For your best (ear) buds: There's no doubt about it: Kelly Hogan, the grand dame of insurgent country music, released the best album of 2012, I Like To Keep Myself in Pain (Anti). Backed by an amazing band (Booker T. Jones, James Gadson, Gabriel Roth and Scott Ligon), Hogan wails and whips her way through a set of astonishing compositions by the likes of gay singer/songwriter Stephin Merrit, Andrew Bird, John Wesley Harding, Robyn Hitchcock, M. Ward and Jon Langford, among others. The recording is available in multiple formats, including vinyl (with a free CD inside). Hogan hurts so good.
If you hear Christmas music, you aren't alone. It's been on the airwaves for months. On The Edie Adams Christmas Album (Omnivore Recordings), the late singer/actress Edie Adams can be heard performing more than a dozen Christmas favorites, including a few duets with Eddie Kovacs, thanks to a reissue campaign and an agreement struck with the estates of legendary comedian Kovacs and his widow, Ms. Adams.
Seventies siren Rita Coolidge celebrates the season on A Rita Coolidge Christmas (429), featuring a number of holiday standards as well as the original tune "Circle of Light." The V/A comp Now That's What I Call Today's Christmas (EMI/Universal/Sony) collects 18 tracks by Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Sugarland, Mariah Carey and Carrie Underwood, as well as Norah Jones and Coldplay.
For your best (taste) buds: "Inspired by the original" is the tagline for Candy Sunshine, an homage to regional Milwaukee favorite Candy Raisins. A USA-made, gluten-free treat from the Cream City-based Osmanium Candy Company, the golden, stick-to-your-teeth deliciousness is available in 2.5 and 8 oz. bags. Visit candysunshine.co.
If you only know Laura Ann Masura from her time in the queer rock band Evil Beaver, then you don't know Laura Ann. She's the proprietor of Laura Ann's Jams, "artisan, small-batch jams lovingly made in Los Angeles," and Masura's line includes wondrous and natural flavor combos to tickle your tongue and tummy. Selections include Raspberry Habanero, Maple Pumpkin Butter, Blackberry Bay Leaf, Hollywood Marmalade (Valencia oranges with cinnamon and cardamom) and Blueberry Basil. Visit lauraannsjams.com.
For your best (fuck) buds: Victoria's secret is out! Now everyone knows that sexy underthings are not exclusive to women. The colorful and revealing line of Jack Adams products, including the Body Mesh Jockstrap, available in an array of color combos including black with red piping, should do the trick when it comes to making sure that the goods are presented in the best light. Visit jackadamsusa.com.
Know someone who is a pig between the sheets? How about someone who is drunk with love? Consider wrapping up one or both 2.0 oz. bottles of J&D's Baconlube or Epic Meal Time's Whiskey Dick-Old No. 69 Lubricant. That's right, bacon- and bourbon-flavored lubes. Baconlube promises to "keep it sizzlin'," while Whiskey Dick offers "gold medal taste." Visit jdfoods.net and epicmealtime.com, respectively.
Bedol's H2O Clock doesn't need batteries, just water. Fill it up, set the time, set the alarm, and no more excuses for being late or oversleeping after a busy night (wink). Available in blue, green or charcoal, the digital readout has 12/24-hour time setting, and remembers the time when you change the water (!). Visit bedol.com.
For your best (funny) buds: The six-DVD collector's edition of The Carol Burnett Show: Carol's Favorites highlights 16 episodes, from 1972-78, featuring some of the funniest and most unforgettable moments from one of the last of the great variety shows. Unforgettable characters such as Eunice and Mama, and equally memorable skits such as the Gone With the Wind parody Went With the Wind are just a couple of the stand-outs. Also worth noting are the stunning list of gay guest stars, such as Rock Hudson, Roddy McDowall and Jim Nabors (long the subject of gay rumors), not to mention LGBT icons such as Dinah Shore, Joan Rivers, Shirley MacLaine and Betty White.
Nowhere near as despairing as any of the Real Housewives , Marc Cherry's Desperate Housewives �" Lynette (Felicity Huffman), Gaby (Eva Longoria), Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Bree (Marcia Cross) �" have provided viewers with their share of laughs (and loves and losses) over the course of eight seasons. Desperate Housewives: The Complete Eighth and Final Season (ABC Studios) brings it all together on five DVDs that also include previously unseen bonus footage.
Before he was a big-time movie star, the original wild and crazy guy Steve Martin made his name as a comedian on TV. The Television Stuff (Shout Factory), a triple-DVD package, covers a 36-year period over the course of more than six hours. Stand-up and NBC specials, combined with an assortment of TV guest appearances and more, capture Martin at his funniest and best.