The Linda Lindas. Photo: Alice Baxley

LOOKING for some festive records or music-related gifts this year? Grammy winning Hamilton actor / singer Leslie Odom Jr has released a new holiday box set – Merry Merry, a 2 LP set featuring The Christmas Album and Simply Christmas (Deluxe Edition) on red and green vinyl; Kurt Vile and his daughters have teamed up to cover Bob Dylan’s Must Be Santa; ROWSIE deliver a rock ‘n roll take on the season in London with Christmas in Soho; and possibly the best Christmas release this year comes from super cool LA punk youngsters The Linda Lindas – already added to my YouTube music road trip playlist – Groovy Christmas. And finally, not Christmas themed but Stormzy’s understated new album This Is What I Mean is a gift worthy of some attention.

• Still on the Stormzy theme – next year’s Roundhouse In The Round Festival has scooped a 2-day mini festival within a festival as Stormzy’s Merky Books literature Festival presents a celebration of creativity, culture and the arts with live performances, talks and masterclasses and a line-up of upcoming and established authors, songwriters, screenwriters, poets, playwrights and more (April 22-23). More about In The Round in the new year, suffice to say, the line-up to date is enticing.

• Say goodbye to the Museum of London with a two-day Greatest Weekend festival (Dec 3-4), plus exclusive access to the museum’s exhibits before it packs up and moves to its new home in West Smithfield. Collective Sisu will perform live, there’ll be DJ workshops, fifty years of music and a late-night film festival.

• Irish folk singer Cara Dillon brings her annual Christmas show Upon A Winter’s Night to the Union Chapel on Dec 6. Expect a collection of songs ancient and modern, celtic, folk and carols from Cara and her band.

• Since becoming a dad, Camden’s fave folk drunk poet Beans on Toast has done some growing up – but hasn’t lost his irreverent style. He’s back with his annual birthday release, this year, a set of 10 original children’s books and a song for each. The Fascinating Adventures of Little Bee (out Dec 1), a collaboration with nurse and teacher Jaime and Lily Adamsfield was recorded in Camden’s Durham Sound Studios, and features Kentish Town’s Kitty and Lewis Durham, Jack Flanagan (Mystery Jets) and Matt Magic Fingers, launching with a huge kids show at Clapham Grand on Dec 11.

• Indulge in some Mongolian throat singing as the ever popular The Hu descend on The Roundhouse on Dec 9. The eight-member Mongolian folk metal band have just been named UNESCO’s Artist for Peace. Support from King Nun.

• Queens of lovers rock Janet Kay and Caroll Thompson bring their annual Christmas show to 229 on Dec 11.

More upcoming gigs:
DEC 2 – Modern Nature + Kings Place; Flesh Tetris + Frenchy & The Punk + Before Victoria, Black Heart;
DEC 3 – Ruts DC + TV Smith + Rage DC, Islington Academy; Club de Fromage Christmas special, Islington Academy;
DEC 4 – Sweet, Islington Assembly Hall; The Christians, Jazz Café; Inna, Electric Ballroom;
DEC 5 – Sa-Roc, Jazz Café; Sofie Royer, The Lower Third;
DEC 6 – Declan Carrier, The Grace;
DEC 6-8 – Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Underworld;
DEC 7 – Cobra Man, The Garage; Hussy Hicks, Aces & Eights; Gotts Street Park, The Lower Third;
DEC 8 – Wiki + Jadasea + Phoebs + Bradley Zero, Jazz Café; Maverick Sabre, KOKO; Calan, Cecil Sharp House; The Blockheads, Powerhaus;
DEC 9 – Sekito Records Showcase, Jazz Café; Ross from Friends, KOKO; Idris Elba & friends; Pet Needs + Deux Furieuses, The Grace; YIN YIN + Reuben Vaun Smith, Scala; Matt Deighton, Union Chapel; Massaoke Christmas, Electric Ballroom; Republic, Powerhaus;
DEC 10 – Blancmange Islington Assembly Hall; New Model Army, Roundhouse; Pet Needs + Bridget, The Grace; The Reytons + Lottery Winners + The Clause, Electric Ballroom; Cam Cole, Powerhaus;
DEC 11 – 12 – Pete Rock, Jazz Café; Steve Lacy + Foushee, Roundhouse; John Power, Powerhaus;
DEC 13 – Bella Hardy, Cecil Sharp House; Joey Bada$$ + Meechy Darko + Nyck Caution & Powers Pleasant, Roundhouse; Sarabandes and Nocturnes, An evening of contemporary Arabic music ft Yazz Ahmed + Emel and Rabih Abou-Khalil; Barbican;
DEC 14 – Tweet, Jazz Café; The Wurzels ,The Garage; Joey Bada$$, KOKO; Sister Sledge + Horse Meat Disco + Twiggy Garcia, Roundhouse; Charlotte Jane, Camden Assembly;
DEC 15 – Slade, Islington Assembly Hall; Chubby & The Gang, The Lower Third; Maverick Sabre, Koko; The Mary Wallopers + Sam Shackleton, Electric Ballroom; Quireboys, Islington Academy;
DEC 15-16 – Rick Astley’s Swinging Christmas, Royal Albert Hall.