If you can believe it, the holiday season is finally here. Black Friday is coming up fast, which means it’s time to start thinking about what to get the music lover in your life. Have no fear, the Paste staff is here to help with our holiday gift guide for 2025. We’ve come up with some gifts that won’t break the bank, like books and party games, and a few big-spender treats, like cruise tickets and headphones. Happy holidays!
For the Mountain Goats obsessive in your life—or anyone who’s ever spent a little too long unpacking a lyric—John Darnielle’s This Year: 365 Songs Annotated might be the closest thing to daily scripture. The book walks through a year’s worth of songs, each paired with Darnielle’s own notes, memories, and tangents that veer between autobiography, music history, and literary nerdery. It’s less “how the songs were made” and more “why anyone makes songs at all.” If you’ve ever wished Darnielle’s stage banter lasted an entire page (or 365 of them), this is your moment. Plus, it doubles as a devotional for people who treat All Hail West Texas like sacred text. Perfect for the friend who already owns every 7-inch but still wants to feel like they’re discovering the band for the first time—one day at a time. —Casey Epstein-Gross
AIAIAI was kind enough to mail me a pair of these TMA-2 headphones. Dev Hynes, the mastermind behind Blood Orange, designed them himself. I’ve been an AirPods girlie for a while, and they pair well with my Apple products, but the TMA-2 really wowed me—which is high-praise coming from someone like me, who’s sworn off non-Apple headsets and earbuds for the better part of a decade. Hynes knew what he was doing here. The over-ear, PU leather cushions are comfy, the Bluetooth 5.3 audio is crisp, and the battery life lasts over 40 hours. Not to mention, they look great too. Hynes takes the TMA-2’s typical matte, one-color finish and revamps it, pairing a lovely burst of orange with a grey tone. Hynes also revamped AIAIAI’s supra-aural design, which is a much subtler product that looks like an old pair of Walkman headphones. —Matt Mitchell
Look, I know we recently ragged on Bon Iver’s SABLE, fABLE-themed brand collaborations for their hyperconsumerism, but this is a list specifically about hyperconsumerism, so we’d be remiss not to mention the artist with the most wide-ranging merch options in the game. If you’ve got a loved one whose loved one is Bon Iver, you’re in luck this holiday season. Unfortunately, the initial brand activations from April are largely no longer available (RIP Bon Iver canned salmon), but there are still journals, Pantone color swatches, and “mood mists” (whatever those are) up for purchase. —Casey Epstein-Gross
This 2-volume set arrived at my mailbox last week and I haven’t been able to put it down. I love The Band and even eulogized them after Garth Hudson passed away earlier this year. Elliott Landy, a friend of the band, photographed them for two years, accumulating over 400 pictures that have been arranged into a 352-page book: The Band Photographs, 1968-1969. I dig it big time, and it’s a treasure trove for anybody hoping to get an intimate look at one of the most productive and genius times for any rock and roll band ever, when The Band recorded Music From Big Pink and The Band in Woodstock, New York. Landy captured it all back then—the relationships; the creation of that warm, unmistakable sound; and how Woodstock became the art capital of North America. What luck we have, now that Landy has chosen to share these photos with us. And in big, bold, colorful pages too. —Matt Mitchell
If your loved one is a live music fan and you’re really looking to go all out, a music cruise might be the way to go—sure, David Foster Wallace might’ve famously hated his cruise experience, but he wasn’t onboard with some of the greatest acts of the 90s, was he? Tragically, it’s too late to nab a spot on Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky cruise for January, but it looks like Modest Mouse’s first ever Ice Cream Floats cruise still has rooms for rent. A ticket gets you a trip to the Dominican Republic, four nights of live music (from Modest Mouse, of course, but also Portugal. The Man, Kurt Vile, Mannequin Pussy, Built to Spill, and more), and the full cruise experience, whatever that means. Whatever the case, it’s certain to be a vacation you won’t forget. —Casey Epstein-Gross
Did you hear that Oasis got back together? We certainly had a thing or two to say about the reunion. Sonic Editions is harnessing that momentum and selling a massive collection of Michael Spencer Jones’ prints, ranging from the Morning Glory contact sheet to stills of Liam Gallagher singing onstage. It’s a pretty cherry deal, and some of these photos are just unbelievable—especially the Be Here Now album cover outtakes and Definitely Maybe contact sheets. The Gallagher brothers have had a storied and troubled relationship since starting Oasis; Jones’ photos strip away all the drama and leave behind the most important truth: Liam and Noel looked damn cool building themselves into Britain’s greatest post-Beatles phenomenon. —Matt Mitchell
The only thing music lovers love more than music itself is bragging about how much they love it, so music trivia games are always a safe bet. After all, what better way to show your loved one you care about their passions than letting them beat you in a game about said passions? SongFest! is one of the latest iterations of this age-old pastime, and with 1,000 questions that span over five decades of music and vary between finishing lyrics, naming that tune, reciting discographies, and knowing fun facts, it’s possibly the most extensive yet. And who doesn’t love a party game! —Casey Epstein-Gross
Ol’ Shakey released the sixth box set installment in his ongoing Official Release Series, in which he reissues all of his official albums on wax and CD. This installment focuses on his 1992-1995 period, in which he shared Harvest Moon, Unplugged, Sleeps With Angels, and his collaborative album with Pearl Jam, Mirror Ball. The latter is the prize from this set, thanks to an analog remaster and 4-song remix. Each record included is 2xLP pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and every CD box features one disc per title. It’s a numbered, limited-edition treasure trove that any Neil Young would be grateful to have. Hell, I put it on my own Christmas list this year. That’s how serious I am about getting that new pressing of Sleeps With Angels, which I think remains Neil’s most underloved masterpiece. —Matt Mitchell
For the friend who insists “it was better live” but can’t actually remember the setlist, here’s a fix. This concert journal from Uncommon Goods gives you pages to record all the crucial details: who played, who opened, how much the beer cost, and whether the encore was worth the Uber surge. Think of it as Letterboxd for gigs, minus the discourse. Bonus: it’s analog, so they can finally channel that energy somewhere other than the group chat. —Casey Epstein-Gross
I collect Criterion Collection DVDs and know quite a few other folks who do, too. You may have heard: a second Spinal Tap film came out this year. Criterion was kind enough to add the original 1984 rock and roll mockumentary to its archives, releasing it in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray formats. It’s got new artwork from the great Dan Goldsworthy, and includes a bevy of special features: audio commentary from cast members, producers, editors, and band members; a conversation between director Rob Reiner and actor Patton Oswalt; 98 minutes of outtakes; interviews with the bands; music videos; and an essay from Alex Pappademas. This DVD is gonna fit on your shelf like a flesh tuxedo. —Matt Mitchell
