Well its that time of year again. The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the typical traditions: questionable behaviour at company office parties (something along these lines), the excuse to stuff our faces and make drunken confessions to the in-laws and families that we will later regret, and of course, excessive consumerism (in the wise words of Lil Wayne: “Got money and you know it/Take it out your pocket and show it/This a way, that a way/This a way, that a way”). But if you are anything like me (broke), and you even have to search under the bed for enough change to afford a lousy cup of coffee, then you are on a tight budget this year for present shopping. Here are a wide selection of gifts that you can afford regardless of your financial situation (and a few for you high-rollers out there), for every music fan on your life. Enjoy and happy shopping!

The Best Record Store in Toronto You’ve Never Been To

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the “Big Four” (Criminal Records, Sonic Boom, Rotate This and Soundscapes), and I would recommend any music lover check these independent record stores out if they are visiting the city for the first (or even the five hundredth) time. But if you’re looking for something different, than might I suggest Mike’s Music (105 Danforth Ave.), which I randomly stumbled upon the other night while out for an evening stroll around the Danforth area. With its red and white checkerboard floor and antique chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a visit to Mike’s feels more like an authentic record store visit than say, going to a big chain store like HMV does. It offers a varied selection of new and used CDs, DVDs and an impressive selection of used vinyl – I found rarer records from Bob Dylan, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, among others, for $10 and under.

The Best Beatles Boxset

Who doesn’t love The Beatles? Not since the moppy-haired quartet went from being a completely unknown band in Liverpool, England during the 60s, to the biggest pop band in the world, has there been a band that has been so successful at unifying people regardless of their gender, race or nationality. Everyone from toddlers to sixteen-year old high-school girls to my seventy-year old grandparents listen to The Beatles, there are fan magazines devoted to the Fab Four everywhere from New Jersey (Octopus Garden) to Norway (Norwegian Wood, of course), and their Facebook page has over one million members. This hefty sixteen disc collection contains the remastered stereo versions (I’m no audiophile, but I understand that’s a good thing – this article explains more about the difference) of every album in the Beatles catalogue, plus lots of extra goodies, including a DVD with mini-documentaries on each album. This boxset ought to be good for sparking at least a few heated arguments as to what album is the greatest jewel in the band’s illustrious career (for what it’s worth, I’d like to throw my vote behind Abbey Road, with my favourite songs alternating between “Come Together”, “Happiness Is a Warm Gun”, “Yellow Submarine” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”), but no self-respecting Beatles fan would be disappointed to see this collection appear under their Christmas tree. Most big chain music stores are carrying this box set as well as some smaller independents – look around for the cheapest deal before buying.

The Best Compilation For Your Next Holiday Dance Party

It’s safe to say that 2007 was a pretty good year for French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records. Uffie’s trashy electro-pop “Pop The Glock” single was everyone’s guilty pleasure, there were strong releases from acts such as SebastiAn, Feadz, Mr. Oizo, and label head honcho Busy P (Pedro Winter), and let’s not forget a little duo by the name of Justice – who were immediately heralded as the next Daft Punk, and made the 21st century “Y.M.C.A.”. However this year was a pretty quiet one, in terms of new albums from the Ed Banger Records family, other than songs from Justice popping up in all manner of expected and unexpected places (see below). But if you think even for a moment that these guys don’t know how to still rock club dancefloors from Paris to New York City, than pick-up the new compilation from hip-hop and electro producer DJ Mehdi, and get ready to eat your words. Entitled Red, Black & Blue: Some Remixes By DJ Mehdi (Get it? Get it?), it collects some of the DJ’s best work (including remixes of songs by Architecture In Helsinki, Chromeo, CSS, and this stellar rework of Santigold’s “Lights Out”), and puts them on one convenient album. Spike the punch bowl and throw this on at your next holiday cocktail party and you’ll have people dancing in no time. You should be able to get Red, Black & Blue at Play De Record (357 Yonge St.) or on iTunes, and you can also download Black, Black & Black (fourteen tracks that didn’t quite make the album), for free via Mehdi’s MySpace here.

Runner-up: Buraka Som Sistema’s FabricLive 49 compilation (out Dec. 8th)

The Best Cameras For the Budding Music Photographer

Here’s where I insert some shameless promotion of a good friend. My amigo Matthew Braga recently reviewed two snazzy cameras for The Globe & Mail’s holiday technology gift guide, the Nikon D3000 and the Canon EOS D7 (pictured above). Both will cost you a pretty penny, but you have to pay for quality sometimes, right? Heck, these cameras even make me look good.

The Best Polaroid Photographer

Chances are you’ve already seen some of Pooneh Ghana’s photographs without even knowing it. The Austin, Texas-based photographer and student has had her work featured on websites such as Rolling Stone, Stereogum and Austinist, and is a regular photo contributor to one of my favourite music blogs, Gorilla vs. Bear. She has shot at music festivals including SXSW, Coachella, and Austin City Limits, but her specialty is Polaroid portraits of musicians. All you Starbucks-sipping, MacBook-toting, cardigan-wearing hipster kids out there who think owning a camera automatically makes you an artiste, take note: this is how you take Polaroids. Her portraits are intimate, artistic and usually show the subjects clowning around between themselves or with family, friends, and fans. She’s photographed an impressive number of artists and bands, including Kings Of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, HEALTH, King Khan & The Shrines, and Little Joy. If anyone reading this is looking for a gift for me however, might I politely suggest the above shot (which only furthers my crush on Alison Mosshart) of The Kills? You can see Ghana’s portfolio on her website or on her Flickr photostream, and you can contact her about ordering prints via email (pghana3@yahoo.com).

The Best Music Posters For Your Bedroom Walls

Because Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, Led Zeppelin “Icarus” and Bob Marley posters are so 2008. Why not instead try sprucing up the walls of your drab dorm or bedroom with a band poster from artist Dan Grzeca? The Chicago-based printmaker and painter has made gorgeous tour posters which depict everything from fantastical beasts to surreal nature scenes, for bands including Built To Spill, Explosions In The Sky, Iron & Wine, Jesus Lizard, The Melvins, and most frequently, The Black Keys. Most posters cost between $25-$50 American and you can order them online (right now Grzeca has a holiday sale on – get one free print of equal or lesser value with every print/poster order) and be sure to check out Gzreca’s blog while you’re at it. Criminal Records also has a selection of Grzeca posters available – visit the store for availability. Just be prepared for people wanting to know where you got that sweet poster the next time they see your room (and perhaps throw in my name as well).

The Best List Book For the Music Lover

Music + lists = win. Music Listography, created by Lisa Nola, lets readers write down everything from their list of “Top Favourite Female Vocalists of All Time” to “Favourite Concerts on Film” to “Songs That You Thought Were About You”. Each list in this book is also accompanied by colourful illustrations. So far I’ve seen this book for sale at Soundscapes and Urban Outfitters, but check out your nearest bookstore to see if they have it.

The Best Ironic and Not-So-Ironic Music Tees You Can Buy

Billy Gibbons, the impressively-bearded lead singer of ZZ Top once sang, “Every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed man.” Regardless of gender, these t-shirts will help you get at least part of the way. As for the wit and the charm, you’ll have to find that on your own.

“Favela Party” t-shirt, Palmer Cash

“Do You Ever Fuck With Rock & Roll?” Blakroc t-shirt, Black Keys online store

“Two Riders Were Approaching” Dylan and Hendrix t-shirt, ThreadPit

“She Loves You” Beatles Japanese t-shirt, Urban Outfitters (235 Yonge St. and 481 Queen St. West)

“Mixtape Cassettes” t-shirt, Kops Records (229 Queen St. West)

Iggy Pop and Led Zeppelin screen-printed t-shirts, Model Citizen (279 Augusta Ave.)

The Best Soundtrack For a Non Music-Related Video Game

Not since Mogwai recorded the film score for the documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait – which was about the infamous French footballer – has a soundtrack about “the beautiful game” been so intriguing. The newest installment in the EA Sport’s incredibly successful FIFA series, FIFA 10, features thirty-one songs (with five more available on the in-game soundtrack only) by a diverse list of musicians from around the world. These songs include the likes of hipster-favourite bands like Passion Pit (“Moth Wings”) and Peter, Bjorn & John (“Nothing To Worry About”), some British hooligans (The Enemy, Pint Shot Riot), buzzed-about African acts (South Africa’s BLK JKS and Nigerian-born singer-songwriter Nneka), and a lone Canuck contribution (Metric’s stellar “Girls Guns Gold”), and Major Lazer’s bizzonkers “Hold The Line”. The only recurring thing all these songs have in common is that they are all incredibly upbeat and ridiculously catchy. This game is a must-buy for fans of music, soccer, video games, or all three.

On a semi-related note, that new trailer for Assassin’s Creed II featuring Justice’s “Genesis”? Completely badass.

Other semi-related update: it was just announced that a reworked version of K’Naan’s “Waving Flag” is going to be the official anthem for the 2010 World Cup.

The Best Soundtrack For a Music-Related Video Game

What do 2 Pac, 50 Cent, 88 Keys, Afrika Bambaataa, Beastie Boys, Beck, Benny Benassi, Billy Squier, Black Eyed Peas, Blondie, Boogie Down Productions, Common, Cut Chemist, Cypress Hill, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Dizzee Rascal, DJ AM, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip, Eminem, Eric B. & Rakim, Eric Prydz, Fedde Le Grand, Foo Fighters, Foreigner, Gary Numan, Gorillaz, Grandmaster Flash, Gwen Stefani, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, J. Period, Jay-Z, Jurassic 5, Justice, Kid Cudi, Kid Sister, KRS-1, Little Richard, LL Cool J, M.I.A., Marvin Gaye, MC Hammer, Mobb Deep, Motörhead, Murs, N.E.R.D., NASA, No Doubt, Paul Van Dyk, Paula Abdul, Pharrell, Public Enemy, Q-Tip, Queen, Rick James, Rihanna, Street Sweeper Social Club, Tears for Fears,The Alchemist, The Jackson 5, The Killers, Third Eye Blind, Tiësto, Vanilla Ice, Wale, Weezer, Zombies and Zakk Wylde all have in common? They are all artists featured on Activision’s latest video game DJ Hero, which lets players live out their DJing fantasies (unfortunately, the cocaine and private jets are sold separately) by mixing songs and “scratching” on a customer turntable controller (see above). More info on the game – including where to get DJ Hero – can be found here.

The Best Stocking Stuffer Concert Tickets

Great holiday and upcoming concerts for $25 and under.

Dec. 9th – The Andy Kim Christmas Show feat. Broken Social Scene (19+) – Mod Club – $25
Dec. 11th – Hey Rosetta! (all-ages) – St. John High School Auditorium (St. John, New Brunswick) – $8 with a non-persishable food donation, $10 without
Dec. 12th – Audio Blood & Third Estate’s Jingle Bell Rock feat. Oh No Forest Fires, Make Your Exit, Clothes Make The Man & The Balconies (19+) – Horseshoe – $7
Dec. 18th – We Are Busy Bodies feat. DD/MM/YYYY, “a band that shares the name with a French town” (any ideas?), Mayor McCa & Germans (19+) – The Garrison – $5 with five non-perishable food items, $10 without
Dec. 19th – Constantines (19+) -Lee’s – $20
Dec. 19th – Spiral Beach with Boys Who Say No, Romo Roto & Heartbreak Hotel (19+) – The Garrison – $12
Dec. 26th – The Carps (19+) – Drake Underground – price TBA
Dec. 26th – Ruby Jean and the Thoughtful Bees (19+) – Paragon Theatre (Halifax) – $10
Jan. 12th – Final Fantasy (all-ages) – Mod Club – $13
Apr. 20th – Hot Chip & The xx (19+) – Kool Haus – $25

Finally, I’d like to leave you with Stars covering The Pogues’ Christmas classic, “Fairytale of New York”. Enjoy!