Your Not-Lame 2016 CLRVYNT Gift Guide for Music Fans

There's a whole lot of garbage out there for you to buy this holiday season. Let us be the first to tell you that you don't have to get your distant cousin a DustBuster or faulty portable charger. In fact, we've got you covered with some of the best gifts we could think of — everything from reissues of our favorite records to rad books that will teach you more about different scenes and bands, and merch that'll set you apart from the rest. So, get something good for your buds this year, and feel free to buy all of this for your favorite editors at CLRVYNT — just saying.

DONATE TO A WORTHY CAUSE
Whether fighting injustice or inequality, the best thing you can give to a friend is a brighter future. Give to plenty of great causes like NoDAPL, the ACLU, LGBT causes or a number of other important initiatives to help further us as a society. Do your research first though, and remember that the human fund is not a thing.

ANYTHING D.I.Y.
Whenever possible, if our hard-earned coin can go straight to an artist, we're all for it. Our editor-in-chief already sat in with noise-punkers the Men, hand-assembling their new, self-released album, Devil Music. But that's just the tip of the iceberg re: independent musicians doing it themselves, from Graf Orlock's litany of high-concept cinemagrind LPs and the 140-page books that accompany all of Aqualamb's deluxe releases to hand-screened merch and punk anything. Reward inspiration and perspiration this holiday season.

R.E.M., OUT OF TIME REISSUE
Twenty-five years after its initial release, R.E.M.’s landmark album Out of Time is getting the deluxe reissue treatment with a handsome four-disc package. Aside from the remastered album, you’ll get a disc packed with previously unheard demos and B-sides, a live album, and a Blu-ray disc packed with hi-resolution recordings of the album’s tracks, music videos and more. But wait, there’s more — the set is topped off with generous liner notes from The A.V. Club’s Annie Zaleski, as well as interviews with R.E.M. and Out of Time producers Scott Litt and John Keane.

ROADBURN FESTIVAL TICKETS
We're all searching for an excuse to flee this shitshow of a country post-election — so why not take advantage of the escape to see some killer bands? This April, follow the lead of metalheads-in-the-know and make the pilgrimage to Tilburg for Roadburn, otherwise known as the greatest heavy music festival on earth. Curated by John Baizley — whose band, Baroness, will play a headlining set — this year's event offers an extensive, exclusive roster of bands, including doom legends Coven (who reconvened specifically for the fest), black metal stalwarts Wolves in the Throne Room, Deafheaven, Youth Code and many, many more. 

A VULGAR DISPLAY OF PANTERA
Can there ever be too much Pantera? An entire book that follows the band behind the scenes in their most crucial times, documenting every crucial moment in photos. Watch the trailer above and tell us you aren't wowed.

VINYL ME, PLEASE
Vinyl Me, Please isn’t your typical vinyl subscription service. Where most outlets are content to send you an obscure, focus-grouped album and call it a day, the fine folks at VMP specialize in exclusive reissues of well-established classics from the likes of Nils Frahm, Beck and others. Each month’s album comes packaged with atypical treats like art prints and cocktail recipes (this year’s Pinkerton reissue, for instance, came with instructions for whipping up a sake concoction inspired by “Across the Sea”). 

BRIGHT EYES BOX SET 
It's cool to be emo sometimes, which is why The Studio Albums: 2000-2011, the new Bright Eyes collection from Saddle Creek, seems like an essential pickup. It features some of Conor Oberst's most impactful work, records that have stuck with so many kids not only during their emo phase, but far past it. It's a clear reminder of what Oberst was capable of even at a young age.

UNWOUND, WHAT WAS WOUND
Every single Unwound everything neatly packaged into a single box set, all from the kind folks at Numero.

TRAPPED UNDER ICE WINDBREAKER
It's getting fucking cold, yo. The rain is getting unavoidable, and if you don't check to see what's up on the wrong day, you might get caught in it all, totally ruined. Lucky for you, All In Merch and Trapped Under Ice have just the thing to keep you dry: this baller-ass windbreaker. Not only will you be safe from the rain with that essential hood, but you'll also look cool as a motherfucker. Anyone that looks at you will know you're TUI to death, with the Trapped Under Ice cross on the front and the snake print on the back. Be dry and bad at the same time.

SLASH MAGAZINE COLLECTION
If you're a kid like me, you know there's a whole lot of shit you missed the boat on thanks to not being conceived early enough. Thankfully, Hat and Beard Press have you covered with their reprint of the entire run of Slash magazine. For the uninitiated, Slash was a punk fanzine in Los Angeles, running articles about the scene and interviews with some of the time's most influential musicians, like the Damned, the Germs and much more. Check out new essays from the likes of Exene Cervenka, Vivien Goldman and Richard Meltzer. Up the punx.