#GiftingAudio with JBL Wireless Portable Speakers

Two of my great loves are music and technology. I really enjoy sharing my passion for them with others. A great way for me to do that around the holidays is to give a gift that combines both. There are a lot of options when it comes to audio technology these days: portable speakers, redesigned headphones, Bluetooth speakerphones, and so on. The JBL Charge 2 is an awesome portable stereo speaker that combines the best of all possible worlds. It has Bluetooth connectivity, it’s portable, has a long battery life, and the social mode lets three people take turns playing their play-lists. All of these features are music to my ears. Plus, when you purchase premium audio products and gifts online at JBL.com you get FREE Ground Shipping, 30 day returns, and lifetime support! That really gets the holiday gifting party started. I can’t wait to give this spiffy holiday gift to my…wait, I can’t give the recipient’s name away.

A long-standing tradition I have is to gather music throughout the year that I will then gift to family and friends during the holidays. The music lovers on my holiday list have extremely varied tastes. Luckily, I was able to find some pretty fantastic and varied music which was released during 2014. Without mentioning names I am happy to share with you the music that I will be gifting to folks this year.

Dizzy Heights by Neil Finn
Genre: Pop, Experimental
Released: February 2014
Hardcore Crowded House (and/or Split Enz) fans, when speaking about this album, Mr. Finn said “I didn’t want to make it a solo record in a stripped back singer-songwriter sort of way”. He certainly didn’t.

Live from the Artists Den – Rufus Wainwright
Genre: Sort of Pop
Released: March 2014
I love live music. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. And if you’ve never heard Rufus Wainwright live, you’re missing something rare and beautiful. This album covers a lot of his most recent album and some classics.

Nobody’s Smiling – Common
Genre: Rap, Hip Hop
Released: July 2014
It was a strange year in rap without a new JAY-Z album for the first time in like, forever! But you can still leave the rap fans on your list smiling with new beats from this Chicago royal.

Art Official Age by Prince
Genre: R&B, Funk
Released: September 2014
Now known as the artist he formerly became known for, Prince is back with his 33rd, that’s right folks, 33rd studio album. That may make you feel old but you shouldn’t, he is just as funky as ever.

Everything Will Be Alright in the End – Weezer
Genre: Alt Rock, Garage Band
Released: October 2014
Though it’s their 9th album, fans from back in the day will likely call it the first one that sounds like Weezer for over a decade. Produced by Ric Ocasek, you’ll want to get in your car and listen all the way home.

Hamburg ’72 – Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden, Paul Motain
Genre: Jazz, Improv
Released: November 2014
This 42-year-old live recording from a German radio show has been remastered to perfection and could serve as a master class to the style of Jazz improvisation at the time.

While it was pretty fun picking out this eclectic list of music it was also a lot of work! The easiest and most convenient part of my holiday shopping was on JBL.com where the Charge 2 Speaker is sold with FREE ground shipping and returns this holiday season. JBL has all sorts of fantastic gift giving ideas for everyone on your list so be sure to check out them out.