Holiday shopping can be a frustrating ordeal, and there’s probably nothing harder to pick out than CDs. To take some of the mystery out of musical gift-giving, we’ve put together a shopping guide of recent releases that are sure to impress everyone on your list, from your mom to your punk-rock-loving best friend:
Who: Your dad, the classic rock fan.
CD: “October Road,” the new disc from ’70s favorite James Taylor.
Who: Your mom, who listens to Lite FM.
CD: Norah Jones’ jazzy, poppy new album, “Come Away With Me.”
Who: Your friend, who’s already gone through two Avril Lavigne CDs.
CD: The similarly bratty but slightly harder rocking Donnas’ new disc, “Spend the Night.”
Who: Your friend, who won’t abandon teen pop.
CD: “Into Your Head,” the latest from the not-at-all-annoying U.K. boy band BBMak.
Who: Your brother, the Osbournes/ Foo Fighters fanatic.
CD: “Symptom of the Universe,” the two-disc Greatest Hits package from Ozzy’s old band, Black Sabbath.
Who: Your older sister, the indie rock snob.
CD: Pavement’s “Slanted and Enchanted,” deluxe version. Even if she has the original, this new edition of the alt-rock classic features an extra disc of rare material.
Who: Your sensitive friend, who writes in a journal and listens to Beck.
CD: “Have You Fed the Fish?” by the also-sensitive singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy.
Who: The hip-hop fan in your life.
CD: Whether he’s into Nelly or Nas, he’ll love Jurassic Five’s smart, hook-happy “Power in Numbers.”
Who: Your aunt, the Beatles fanatic.
CD: The soundtrack to “I Am Sam,” which features artists like Sheryl Crow and the Vines doing updated versions of Beatles songs.
Who: Your friend, who has every record on the planet.
CD: “KCRW: Sounds Eclectic Too.” This compilation features new material from hipster favorites like Air and Starsailor as well as lots of great acts they’ve never heard of.
Who: Anyone who loves the Hives and the White Stripes.
CD: “Black City,” from Swedish garage rockers Division of Laura Lee. Like the Hives, but louder.
Who: Your secret Santa.
CD: Elvis Presley’s “30 #1 Hits.” No matter what kind of music they’re into, it’s hard to resist Elvis.
