King Khan & BBQ Show—Invisible Girl (In the Red)
Canadian ex-pat King Khan is perhaps the most soulful garage rocker in Berlin. If you need a live preview before committing to the album (which has gotten rave reviews from Spin and the A.V. Club), the band plays Lee’s Palace on Dec. 4. (We also dig the new albums by The Swell Season and Devendra Banhart.) Available at Soundscapes.
Animal Collective—Fall Be Kind EP (Domino)
If you were going to call Merriweather Post Pavilion one of the top albums of 2009, wait until Dec. 15—it might not even qualify as your favourite Animal Collective disc of the year after you hear Fall Be Kind. Available Dec. 15 at Soundscapes.
Cookin’ With Coolio: Five Star Meals at a One Star Price (Atria)
Go from being a kitchen wimp to a kitchen pimp! Based on his hit web series, Cookin’ With Coolio tells you how to make Oowee Oysters and Kompton Fried Chicken, plus reveals how the gangsta rapper feels about Rachael Ray. $21.00 at World’s Biggest Book Store.
Holiday tarts from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky
Stuck over what to bring to your umpteenth “school’s out” potluck? Pick up a signature mincemeat-less pie from Wanda’s in Kensington Market (287 Augusta Ave.) and your guests will want to skip straight to dessert. $14.75
Great Lakes Winter Ale
There are few beer bottles that one could aptly describe as “cheery.” Luckily, the Great Lakes Brewery’s holiday blend tastes as good as it looks, featuring spicy hints of cinnamon, caramel, and orange peel. $6.95 at LCBO.
Sony Reader Touch Edition
While there’s something irreplaceable about the feel of paper books (and, uh, newsprint), Sony’s e-book reader is so sleek and lightweight that we’re willing to give it a try. The stylus even works as a highlighter! $349.99 at Sony Style.
DJ Hero (Activision)
DJ Hero is probably the only video game that lets you mix and scratch Black Eyed Peas tunes against an Ibizan beach club backdrop. (Unfortunately, we’ve confirmed that the moniker “DJ Tanner” is already taken.) $129.99 at EB Games.
On the Money: The Economy in Cartoons (Andrews McMeel)
What’s your safest bet for a recessionary gift this holiday season? This collection includes the best money-themed New Yorker cartoons from the past 80 years, with an introduction by Trinity College alum Malcolm Gladwell. $30.99 at World’s Biggest Book Store.
Julia Child: The Way to Cook (Knopf)
Sure, Julie & Julia was a great way to vicariously experience the “French” chef’s délicaces. But if you want your recipient to actually be able to cook something, go for this re-release of Julia Child’s 1980s video lessons. Available on Dec. 8 at amazon.ca.
Up (Disney/Pixar)
Up currently holds two out of the top-five spots on Amazon’s most-wished for list. So, this DVD is a pretty safe bet to get for your nephew, your Secret Santa exchange, or your dogsitter. $39.98 at World’s Biggest Book Store.
Inglourious Basterds (Universal)
Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist history of World War II was a hit this summer, both critically and at the box office. (If you’re not sure which parts were exaggerated, next semester you might consider signing up for HIS242: Europe in the Twentieth Century.) Available Dec. 15 at Indigo.
Photos by David Pike, gingerbread by Jade Colbert
