Jim Morrison once waxed on wax about how “the future is uncertain and the end is always near.” Well if that’s the true-be-all-end-all-whatsit statement folks, then it’s a good thing that music is always near to help with the confusion. No matter what the mood or attitude of the homosapien: mad, glad, depressed, morose, lively, ebullient, ragtag, etc., music is always a welcome addition regardless of what’s going on or what’s going down. This year’s crop of sonic comestibles should take care of anyone feeling hi-fi or lo-hi; either way, all of them are welcome additions under the tree or near the menorah or whatever your late year holiday preference may be. Human beings have so many choices to choose from these days, and here’s some more below.

Check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Music.

It’s been 35, let me write that again, 35 years since Elvis Presley, the rightfully named “King of Rock and Roll,” passed away. For many musicphiles, zealous fans of him, and many of your rock and roll heroes who followed him and absolutely thought the man was musically irresistible, this is certainly a memorable day in the history of American music.

While the legacy and history of Elvis Presley is divided miles wide between those that love him and those that loathe him, one thing remains absolutely clear: the rules set and invented by the early Elvis, the brylcreemed, snarled lipped, leather jacket juvenile delinquent who had barely gotten out of his teenage years when he went into famed Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee and started his recording career, remains the checkpoint for all that followed him.