Gift Guide: Best music to give this holiday

You know the drill: Every year around this time we pore over the thousands of albums that have been released over the past 11 months and whittle them down to a few dozen of the best. Then we make a list - a highly subjective, not-by-any-means definitive list - of albums that your friends and loved ones might enjoy receiving during the season.

Surely you don't need to be reminded that music makes a thoughtful, inexpensive gift. And now that the digital download has made the idea of going out to buy a physical CD more and more quaint, it's never been easier to buy music for loved ones. All you have to do is hand over an iTunes gift card.

On the other hand, nothing says "You mean a lot to me" more than an item that implies one had to travel, park and spar with crowds, giving a shiny, shrink-wrapped CD a little heart (although you could buy it online). To that end, here are some of this year's best, cheap gifts:

R&B

Ledisi
"Turn Me Loose"
Underground no more, soul singer teams with acclaimed songwriters

Melanie Fiona
"The Bridge"
This year's girl with big voice and retro-styled writing

Whitney Houston
"I Look to You"
Diva of them all returns with respectable, if worn, album

Maxwell
"BLACK-summer's Night"
Gorgeous, long-awaited album

R. Kelly
"Untitled"
Baby-making music for grown-ups; freaky but good

Rock

Lamb of God
"Wrath"
New producers help thrashers push forward

Queensryche
"American Soldier"
Epic concept album tells real-life stories of freedom fighters

Bob Dylan
"Together Through Life"
Icon gets sensitive, displays Chicago blues and Tex-Mex flavor

Dave Matthews Band
"Big Whis-key and the GrooGrux King"
Emotionally heavy, lyrically intense

Green Day
"21st Century Breakdown"
Surprisingly solid follow-up to excellent "American Idiot"

Country

Toby Keith
"American Ride"
Tender ballads from consistent country crooner

Keith Urban
"Defying Gravity"
Well-crafted, upbeat country rock

Tim McGraw
"Southern Voice"
Sublime tribute to life below the Mason-Dixon

Eric Church
"Carolina"
Macho record that sounds harder and more aggressive than most

Dierks Bentley
"Feel That Fire"
Instant star blends bluegrass and traditional country with rock

Jazz Vocalists

Norah Jones
"The Fall"
Slightly more up-tempo than we're used to but still silky and sweet

Barbra Streisand
"Love is the Answer"
Standards and classics from a standard-setter

Diana Krall
"Quiet Nights"
Reigning chanteuse scores again

Will Downing
"Classique"
Smooth-voiced singer runs the gamut from soul to country to jazz

Harry Connick Jr.
"Your Songs"
Charismatic crooner does Sinatra, Billy Joel

Hip-Hop

Mos Def
"The Ecstatic"
His best in years

Ghostface Killah
"Ghostdini, The Wizard of Poetry"
Brilliant and raunchy rapper more brilliant and raunchy

Jay-Z
"Blueprint 3"
Sophisticated rap music from rap's self-proclaimed Sinatra

Wale
"Attention Deficit"
D.C. native blends go-go, hip-hop and smart lyrics for exciting debut

Jazz

Bruce Hornsby
"Levitate"
Hometown hero breaks from form on outstanding album

George Benson
"Songs and Stories"
This master plays tunes from the likes of Donny Hathaway, Smokey Robinson and more

Pieces of a Dream
"Soul Intent"
Back-to-basics, vintage-sounding record

Spyro Gyra
"Down the Wire"
Mix of improv and calculated grooves

Gospel

BeBe & CeCe Winans
"Still"
Christian R&B pop from the genre's innovators

Fred Hammond
"Love Unstoppable"
Somber and sober praise music

Israel Houghton and New Breed
"The Power of One"
Eclectic album breezes through the funky and even reggae jams

Various

"Gotta Have Gospel 7"
Biggest hits from all the big names - Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin - in one easy package.

Indie Rock

Julian Casablancas
"Phrazes for the Young"
The Strokes lead singer strays from standard sound with excellent mish-mash

Pearl Jam
"Backspacer"
Eddie Vedder and Co. don't miss a beat on first album in years

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"It's Blitz!"
New York trio does New Wave and dance well

Sonic Youth
"The Eternal"
Leading American band still showing consistency

Moby
"Wait for Me"
Still Moby, still ambient

Malcolm Venable, (757) 446-2662,

malcolm.venable@pilotonline.com