Five extremely cool things to wake up to on Christmas day

December 7, 10:15 AMMusic ExaminerLinda Laban

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Amped up iPod!

Here are five extremely cool rock 'n' roll related goodies to wake up to on Christmas day. Excluding, that is, your latest rock crush.

Everyone and his granny has an iPod. But not every granny has an
iPod docking station that doubles as a guitar amplifier. First Act’s DK1000 is a unique docking station with the added option of plugging in guitars, microphones, or other musical instruments. So that instead of listening to other people making a racket, you can make your own. The DK 1000 looks cool, what with its classic Marshall look. It has a two-way speaker system with four-inch woofers and 3/4 inch tweeters and an auxiliary stereo input for gaming devices. Just like First Act's guitar amps, the DK1000 includes variable tone and switchable gain channels for different guitar tones. $99.99. The DK1000 can be purchased at First Act or on Amazon.com. 

Victory Records was the original home of pop punk and emo bands through the ‘90s. What with emo becoming the new pop rock genre of choice – the name was always pretty spurious, now it’s quite meaningless – Victory has stood the test of time and indeed warrants its mighty moniker. Whatever music jiggles your synapses, Victory’s  MOSH hoodie is the business. The original black with white writing is now joined by a special white with black writing and this Christmas, Victory is spreading the joy with a limited run in bright red and a big white MOSH. $29.98. Buy!

The person who didn’t use their ticket to the legendary Beatles concert on August 23, 1966, at Shea Stadium in New York City, is probably kicking themselves now. One such ticket is now up for grabs at memorabilia site, Gotta Have It! Someone had an upper reserved seat, priced at $5.75, and didn’t use it. Seriously, kick yourself, no amount of money now could replace the experience.  Still, now the ticket, which has a picture of the foursome on the front, is an attractive collector’s item. Price: $1,250.00. Snag!

There is Maynard James Keenan, member of dark, pensive rock outfits Tool, A Perfect Circle, and now Puscifer. And then there is Maynard James Keenan, owner of an Arizona winery and maker of some rather good wine. Keenan’s oenophilic tendencies are now being realized in the rather interestingly named Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards. Merkin? Really? The man has a sense of humor then. Anyway, check out a bottle or two of Merkin Vineyards 2005 Chupacabra. $26. winelog.com

What better gift to find under the Xmas tree than a Ramones lunchbox, perfect for keeping edibles or valuables or whatever. Just as the lunchbox is a symbol of American social mores, or something, da brudders Ramones are as quintessentially Americana as the proverbial apple pie. We'll just ignore the fact that several European countries lay claim to a good tarte au pomme too. None of which has anything to do with Xmas, of course. $16. chaser.com