Merge Records keeps on giving to those who pony up for the label's SCORE! 20th Anniversary Box Set with the fourth in Superchunk's live Clambake series, Sur La Bouche: Live in Montreal 1993. Next Tuesday the concert from the On the Mouth tour is available online at the MergeRecords.com store, but comes free as another bonus for subscribers to the box-set series that mails its first CD this month.

Is there a hole in your stocking, or pink slips paper-clipped to the tree in a festive display? Times are tough, but the simple joys do survive. Pile on the blankets and give a gift to yourself this season, in the pleasure of a new book from the Dewey 780.9 section of your public library or your hip local bookseller.

With the record industry in seasonal hibernation, I'm looking ahead to some of the events, tunes, and DVDs of the coming year.

Santa and your friendly postal carrier might be wishing that everyone gave digital gifts this year, as gift cards and iTunes credits surely lighten the load of their sacks. I'm sorry, St. Nick, but the perfect gift to thrill the music fan might be one of four new coffee-table books.

If you are just starting to build or are looking to add to a collection of yuletide tunes, this year's offerings have something wonderful for any holiday hipster. Following six volumes in his Coolest Songs in the World series, Little Steven Van Zandt and his Wicked Cool Records imprint collect 20 of his holiday favorites in Underground Garage Presents: Christmas A Go Go. Featuring The Ramones, Electric Prunes, Darlene Love, and Rufus Thomas, highlights include Bob Seger's rare "Sock It to Me Santa," Soupy Sales' "Santa Claus Is Surfin' to Town," and Joe Pesci's "If It Doesn't Snow on Christmas."