Part 2 Of Our Christmas Gift Suggestions

By Nick Krewen

You still haven't found that Christmas gift you've been searching for? 

Here’s the second of our two-part Santamental ideas collection.

FYIMusicNews put out the call and the responses were...interesting.  Some were contemporary...some delved into the past. Some shamelessly self-promoted - and who is going to be the Grinch who is going to deny them that privilege?

Others were altruistic and the rest simply chose favourites that they simply think others will enjoy.

An editor's note: some comments were edited for brevity - and when it comes to TV show suggestions, remember that they're available either as a DVD/Blu-ray set, or, if they're on a streaming service, as a subscription.

Hawskley Workman - indie rock artist

Music:

Any Art Tatum vinyl.

Book:

Shogun - James Clavell -  "The last time I read it, I was preparing to go to Japan for the first time. Japan is the most fascinating place I've ever been - and that was 13 years ago. I thought I'd be back six times since, but I haven't, so I'm re-reading it to feel that Japan energy again, you know?"

Kevin Breit - guitarist extraordinaire, Sisters Euclid

Music: 

Come Go With Me - The Staple Singers

Anything by Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Books:

Just Kids - Patti Smith

Caste - The Origins Of Our Discontents - Isabel Wilkerson

Madison Olds x Nearly York - Canadian pop artists

Music:

100 Bad Days - AJR

Book: 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

TV Show: 

Selling Sunsets 

Haley K Turner - Indie pop folkie

Music:

The next Jill Barber record.

Just When the Light - David Beckingham

Books:

If I Knew Then  -  Jann Arden, "A wonderfully encouraging and therapeutic guide to showing up in the world as yourself."

The Ashes  -  Jesse Thistle

Film:

I’m Dreaming Of A Jewish Christmas - Larry Weinstein 

Gift:

Soy Candle - Canvas Candle Company.

Léonie Gray - Montreal singer and songwriter

Music:

Skin - Joy Crookes

Book: 

Small Great Things - Jodi Picoult

Film:

Cadillac Records

TV Show:

Entre Deux Draps

Paige Williams, Soft Sound Press

Book: 

Fangirls: Scenes from Modern Music Culture - Hannah Ewens

Michael Raine, Canadian Musician Magazine & Podcast

Gift: 

A T-shirt or hoodie from SupportCanadianMusic.com - "50% of the sale goes to a Canadian music charity, which you choose from their list of partners. I chose the Unison Fund, and the other options are MusiCounts, Music Heals, Regent Park School of Music, and the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.

Howard Druckman, Editor, SOCAN Words and Music

Book: 

Massey Hall - David McPherson - “It provides a thorough, engaging look at the history, context, and spirit of the venue, from its inception way back in 1894 to its three-year renovation, completed about a week ago. Even as a lifelong concertgoer who's seen dozens of performances there, the book deepened my awareness of the venue's position and place in Toronto, Canada, and the world, and re-awakened my enduring love for its intimacy, acoustics, and sightlines."   

Stuart Derdeyn, Entertainment Reporter, Postmedia

App: 

The Animoog Z app - "It's endless fun."

Siobamm- Synthy alt-rock artist from Toronto

Music:

Odyssey Vol. 1 - Crown Lands

Book: 

Sellout - Dan Ozzi.    "A deep dive into the major label debuts of 11 punk bands, including Green Day, Blink-182, My Chemical Romance, and The Distillers. I love the way it explores the relationship between art and commerce post Nirvana."

Film:

Dune - director, Denis Villeneuve - “I was a fan of the Lynch one, which is a very strange version. The new Dune is more cinematic. The visuals and Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack work together beautifully. And I’m excited it’s split into two parts, because the book is like 900 pages."

TV Show:

Succession - " The writing is incredible (especially the insults), and it’s a poignant look at how the wealthiest people in America are very messed up."

Myles Goodwyn- founder and lead singer, songwriter, April Wine

Music: 

Raising The Roof - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.  -       "Great songs, inspired vocals and a stellar production by T-Bone Burnett."

Book:

Rockbound - Frank Parker Day (1928).   "I love the book. I recently bought a copy in a used bookstore in PEI when I was doing a few shows there with my acoustic trio. I gave the book to original April Wine member and close friend since 1963, Jim Henman. Jim is also in my trio along with bassist, Bruce Dixon."

Film:

The Power of The Dog - "It's compelling, dramatic and disturbing. Highly recommended."

Tiina LeMay and Gar Reid of Toronto band Eclecticus 

Music:

Barn - Neil Young & Crazy Horse (Vinyl Edition)

Book:

Massey Hall - An Enduring Legacy - David McPherson

Film:

Val - "A documentary about the incredible life and career of actor Val Kilmer."

TV Show:

Get Back - “For those who love The Beatles, we highly recommend the three-part docuseries. As musicians and songwriters in a band, this series was so relatable in terms of the creative process, the banter, the issues, the fun and the magic that comes from being in a band."

Paula Danylevich, Hype Music, publicist

Merch:

Elton John keychain 

Robbie Williams Official 2022 Calendar. 

Book:

Let That Sh*t Go - A Journal for Leaving Your Bulls*t Behind and Creating A Happy Life For Yourself - Monica Sweeney

Laurent Bourque - Toronto dance pop act

Music:

La Gabacha - BAJA

Book:

Dune - Frank Herbert

Film Gift:

A Revue Cinema membership (Toronto.)

TV Show:

Gilmore Girls. 

Bex - Indigenous singer-songwriter

Music:

Red (Taylor's version) - Taylor Swift 

Startrails  -  Bex

Book:

Stillness Speaks - Eckhart Tolle

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle

Films:

Ghostbusters (Afterlife) 

Free Guy 

TV shows: 

Carnival Row

The Boys

Sammi Morelli - Vancouver-based pop artist

Music Gift: 

Christmas! Sound Sentiments Cards:  "Scratchable QR codes for the recipient enables them to download festive tunes sung by up-and-coming indie artists!"

Book:

You Were Born for This - Chani Nicholas - "If you haven't lived through the pandemic without picking up (or deepening) your interest in Astrology then what are you even doing?" 

Film:

Fantastic Fungi (Netflix)

TV show

Ted Lasso

Andrew Shaver - Country music singer, songwriter and producer

Music:

Red Rocks - Nathaniel Rateliff (Vinyl Edition)

Book:

He Used Thought as A Wife - Tim Key

Autogramm - Vancouver power-pop trio

Music:

Light Years - James Sullivan (Bandcamp)

Only The End - Ashley Shadow

The Sting - Zache Davis

Film:

The Criterion Channel - (Subscription)

John Finley

Music:

I Smile - Kirk Franklin

Snowflakes Are Dancing - Tomita

Snarky Puppy

Bettye LaVette

Gabriels

Hezekiah Walker & LFC

Jazzmeia Horn

Authors:

Robert J. Sawyer

Alistair Reynolds

James S.A. Corey

Arthur C. Clarke

Films:

Knives Out

Death At A Funeral

Ad Astra

The Fall

The Help

Totoro

TV Shows:

Yellowstone

Star Trek: Discovery

Westworld

Downton Abbey

Kerry Doole, FYI Music News, freelance journalist

Book:

Domenic Troiano - His Life and Music - Mark Doble, Frank Troiano

Buffy MacNeil - Cape Breton singer-songwriter

Academic Well-Being of Racialized Students - Dr. Benita Bunjun, Editor. 

Music:

Raise The Roof - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Film:

Respect

TV Show:

Yellowstone

Ewan Currie (Sheepdogs, BROS)

Music:

Christmas Dreams: Yuletide Country (1960-1972) - Various Artists (Vinyl Edition.)  "I love listening to Bing & Mariah sing the Christmas classics as much as anyone, but I'm always on the hunt for outside the box additions to my Holiday playlist. This compilation is full of good, old-time country feeling and rippin' pedal steel. I ordered it on vinyl, and they sent MP3s to tide me over until Santa can deliver it."

Eamon McGrath, Edmonton-born, Toronto-based singer and songwriter

Music: 
Cure for Pain - Morphine - “The second title on Light in The Attic's new Modern Classics imprint is an album as moody, atmospheric, brooding and evocative as the band's history is tragic and emotional. Bandleader Mark Sandman heartbreakingly died onstage in Italy with Morphine in 1999, and he is survived by the immortal music of Boston's most exciting three-piece band, featuring his unorthodox bass playing (often with as few as two strings), his melancholic baritone vocals, Billy Conway's lyrical and spacious drumming, and of course the trademark saxophone howl of Dana Colley. Cure for Pain bridges a gap between punk rock, blues, indie, free jazz, shoegaze and slowcore."  

Book: 

Stranger Than Kindness - Nick Cave.  "It's an addicting and extensive look into the finest details of one of music's most powerful and enduring songwriters. Decades of relics, news clippings, show posters, lyric sheets, setlists, and artifacts fill page after page in this immaculately put together and curated archive of Nick Cave's career."

Sally Shaar, singer and songwriter, Toronto-based MonoWhales. 

Music:

Tell Me How You Really Feel - Courtney Barnett

Assume Form - James Blake

Butterfly 3000 - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Book:

Wendy - Walter Scott (Graphic Novel)

Film: 

King Richard 

TV show:

Fantastic Fungi 

Sean McCann, solo artist, ex-Great Big Sea

Music:

Shantyman - Sean McCann.  "Features inspired performances from my good friends Hawksley Workman, Gordie (Big Sugar) Johnson, Jeremy Fisher, @ J.P. Cormier. It is a bracing breath of salty sea air and perhaps the best Great Big Sea record you've never heard."

Book:

One Good Reason - Sean McCann and Andrea Aragon. "Written with my "higher power" (and beautiful wife) Andrea Aragon, this is our own story of Recovery + Music + Love. "

Film:

Get Back - "Alan (Doyle) and I were certainly no "Paul and John" but having lived through the bitter end of a successful band, I just couldn't look away from the inevitable train wreck that was The Beatles' Get Back.  While I miss the songs, I can still learn from their lyrics and remain reassured in the belief that Money Can't Buy Me Love."

TV Show:

The Walking Dead - "The pandemic left me with time to start watching The Walking Dead. Hard to beat a fictional zombie apocalypse while living through your own ... Merry Christmas everyone!"

Karen Bliss, Billboard, founder, Samaritan Magazine

Book: 

Renegades: Born in The U.S.A. - Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen

Merch: 

Fisher-Price Little People Collector figures: The Rolling Stones

Miranda Mulholland, Roaring Girl Records

Music:

Novo Amor - Novo Amor:  "I just discovered this talented Welsh artist. Evocative and sweeping but also vulnerable and intimate. Start with the song Anchor."

Book:

The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman.  "This is a sequel to the Thursday Murder Club. I love a good mystery with twists and turns and I love a grand British caper with salty, well drawn characters and a healthy dose of whimsy and charm. These books have it all in spades. "

Film:

My Darling Vivian - "A revealing and moving documentary about Johnny Cash's first wife, Vivian Liberto. It's fascinating how we as humans feel the need to erase some people's narratives in order to mythologize the stories of others."

TV show:
The Hookup Plan - "It's a romantic comedy TV series set in Paris which makes for some good eye candy and delightfully awkward scenarios."

Eric Alper - yeah, that one.... publicist

Music:

Chaise Longue - Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers 

Wet Leg - Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers

Book:

Music is History - Questlove - "Focuses on the years 1971 to the present, not only the country's most complex and rewarding half-century when it comes to the ways that pop culture and culturally diverse history intersect and interact, but also the years that overlap with Questlove's own life."

Film:

Get Back - "Watching the greatest band in history create their songs, right in front of us, was a lesson in creativity, and they should have just been allowed to take a break from it all."

TV show:

Succession

Raine Hamilton - Prairie Songstress

Music:

Raffi's Christmas Album - Raffi -      "This one is a timeless classic."

Book: 

The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree - “Nina and Nutley are two squirrel siblings living in a vast and verdant wonderland. Concerned that Santa won't be able to distinguish their evergreen abode amidst the conifer forest, they team up with family members to decorate their home/tree in an intergenerational Christmas collaboration for the ages." 

Film:

Elf - " My geographically dispersed family has watched it every Christmas for years, and this was before the streaming synchronization of Netflix Party was a thing."

TV Show:

Superstore - “I recommend Superstore for their blend of everyday over-the-top character-driven whimsy."

Caroline Brooks - Good Lovelies

Music: 

Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman -   "A band that features Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats) and Josh Kauffman (The National), their eponymous first record is lush and beautiful."

Book: 

Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Audiobook). - "The narration is brilliant and funny."

Film: 

My Neighbour Totoro - Miyazaki (animated)

TV Show:

Ted Lasso. - "it’s perfect for the holidays. Touching, uplifting, joyful, and just what we need right now."

Adrian Sutherland - singer, all-Cree rock band Midnight Shine

Book: 

Orr: My Story - Bobby Orr. 

Tania Joy - Activist songwriter

Music: 

Outside Child - Alison Russell - "A stunning masterpiece delving into the darkest corners of personal tragedy and emerging with unwavering resilience."

TV Show:

Ted Lasso

Catherine MacLellan, East Coast indie-folk singer-songwriter

Music: 

My name is Suzie Ungerleider - Suzie Ungerleider - “Many would know her as Oh Susanna, but Suzie Ungerleider's journey has restarted under her own name and the new album is beautiful. The songs are tender and perfect, the production by Jim Bryson is intimate and engaging."

Book:

The Healing Power of Singing: Raise Your Voice, Change Your Life (What Touring With David Bowie, Single Parenting and Ditching The Music Business Taught Me in 25 Easy Steps)” - Emm Gryner -    "It is the most satisfying and empowering read I've had in a while. This book is great for anyone who wants to read stories from the road, learn some great vocal skills or just up your game in being clear on what you want in life."

Zach Kleisinger- Vancouver singer-songwriter

Music:

Highs In the Minuses - Charlotte Cornfield

Book:

The Art of Loving - Erich Fromm

Film: 

Fantastic Fungi

Andrea Ramolo - Toronto-based singer-songwriter

Music: 

You Were Chosen To Be Here - Isaac Murdoch

Quarantine Dream - Andrea Ramolo

Book: 

Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths And Stories of The Wild Woman Archetype - Clarissa Pinkola  Estés.  "A great gift for any woman in your life breaking down walls and barriers and for anyone else who needs a reminder of our power."  

TV Show:

Reservation Dogs.  "A wonderful series featuring all Indigenous writers and directors and a mostly Indigenous cast Funny and clever and imaginative."

Jaymz Bee  - singer, songwriter, radio host, entrepreneur

Music:

Music For Secret Agents - Jaymz Bee

A Very Untraditional Christmas - Jaymz Bee

Books: 

Coming Through The '60s - William M. King

I Thought He Was Dead - Ralph Benmergui

Kolour Me Krazy - Jamyz Bee with Charles Hackbarth, Illustrator

Film:

Dune (IMAX)

TV Show:

Barnaby Jones - YouTube 

Jane Tattersall, Social Media, TJX

Book:

Music is History - Questlove

Ralph Alfonso - BBAM Gallery owner, manager, The Damn Truth

Book:

Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock - Nik Cohn -   "Originally published in 1969 and still in print, possibly the best ever book about rock, irreverent and over the top, it is an incredible read and influenced a generation of rock writers who followed."

John Cody, singer-songwriter

Book:

Spike - Spike Lee

Steve Waxman, podcast host, The Creationists, Career guidance consultant, I. M. Steve Waxman

Podcast:

The Creationists - Steve Waxman

Michael Wrycraft, Juno Award-winning graphic designer

Music:

Outside Girl - Allison Russell - "It is amazing 15 different ways."

Book:

How Music Works - David Byrne

Rob Braide, Broadcaster, Musicologist

Music Retail Gift Certificate: 

Recordland, Calgary, AB.

National Music Centre, Calgary:

Legacy Vinyl record dedication at NMC (Sponsorship.)

David McPherson, author

Music:

Outside Child - Allison Russell

Books:

M Train - Patti Smith

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev - Dawnie Walton

TV Show:

Better Call Saul

Paul Wootton - Lowdown Dirty Mojos

Music:

Stone Cold Groovers - Lowdown Dirty Mojos

Terry Draper - Solo artist, ex-Klaatu

Music:

The Other Side - Terry Draper

Danny Marks, guitarist, Blues radio host, Jazz-FM 91.1

Book:

King Of The Blues - The Rise and Reign of B.B. King - Daniel De Wise - “Highly recommended. a revelation on every page."

Raymond Ramsay - Ex-BMG Music Canada promo rep

Book:

Promo Monkey - Monkey See, Monkey Two - Personas & Prima Donnas - RayMan Ramsay

Buffy Sainte-Marie, Polaris Music Prize winner, pioneer

Book:

Hey Little Rockabye - A Lullaby for Pet Adoption - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Ben Hodson (illustrator)

Nick Krewen, Freelance Journalist

Music:

Heavy Sun - Daniel Lanois

Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe Edition) - Prince

The Humors Of...Lewis Furey

Books:

Talk - Vol 1-3 - William M. King

Lightfoot! - Nicholas Jennings

Massey Hall - David McPherson

Imajica - Clive Barker

Films:

Avengers - Infinity War

Avengers - Endgame

Grandma's Boy