In trying to buy presents for all the regular people in your life, you were no doubt served well by the handy little gift-guide we compiled for you on page 18. But for the music nerds on your list, you’ll want to focus your attention here, where we’ve lovingly made note of some of the items your favorite obsessive record geeks would appreciate.














Music Hall MMF-9 Turntable ($1,600)
With a hefty $1,600 price tag, this is a bit over the top, obviously. But if by some chance, you’ve come into a ton of money (or if, by chance, you meant to pick up New York Magazine rather than The L), you could do much worse than this insanely beautiful, high-end record player. And for those of you with a less ridiculous budget, fear not, there’s a $400 option that’s almost as impressive.


A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
by Chuck Klosterman ($25)
There’s a good chance your music-loving pal claims to hate Chuck Klosterman, but it’s probably just because he or she doesn’t understand why he or she still doesn’t have any books published, and Klosterman does. This book collects some of his best celebrity profiles, his most thought-provoking pop culture essays, and even a brief work of fiction.


Bruce Springsteen Original Print ($500)
This, too, is ridiculously expensive, but look: if you’re gonna keep complaining that your buddy’s apartment looks like the dorm room of a slightly smarter than average college kid, with stupid show flyers and scribbled set lists lining the walls, then you’ll have to pay to fancy things up. And what better to spend your money on than an original photo of the Boss himself? (Available online at wolfgangsvault.com)


Jeff Tweedy – Sunken Treasure DVD ($18)
Like any self-respecting music aficionado, your friend probably has a bunch of Jeff Tweedy’s live solo shows on his or her computer from way back in the Napster days, and he or she likely thinks they’re brilliant, because they are. With the release of this DVD, though, we get an updated video version, culled from five shows in the Pacific Northwest from earlier in the year.

The Clash – Singles Collection, the Vinyl Edition ($80)
There is a (much easier to find) version of this release that’s comprised of 19 CDs, one for every single the band ever released, plus all the B-sides. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, but does anyone really need a bunch of CDs with only three or four songs on ‘em? Maybe, but not nearly as much as they need those same songs on 19 slabs of 7” vinyl, packaged in sleeves with all the original artwork.