Ok... it's a little early I know. But Christmas/Holidays time is when I load up on CDs' because I cant afford them most of the time. And I like sending my brother to the CD stores with a list of music he's never even heard of before, because he hates asking the clerks for help

So here's my list - so far

The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (when I first listened to it, I didn't like it. I thought... why can't you just rock out like ATDI? but now... it's pleasantly epic and morbid)
Radio 4 - Gotham!
the Faint - Danse Macabre
Ikara Colt - Chat and Business
Les Savy Fav - Go Forth

Plus, I've been checking out a whole bunch of other bands (like the ones everyone here has so kindly recommended ) so this list will get MUCH bigger by christmas.

I dont' actually get all the ones I want... but this way, if I give a huge list, I still don't know what I'm getting so it's a surprise.

I want some shelves for my speakers so I can have surround sound in my room.

There's only two CDs I'm getting for Christmas, Devendra Banhart's "Nino Rojo", and the latest Anaal Nathrakh album.

I couldn't think of any others anyone would be able to find.

a new boards of canada album would be nice... even if it is a year late

I used to do that, although (adopts fake old man's quavery voice) it was vinyl LPs, not CDs, on my list. I used to smile at the thought of my mother talking to the record shop assistant with green mohican and studded dog collar (the assistant that is, not my mother), the kind of person she would normally cross the street to avoid.

Things seem a little different when you buy, or at least pay for, your own gifts, and these days I really enjoy being in a position to give. My daughter's list is still packed with Barbie stuff and will be for a few years yet, but I'm looking forward to the day when its me in the record shop asking for obsure music. I'd probably be there anyway though.

Thom

I pretty much buy CDs all year round so it's hard for people to buy me music.

I would love to have one of those mini-ipod things though.

Most of my other gifts wouldn't be music related and probably be rather boring.

Nirvana Box Set

&

Creative Labs Nomad MP3 Player!!!

More than likely I'll be getting a 200GB external Firewire disk so I can finally digitize the rest of my CD collection (( 1,500 albums already copied to this HD @ 224 kbps Mp3 )) -- its getting old having to tote the things around everywhere I go. It'll be nice not having to carry any physical CDs back with me when Winter Quarter comes around.

In addition, the new Gentle Giant DVD would be nice, as well as the Van Der Graaf Generator, Residents, and King Crimson DVDs I've been putting off for years.

On a related note, I've already got 5 or 6 music-related gifts to give out a well...mostly CDs, as you might imagine.

the faint!! mmmm danse macabre is gooood