christmas is a bold move. Sure, on the surface it might seem like a rushed, thoughtless cop out. But it’s actually a deeply intimate tradition. Get it right, and you’ll be a hero. Get it wrong, and you’ll be cast aside like the thoughtless Scrouge you actually are. Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work for you. When it comes to Christmas socks, these chic black and white Maccabees babies are the holy grail.

Wolf Alice glitter tube
It’s the perfect indie stocking filler and it’s just £5. The Wolf Alice glitter tube. Mixed with actual band sweat, gold sparkles and, as demonstrated by the band’s Theo Ellis, definitely not just for girls.

Giant David Bowie pillow
When we featured this on the NME blog earlier this year, it was a big, comfy hit. Luckily, supplies are still bountiful. Probably because it’s an eye-wincing £267.22. But hey, it’s handmade and a surefire dream come true for the Bowie lover in your life. The Thin White Duke has never been so cuddly.

Chalkie Davis NME photographer exhibition catalogue
If you didn’t catch the exhibition by legendary NME photographer Chalkie Davies this year, fear not. The 54 page accompanying catalogue is still available for £15 and contains over 40 photographs and NME covers shot by Davies during the late 1970s and 1980s. Everyone from The Clash, Jon Lydon, The Specials, David Byrne, Julian Cope and more.

Taylor Swift ‘Shake it off’ bunting
Etsy is a veritable feast of bizarre fan art and odd music memorabilia. Immortalising Taylor Swift’s hater-busting slogan as eye catching bunting art is the Good Vibes Workshop. Available in a range of colours and only £7.50.

Rob Chapman – Psychedelia and other colours
Rob Chapman’s seminal book on psychedelia explores in detail the history, precedents and cultural impact of LSD, from ‘sitars and Sergeant Pepper, surfadelica and the Soft Machine, light shows and love-ins.’ Settle down with this and before you know, the fairy lights on the Christmas tree will be melting down the wall and you’ll be falling headfirst into bat country…

Stanley Donwood has a ‘zmas boutique’ with a bunch of winter / ltd edition Radiohead inspired stuff
Radiohead’s resident artist has set up a ‘zmas boutique’ featuring a bunch of winter themed, limited edition treats, all akin to the band’s now iconic artwork. Donwood’s haunting, monochrome tree branches are available as limited edition signed prints, vinyl stickers, mugs and more. It’s the perfect precursor to the band’s new album, which is currently in the works for 2016.

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Stackable cubes to store your vinyl
These handmade, stackable cubes from Etsy offer a super chic alternative to standard vinyl storage. Available in different colours, prices range from £64-£71 per cube, depending on your choice of door panel. Opaque, for the record collector with something to hide. Or iridescent, for all those Record Store Day exclusives.

Framed soundwave print of your favourite song
Copying out lyrics is so last decade. If you know someone’s favourite song, get it printed as a soundwave and then framed. Heck, go all out and get one printed for every track on their favourite album. As long as it’s not an 18 disc Bob Dylan boxset…

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