Back when I wrote about Harry Potter for now-defunct Examiner, one of my favorite things to do every year was a Christmas gift guide. I loved hunting down the most unique things I thought people would love, and I still do.

If you’ve got some shopping left to do for the music lover in your life or, like me, your Christmas shopping devolves into a “treat yourself” moment, there’s plenty of cool stuff out there! I won’t be including the obvious—by all means, keep in mind things like concert tickets, their favorite artist’s new album, or a great pair of headphones. I’m focusing on more unique items, with a dedicated section at the end just for kids. I mean, come on, that Fisher-Price record player is a classic. I also won’t be including equipment-related things like record players. I think it’s important for someone to choose exactly what they want in that case.

I have not been compensated in any way for this, nor have I collaborated with any of these brands. They’re simply items and companies I love that I want to share.

Mystery Box of Band Tees

Have a little fun and add a little mystery to your gift with a selection of vintage mystery tees from Etsy seller 125curiosity. You can choose from one shirt all the way up to a box of 20—although the packages of three or six are probably ideal for gifting—and specify the size shirt you need and provide a list of musicians you or the recipient like, and the more you provide, the better. All boxes also include some small related items like pins, patches, stickers, etc.

Upcycled Vinyl Earrings

Dana saves old records from ending up in a landfill and upcycles them into awesome pieces of jewelry. Some highlight the earrings’ previous life as a record by proudly displaying things like label names, album titles, and even some artists and songs, some are simple designs punched out of the vinyl, and others are bold statement pieces with brightly colored designs in resin which transform them entirely. My personal favorites are the simple designs, like the stars, hoops, and studs.

Hand-Painted Wood Jewelry

Robin Valley, based in the UK, offers a lovely variety of hand-painted cherry wood earrings, with plenty of great designs for music lovers, including mismatched music notes, pianos, and the always classic record. Some designs are also available as pin badges and key rings. I own several pairs of Robin Valley earrings, and I love them—they’re beautifully made, and they’re nice and lightweight. And yes, some of mine are music-related. I have the mismatched set pictured, plus some guitars.

Concerts Remembered Journal

First of all, Uncommon Goods is by far one of my favorite sites to shop for gifts—including for myself. They truly live up to their name, with unique gifts for pretty much everyone. I recently gifted my brother the History by Mail subscription, and as he read the letter explaining what he’d be receiving, he asked, “Where did you get this?!” Uncommon Goods has a lot of great stuff for music lovers, but one of my favorites is this concert journal. It’s not just a record of who you saw, but how many times, who you were with, your overall thoughts, and even the ticket price, if you’d like to track how horrible Ticketmaster’s prices have gotten over the years.

Guitar Pick Glasses

Add a musical touch to your drinkware with these cool glasses from BenShot, complete with an embedded Fender guitar pick. In addition to pint glasses, the site also offers rocks glasses, wine glasses, a decanter set and more, as well as plenty of other designs covering plenty of other hobbies and interests.

Happybuy Ultrasonic Record Cleaner

I know I said no record players, but I do recommend a record cleaner. You may not think records would need cleaning, but they do. And this is a great way to get the job done. This one from Happybuy comes highly recommended.

Spin Freshener Turntable Air Freshener

You—er, I mean, your loved one—already play great music in your car and turn every drive into a one-person concert, so this air freshener from Spin Freshener is the perfect touch for the car. It clips to the air vent, and there are tons of records to choose from, including The Beatles, Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, and more, making it a great gift not only for music lovers but fans of specific artists, too. You can get the turntable by itself, bundle it with a selection of record fragrances, or order fragrance refills. And best of all, it’s massively marked down right now, with the bundle running just $15.

Fridge Song Magnet

You—or, uh, again, the music lover in your life—can put great music on display in your kitchen with these music-playing fridge magnets from Fridgebeats. They’d make a great gift for couples by featuring their song or even just a great gift for fans of specific artists. The photo is customizable, so you can either include a photo of your choice or the album art, and there’s also an option to upload your own mp3, making it a great option for musicians, as well.

Music Note Mug

If you Google “music note mug,” you’ll get tons of results, but this one by HLJgift is my personal favorite. I love the look of it, but my favorite part is that it includes a lid, perfect for keeping your morning coffee or tea nice and hot, or, if you’re like me, helping balance a morning pastry while you making your way from the kitchen to the couch.

Mixtape of My Life Journal

I received a guided journal similar to this one several years ago—full disclosure, I never finish it, mostly because it got shuffled around when we moved out of our apartment and into our house, but it’s around somewhere and I will finish it—and I absolutely loved it. This Mixtape of My Life journal is a great way to revisit your favorite songs and artists, as well as the connections they have to certain times in your life.

For the Kids

The Story of Music Board Books

Uncommon Goods strikes again! Get the little ones in your life started early with these board books explaining the history of music with some of its most notable musicians. It’s an adorable set—I mean, come on, how cute is that little Elton John?!—and is a great introduction to music history for young kids.

Fisher-Price Rockin’ Record Player

Fisher-Price has reimagined their classic toy record player for 2024, and it’s cuter than ever. The five albums explore different genres with 20 songs, with a working turntable. If only I could get a real turntable for that price.

Instrument Puzzle

As a parent, I absolutely love Melisse & Doug toys—they have some of the cutest sets, and they’re all made of wood. This musical-instrument puzzle is a great idea for littles, and we loved it when my son was first trying puzzles. Each piece plays the sound of the instrument, helping kids to learn them.

Hape and Baby Einstein Piano

Get the newest member of the family band started on their instrument with this super cute and educational piano from Hape and Baby Einstein. Not only is it a fun way for young kids to play, but it’s also a great introduction to the instrument, with color-coded keys and sheet music so they can play simple songs.

Vibrating Guitar Grasp Toy

The littlest rocker in the family will love this simple vibrating guitar toy, another gem from my beloved Uncommon Goods. When the bottom string is pulled, the guitar vibrates, and the texture of the strings and tuning pegs offers great sensory play.

Housekeeping

Welcome to Sophomore Slump!

If you subscribed from certain corners of social media, you may have seen that I announced a launch date of November 24th—and you may have noticed that today is not, in fact, November 24th. It’s been a hectic couple of weeks. Most notably, I took my son to get his knee looked at after a fall and ended up at Children’s Hospital with a diagnosis of Lyme disease…and then we all caught a stomach bug in the following days. Needless to say, that derailed my plans just a smidge.

I’d also like to take a moment to acknowledge the unexpected death of my brother’s mother-in-law, a fellow music lover and avid concertgoer. As he wonderfully put it, she was “a rock star” mother-in-law, and she’ll be missed by all of us, but especially her children and grandchildren, all of whom lost her way too soon. I imagine she’s enjoying the great gig in the sky, along with my dad.

Next week, you can expect my take on Spotify Wrapped—a re-publishing of sorts of a Medium essay I quite love—and my first official deep dive into a band’s sophomore album will follow two weeks later. I’ll also be revisiting some other older Medium pieces in the weeks and months to come, including a defense of holograms of dead musicians, a critical look at Taylor Swift hatred, a love letter to paper tickets, and more.

Is there a specific musician whose first two albums you’d like me to dive into? Give me a suggestion! Is there another musical-related topic you’re just dying to hear my thoughts on? Let me know! Is there a burning music-related question you’re dying to ask me? Ask away!