Music books are always a great alternate gift for that impossible-to-buy-for music friend. This season has seen a pile of excellent new titles. Photographer Autumn de Wilde was a friend of the late Elliott Smith who, much like Merri Cyr did with Jeff Buckley a while back, has released a picture book chronicling her view of the musician. Fans will recognize the photoshoot which graced the cover of his 2000 album, Figure 8, but the remainder of the book is a goldmine of candid shots as well as several essays about Smith. The book also includes a 5-song live CD.

Speaking of goldmines, the latest edition of Da Capo's Best Music Writing is here. This is a collection of some of the year's best work in music essays and articles, and never fails to be a great buy.

Coinciding nicely with the new Gram Parsons Live CD is Twenty Thousand Roads, a study of the life of one of country rock's most beloved cult heroes--one who is tied as much to established icons like The Byrds, Stones and Emmylou Harris as he is to heroin and amateur cremation.

Soul Jazz records has been at the forefront of music archiving with their excellent reggae/soul/jazz/electronic/punk comps, so it's no surprise to see them releasing a book. Based on their three volume CD series, New York Noise covers pivotal themes in the development of the Big Apple's underground, profiling Lou Reed and Philip Glass to Suicide and Rhys Chatman. 

Finally, if you're ever really stumped, just check out the 33 1/3 series. Each one of these ingenious (and low-cost!) books is based around a particular album. Most are in-depth discussions of the album's genesis and its place in pop culture, however others, such as Kate Schatz's book on PJ Harvey's Rid Of Me, are pieces of creative writing inspired by the record.
Of particular note, mid-December will bring the arrival of Toronto writer Carl Wilson's analysis of the appeal of Celine Dion(!) and its polarizing effect on people. This book should be stellar, not to mention a great way buy something Celine Dion-based for a friend and have it still be thoughtful and cool (our heads are exploding right now). Happy reading!