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The year’s final month or so is annually one of the best times to be a music fan. It’s a time to reflect on the best songs and albums of the previous 12 months, and, aside from that, it’s the start of the holiday season. That means now is the time to start shopping for the music fans in your life.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to come through big-time without draining your checking account. Whether the person you’re shopping for is a musician or just an appreciator of the medium, there are a bunch of great gift options that can be had for under $100. We’ve gathered some of the finest music-related gifts with two-digit prices below.
Skullcandy Indy True Wireless Earbuds
Price: $84.99
Most music lovers already have a go-to pair of cans, but for more casual or mobile listening, a set of high-quality earbuds might be the way to go. This model from Skullcandy boasts 16 hours of battery life (among other features), so you’ll never be left stranded.
Get them here.
“Kurt Don Profile” t-shirt
Price: $39
Nirvana frontperson Kurt Cobain did some doodling in his day, and now you can have one of his drawings on a shirt. If clothes aren’t the right move in your particular situation, the “Kurt Was Here” collection also includes things like a coffee table book of Cobain’s illustrations.
Get the shirt here.
Ghostly X Vans Sk8-Hi shoe
Price: $75
Ghostly International — the label home of artists like Com Truise, Phantogram, and Mary Lattimore — has teamed with Vans for a set of exclusive sneakers, one of them being the Ghostly X Vans Sk8-Hi. In addition to the sleek level of design you’d expect from Vans, the shoes also feature the classic Ghostly logo.
Get them here.
Vinyl Me, Please gift membership (three months)
Price: $81
Every month, the folks at Vinyl Me, Please deliver exclusive editions of new and classic albums that you genuinely cannot get anywhere else. The best part about a three-month membership is that, for a glorious quarter of a year, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Get it here.
Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey & Whisky Advocate
Price: $80
Bob Dylan, one of music’s greatest storytellers, set out to “create a collection of American whiskeys that, in their own way, tell a story” with Heaven’s Door, the whiskey brand he helped create. Additionally, this set comes with a yearlong subscription to Whisky Advocate magazine.
Get it here.
Etymotic High Fidelity Earplugs
Price: $14.99
Concertgoers: If you’re not protecting your ears at shows, you should be. There are higher- and lower-end options than this specific model when it comes to earplugs, but from my personal experience, these work wonderfully, and at this price, they would make a perfect stocking-stuffer.
Get them here.
Fender Ugly Christmas Sweater 2019
Price: $69.99
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while Fender themselves brands their new sweater as “ugly,” is a terrific look for the holidays. This winter, Fender’s “ugly” Christmas sweater is an ideal way for the rocker in your life to merge their loves of the six-string and gaudy cold-weather clothes.
Get it here.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ The Watchmen soundtrack
Price: $77.94 (or $25.98 each)
The inimitable duo of Reznor and Ross are responsible for the music of the new The Watchmen series, and they pulled out all the stops for the soundtrack release. It comes in three vinyl volumes, and the packaging is impressive, as it includes materials that “explores the culture of Watchmen America and provides revealing insights into the saga’s mythology and mysteries.
Get them here.
Concert tickets/Ticketmaster gift card
Price: varies
If your giftee’s favorite group is rolling through town, take them out to a show. If you’re not positive who they want to see, let them pick their own concert with a Ticketmaster gift card.
Get them here.
Mixtape Potluck by Questlove
Price: $16.99
The Roots’ Questlove is one of the most thoughtful people in music, but his mind isn’t always focused on his primary craft. He’s a big-time food lover as well, and in his latest book, he shares recipes from some of his favorite chefs, musicians, and entertainers, combining their culinary identities into a hardcover dinner party.
Get it here.
Upcycled Record Coasters
Price: $18
If you’re looking for a gift that’s functional, save a table from dreaded water spots and rings with a set of six upcycled record coasters. Made from real vinyl records, these coasters are a great way to add a subtle splash of musical personality to the living room.
Get them here.
Custom Cameo video
Price: varies
Cameo allows you to hire a celebrity to send a custom video message to whoever you want, and there are over 1400 musicians on the platform. There are awesome options for $100 or less for all sorts of music fans, including Fat Joe, Ariel Pink, Drake Bell, and even Joe Sudano, who you’ve seen on YouTube, singing covers of hit songs but replacing all the words with the lyrics from Smash Mouth’s “All Star.”
Get a Cameo here.
Blue Yeti Silver Edition USB Microphone
Price: $99.99
If you know an aspiring musician, a quality microphone could go a long way towards taking their home recordings to the next level. The Blue Yeti has long been a mainstay in consumer-level microphones, and it’s a piece of hardware that can produce professional-sounding results if used properly.
Get it here.
Reality Estates 2016 Sonoma Valley Red Wine
Price: $35
The guys from Real Estate got into the wine game, and their partnership with Echo Echo, Reality Estates, features “aromas of blackberries and dark cherries in tune with black pepper.” Furthermore, a bottle comes with a playlist designed to heighten the experience.
Get it here.
Fear Inoculum by Tool (Expanded Book Edition CD Release)
Price: $32.99
Tool’s long-awaited new album finally arrived this year, and for the Tool mega-fan who wants more, there is more. Just in time for the holidays, the group released an expanded 5-CD edition of the album, which includes, among other goodies, an expanded 56-page booklet.
Get it here.
Some of the products listed here were sent to Uproxx as samples.
