Gift ideas for the Toronto music fan on your list

It's holiday time and what better present is there to give than the gift of music! It's doesn't have to be literal, though, as there are plenty of musical presents one can give other than CDs or vinyl. Here are some music-themed gifts for you to choose from, perfect for those music-loving pals of yours!

Doublenaut posters
Toronto's Andrew and Matt McCracken have designed some of the city's best music posters, as well as non-music posters, for musicians in and out of Toronto. For an affordable price of $20, you can buy your friend a unique silk-screened poster of their favourite band. We suggest the wicked green Ty Segall one or a special Metz poster from their October record release show at the Horseshoe Tavern — there are only 75 in existence! $20

Indie Rock Colouring Book
Why listen to your favourite artists when you can colour in pictures of them instead? This fun colouring book is something that is suitable for people of all ages, whether you're a diehard fan of bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the New Pornographers or if you simply want something fun for your daughter (you can educate them on all of these great bands while you're at it!). Bonus: not into indie music? There are metal and country music versions of these books! $10, also available at the Drake General Store, Sonic Boom.

CBC Radio bag
This is the perfect gift for your music loving, CBC Radio listening friend. This stylish light brown bag is an ode to Canadian Broadcast Company's old design and logo and even boasts a thick, comfortable strap. It's lightweight and the perfect size for books, music and all your necessities. $40, Available at the Drake General Store.

A Young Lions Music Club card
This is the gift that keeps giving. The Young Lions Music Club offers a variety of discounts and exclusive ins at events and parties around the city including their very own monthly DJ nights as well as discounts at Hawker Bar and 69 Vintage. Best of all? The card is free!

Abbey Road Studios
For your Anglophile music lover: what better than to treat them to these wonderful Abbey Road-themed coasters! This pack of six coasters, featuring images from the legendary British recording studio, is just dose of British love they need - and they're practical!
$22, Available online (see above link) and at the Drake General Store.

BOOKS

Perfect Youth: The Birth of Canadian Punk, by Sam Sutherland
Perfect for punk fans, Perfect Youth: The Birth of Canadian Punk chronicles the rise of the Canadian punk scene, focusing on the overall scene across the country as opposed to a particular city as some books do.

Too Much Trouble: A Very Oral History of Danko Jones, by Stuart Berman
The Grid's Stuart Berman follows up his 2009 book, the Broken Social Scene bio This Book is Broken, with yet another oral history of a Canadian rock star, Danko Jones. Through interviews with friends, fans and Jones himself, this book delves into the successes and failures in the musician's decade-plus career.

1982, by Jian Ghomeshi
CBC host and Canadian personality Jian Ghomeshi has been considered a national treasure of sorts, entertaining us on the radio every day. But now, he has decided to enter the book-writing business as well, penning his first book 1982. The memoir details his experiences with music throughout the years, from being a self-professed Bowie fanatic to his Iranian heritage.

Far From Over: The Music and Life of Drake, by Dalton Higgins
Even though Toronto rapper Drake hasn't been around for that long doesn't mean that someone can't write a book about him. Have you seen the number of Justin Bieber books out right now? Canadian hip-hop writer Dalton Higgins tackles the life of Aubrey Graham in this book, giving us the most comprehensive document of his life so far.

Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972, by Dave Bidini
Acclaimed author and musician Dave Bidini is back. In Writing Gordon Lightfoot: The Man, the Music, and the World in 1972, Bidini documents the week leading up to the 1972 Mariposa Folk Festival through a series of letters written to folk icon Gordon Lightfoot.

5 ALBUMS FROM TORONTO BANDS IN 2012

Wilderness of Manitoba - Islands of Echoes
This folk-rock group followed up last year's When You Left the Fire with this gorgeous album fit for the fall and winter months. Filled with soul-soothing harmonies, Islands of Echoes steps it up a notch from their previous release with more rock elements that create more dimension in their already full sound.

Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk
Emotionally charged and sonically gripping, Evening Hymns put out one of the best albums of the year with Spectral Dusk. The album chronicles the passing of lead singer Jonas Bonnetta's father and each track not only paints a beautiful picture of Bonnetta's late dad, but also the relationship they had.

Metz - Metz
This local band burst onto the international scene this year after signing with indie-rock heavyweights Sub Pop Records. Since then, the band has caught the eyes of buzz blogs everywhere, making us ever so proud to have seen them at small venues like Parts & Labour once upon a time.

Jason Collett - Reckon
Broken Social Scene alum Jason Collett released a new album this year, one that's more political and outspoken than anything he's ever put out. Still infused with the same acoustic guitar-rock vibe that we've come to know, Collett's conviction to address the failing economic crisis really charges up the album into a something that everyone must hear.

Crystal Castles - III
Everyone's favourite electronic duo returned this year with a new album. Entitled III, the Toronto act's third album is their best yet, elevating their already infectiously aggressive beats to a new level that's sure to satisfy any fan of dance music.