Cheap Gifts!

UNDER $50

Hip-Hop Energy Drinks
(various prices)

Eating all that Christmas dinner turkey is going to make everybody sleepy, but if there's a case of rapper-endorsed liquid speed waiting under the tree, the whole family can rock on and on to the break-a break-a dawn. Sure, Nelly's Pimp Juice ($48 for 24 8-ounce cans at www.letitloose.com), Lil Jon's CRUNK!!! ($21.99 for 12 8.2-ounce cans or $40.99 for 24 8.2-ounce cans at www.beveragesdirect.com), and Fat Joe's YJ Stinger (available at www.yjstinger.com and various online retailers for $40 to $50 for 24 8-ounce cans) all taste like Smarties dissolved in saline, but after her 10th can, Grandma will be too busy busting windmills and backspins to care. If you're having trouble choosing a brand, keep in mind that the Pimp Juice is giving away P.I.M.P. (Positive Intellectual Motivated Person) college scholarships. Also, YJ Stinger's "Enraged Raspberry" flavor turns a nice Christmasy shade of green if you leave it out long enough. (Single cans can be found at your local bodega.) AMY PHILLIPS

Kill Rock Stars Holiday Packs
(Kill Rock Stars, various prices)

Not only do these cornucopias of coolness from the venerable Olympia indie-record label make excellent gifts for all your hip friends and family members, but they're a great deal for you, too. For 50 bucks, you get five Deerhoof CDs, a Deerhoof T-shirt, and a cute milk crate to store it all in. Or five Sleater-Kinney CDs, an S-K T-shirt, and a crate for only $45. There are Decemberists, Bikini Kill, and Gravy Train!!!! packs, a pack highlighting KRS's avant-garde sister label 5 Rue Christine, and packs that come with sassy little KRS hot pants, all for under $50. If you want to splurge, the Compilation Holiday Pack includes 10 various-artists collections and one bonus CD for $75. Keep it local, keep it punk, keep it real . . . or else the Man wins. (www.buyolympia.com/killrockstars) AMY PHILLIPS

Slick Chick Kit / Guy on the Go Kit
(Cookie Pots, $45 each)

If you know a woman with a bottomless purse containing entirely too many miscellaneous items strewn about, you must help her get in order. The Slick Chick Kit is a little tin to keep divas organized and prepared: Mouthwash, deodorant, nail polish remover, lip balm, facial tissues—pull out the kit and appear effortlessly flawless. Ditto the Guy on the Go Kit: Need a breath mint after grabbing coffee? Did an important lunch result in a desperate need for dental floss? The kit contains everything useful from dental floss to a razor and shaving cream, in a discreet case. (http://www.cookiepots.com/Slick-Chick-Kit.htm) MAIYA NORTON

UNDER $40

Bright Balkan Morning: Romani Lives and the Power of Music in Greek Macedonia
(Wesleyan University Press, $39.95)

This oversized, beautifully printed book charts husband-and-wife team Charlie and Angeliki Keil's conversations with and experiences among the Romani people of Greek Macedonia. Generations of traditional Romani musicians —historically, social outcasts who dominate the wedding- music market with their hybrid of local and inherited sounds—tell their stories, while ethnomusicologist Charlie and sociologist and Northern Greece expat Angeliki tease out a series of profound thoughts about Romani history and the social meaning of musicianship. A CD by Steven Feld offers musical bits collected in daily life, among the ambient chatter of both the village and urban world. Heady? A little, but Dick Blau's black-and-white images and the book's luxurious feel make it perfect for the offbeat music lover on your list. DAPHNE CARR

Bright-Night Umbrellas
(Bright-Night, $21–$38)

As Seattleites know, rain is no biggie unless you have to leave the house. The dark skies and downpours can make a trip around the block feel like an obstacle course. For a gift that won't go to waste, pick up a Bright-Night—an umbrella that helps prevent curbside wipeouts. A Krypton lightbulb at the base of the canopy illuminates the space beneath it like a glowing dome so you can see where you're walking. It's particularly excellent for after-hours, and, not to be ageist, older folks who could use the extra help. The sturdy design is slightly larger than regular stick models, but not so gargantuan that it resembles a parachute. Starting at $21 for plain black or white and topping off at $38 for colorful patterns that befit any gender, the Bright-Night is a wise investment, especially around here. (425-398-4199; www.bright-night.com) JEANNE FURY

Mr. T Chia Pet
(TV-Land, $34.99)

The faux-hawk was the it-boy haircut of the early '00s—just punk enough to signal "no day job" while stemming off others' fears that the wearer might bum change. But how can you give that casual renegade spirit to a loved one this holiday? By encouraging a DIY Mohawk on this Mr. T Chia Pet. The man in chains, born Lawrence Tureaud, offers a clay replica of his mean grimace, on which one might spread those little chia seeds along the ridgy strip, add water, and watch that Mohawk grow! Alas, if only we all had our own ironic head on which to project our love, fear, and bad-haircut ideas, the world might be a more beautiful place—but then there'd be no synth pop. Maybe that's why these busts were made only to promote Nickelodeon's TV Land. The Web site www.stupid.com has some to spare, but I.P.T.F. who doesn't order one right away. DAPHNE CARR