With the Holidays in full effect, our team has put together a list of last minute gifts for friends, family members, or even yourself! To see which items we have on our list, as well as where you can find them and why we think they’re awesome, keep on reading!
Beck The Halls
$25-$1000
Link
Ever want to have a song made specifically for you? Or maybe
just hangout with the lead singer of one of your favorite bands as he serenades
you via Skype? If you said yes to either question, your dream has now come
true! Solo artist and The Academy Is… frontman, William Beckett, has teamed up
with Downwrite, a platform that connects fans with musicians on a personal,
creative level! Fans of Beckett can find four different packages on Downwrite:
1. Signed The Academy Is… poster and unreleased recording of
“Jingle Bell Rock”
2. Signed The Academy Is… poster, unreleased recording of
“Jingle Bell Rock” with personal voice message intro
3. Full original custom song/acoustic and vocal
4. One hour Skype personal acoustic performance and hangout
with Beckett, plus everything in packages one and two
If Beckett or TAI… is not your cup of tea, artists including
Matt Pryor, Shane Henderson, Koji, and Steve Soboslai are just a few others
that have teamed up with the site!
Eight Years In The
Making
$8-$50
Link
Just last week, The Starting Line released their latest track,
“Anyways.” Why is this so important? If you’re asking this question – how old
are you, bro? It has been eight years since The Starting Line last released new
music (that was 2007, if you don’t feel like doing the math). Pre-orders for
the new EP, also titled Anyways, are
available now and start as low as $8 for a 7” vinyl. Fans can also purchase
shirts and sweatshirts with the EP artwork, as well as bundles that also
include the vinyl and poster. If you’re not hyped about this, who are you?
HAMILTON!
$13.06
Link
The hit Broadway musical, Hamilton, was inspired by the book, Alexander Hamilton. Released in 2005, this is the first full-length
biography of Hamilton that was released in decades. For you history buffs, pick
up Alexander Hamilton to read the
story of how this figure in American history overcame many obstacles to inspire
and shape America!
Montage of Heck
$121.33
Link
The
documentary that all Nirvana fans have been dying to see is finally here, now
available in a super deluxe box set! Featuring a mix of interviews, journal
entries, audio recordings and animation, the documentary serves to show fans a
better understanding of Kurt Cobain, his art, and his struggle. This deluxe
edition includes almost an hour of additional interviews, a 31-track deluxe
soundtrack on both CD and cassette, a 160-page hardbound book with interviews
and images from the Cobain achieve, a puzzle (with a collectable container),
movie poster, postcards and a bookmark. AKA – the most perfect Nirvana/Kurt
Cobain gift you may ever be able to get your hands on.
I’m Not Okay
$19.99
Link
It’s been over eleven years since the release of My Chemical
Romance’s album, Three Cheers for Sweet
Revenge. What better way to relive your youth than to pick up a vinyl
version of the album? Put on some red eye shadow, all the black clothes you own, maybe some eyeliner, blast
this album and scream along until your voice is gone. Let your inner emo kid
out one more time!
Will Trade Flannel For Whiskey
$10-$99
Link
In high school, the one type of merch that everyone in the music scene wanted were those chunky rubber bracelets that practically every band and brand created. Jac Vanek is the woman who took this concept and ran with it, creating bracelets with popular words and/or phrases as the start of her business. Over the years, Vanek has expanded her line, crossing over into fashion and now creating tank tops, tee shirts, shorts, dresses, flannels, and jackets, etc. Keeping with the popular words/phrases trend, all of Vanek’s items include quirky and mostly relatable phrases including “Forever Hungry,” “The Difference Between Pizza And Your Opinion Is That I Asked For Pizza,” and “Music Is The Answer.” Aka the best gift for that sassy friend of yours who is probably thinking ‘why didn’t I come up with this first?!’
I’m Awesome, He’s
Awesome, She’s Awesome, We’re All Awesome – Hey!
$10
Link
We all have that friend that’s a cocky asshole. If they’re
not a cocky asshole, they’re a sarcastic one. If you’re like me and you have
many friends in your life that fit one of the two descriptions, here is the
perfect gift for them: a book that does nothing but compliment their
awesomeness. All you do is fill out the blank spaces on each page and hand it to whomever the gift is for. This holiday, just inflate their ego; what type of gift can beat
that?
All Because Of A
Typewriter
$11.67
Link
The story goes like this: a photographer in Montana stumbles
across a typewriter, starts typing up a poem, and doesn’t think twice. Three
years and a thousand poem later, the photographer has now created what is known
as the Typewriter Series. If you want
to feel something – anything, pick this up wherever you can.
Fun Is Coming
$20
Link
With technology constantly evolving, it’s no surprise that
the next fun game for people to play would happen with the use of your cellular
device! Game of Phones is a new game that turns your phone into the subject of
a scavenger hunt amongst those who play! Gather a group of friends and their
phones, draw a prompt card, and see who can use their phones the fastest to
complete a task (ex. Show off the last photo you took, find the weirdest Google
image result for your name, text your parent and see who gets a response
first). Whoever collects the most points, wins!
You Make Me Feel So
Young
$32.68
Link
The legendary Frank Sinatra recorded over 1000 songs,
reaching fans both young and old and everywhere in between. To celebrate what
would have been his 100th birthday, the Ultimate Sinatra collection includes
four disks filled with 100 tracks, an 80-page booklet, as well as rare photos
and quotes from Sinatra and his children. This is a worthy collection for
anyone interested in this incredible musician.
Adult Coloring Book
$14.35
Link
As a kid, we all wanted to grow up. As adults, we all want
to get our childhood back. Thanks to Johanna Basford, we can now get a small
portion of that back! Basford created Secret
Garden, a treasure hunt and coloring book for all ages (but really, it’s
the best gift for that child-like adult in your life). Pick one up for yourself
while you’re at it!
Rrrrrrr-ghghghghgh!
$26
Link
Where are the wookiee fans at?! Don’t know what to get the
Star Wars lover in your life? This is a great alternative to our following item
on the list and will bring nothing but good cuddles, laughs, and smiles! Yes –
we are talking about the talking Chewbacca plush toy! Just squeeze its stomach
and your ears will be filled with one of the most iconic movie sounds known to
man. Note – this is the mini version, and probably the most affordable
considering the two larger sizes can be upwards of $120. A key chain version
may also still be available online somewhere!
The Droid You’re
Looking For
$149.99
Link
The priciest item on our list is also the best item on our
list: the Sphero BB-8 App-Enabled Droid. I fell in love with BB-8 upon first
look in the original Star Wars: The Force
Awakens trailer. After seeing the movie this weekend, this is now a must.
This is the perfect item for any die-hard Star Wars fan or anyone simply
wanting to feel as if they will forever have a part of the movie with them.
BB-8 interacts with you and will even recognize your voice, changing its
attitude and actions based on your interactions. Basically, this is the most
badass gift you could ever want.