A flurry of CD box sets and DVDs to please the music- and movie-lovers on your list

Trying to find the perfect gift for that goth fan on your Christmas list?

How about a black-leather corset?

No, not one to cinch himself up with (although he'd probably like that) but rather the one that comes tightly wrapped around an amazing box set called "A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box" (3CDs, 1DVD; Rhino, $64.98).

It's one of the highlights of this box-set season, when labels release their most elaborate (and pricey) collections... more

Your official holiday axioms for this year: Good things come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue. Don't spend impulsively.

But this isn't about abstinence education; how you spend your money in that department is your own private business.

I can only counsel you on DVDs, and if you showed some self-restraint when studios released your favorite shows one season at a time, satisfaction is at hand. ... more

"Merry: A Holiday Journey" (NSS Music, $16.98): Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and her friends have come up with a brand-new genre-busting holiday treat here, performing classic holiday tunes with a spin from jazz, classical, bossa nova, close-harmony and all sorts of directions. This is the CD that will make your friends say, "What on Earth is that? It's great!" ... more

"Fearless Leader," John Coltrane (Prestige, $47.97, six-CD set). Though Coltrane's breakthrough work for Atlantic and Impulse! is more famous, his two-year stint as a leader at Prestige (1957-58) produced gems such as "Soultrane," "Lush Life" and "Bahia" — 11 albums in all. In some ways, these gorgeous ballads and straight-ahead blues are more approachable... more

For the fond fans of theater you know, bestowing a holiday gift of show tickets is always a hit. But there a few CDs and DVDs related to the world of drama that we can as recommend as welcome gifts under the tree. ... more