The traditional music business is hemorrhaging cash, so record labels are increasingly finding themselves turning to an old money-making stalwart: the box set. The latter half of 2011 saw a seemingly never-ending parade of “Special,” “Deluxe,” “Super Deluxe,” and other superlative-laden collections from a variety of artists, often including re-recordings, never-before-heard songs, behind-the-scenes supplements, and of course, vinyl. You know, the kind of features that leave diehard fans salivating as they gaze longingly through the window of a record store (remember those?!?). Here, we break down some of the best offerings for the music fan on your Christmas list*.

AC/DC — Backtracks Collectors Box Set ($189)

This updated version of the band’s 2009 box set wins the award for coolest design, hands down. Why? Its contents (including three CDs, two DVDs, one LP and a hardcover photo book) are housed in A WORKING GUITAR AMPLIFIER. No joke. The recordings capture live and/or rare versions of AC/DC’s signature hits, and the DVDs include music videos and live performances up through 2009. But let’s face it — nothing can top flipping through concert photos from the band’s earliest tour dates while you plug in and jam out to “Highway to Hell,” no assembly required.

Beach Boys — The Smile Sessions Box Set ($140)

This treasure chest of the Beach Boys’ Album That Never Was contains five CDs, two LPs, two 7″ singles, dozens of unreleased photos, a 60-page book with input from the original band members as well as members of their entourage, and more. The CDs document the recording sessions in 1966 and 1967 for Smile, the follow-up album to Pet Sounds which was never released. (Vocalist Brian Wilson put out solo versions of the songs on his 2004 record of the same name.) Though it’s available in a significantly cheaper two-disc format, the “Good Vibrations” disc alone makes the expansive box set worth the extra dough: nearly 90 minutes documenting the piece-by-piece assemblage of the band’s classic single, with Wilson’s perfectionist genius on full display.

Also Available: 2-CD Deluxe Edition ($24); 2-LP Vinyl Edition ($26)

Elvis Presley — Young Man with the Big Beat ($104)

The five discs in this collector’s must-have are loaded with live versions and alternate takes of classics like “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Hound Dog,” plus interviews with Presley and two discs of digitally remastered original recordings. An 80-page book highlights rare photos and documents, and the set even includes replicas of ’50s and ’60s memorabilia such as ticket stubs and promotional posters. It’s a box set fit for a King.

Nirvana — Nevermind Super Deluxe Edition (Price varies)

Good luck with this one. In their infinite wisdom, the marketing team at Geffen Records decided to release only 10,000 copies of the “Super Deluxe Edition” (containing four CDs, a DVD and a 90-page book) in the U.S. in October, and 30,000 for the rest of the world. So, fans who didn’t jump on it right away are out of luck (although, private sellers are currently advertising the set through Amazon for as little as $115). Those who opt for the cheaper 2-CD “Deluxe Edition” of Nevermind ($18) will get the original album, enhanced by B-sides, live versions and rehearsal takes. Vinyl enthusiasts who are willing to shell out $71 for the 4-LP “Deluxe Edition (Vinyl)” will be treated to the original album, plus alternate recordings. A word to the wise though: so far, buyer consensus on the vinyl version is that the remastered versions are less than stellar.

Pearl Jam

Not a box set per se, but grunge fans can put together their own Pearl Jam bundle in celebration of the band’s 20th anniversary. In 2011 alone, the Seattle rockers put out a coffee table book ($40), a DVD ($18) and a soundtrack ($19) to accompany the illuminating Cameron Crowe-directed documentary Pearl Jam: Twenty. In addition, completists will want to pick up the new live album Live on Ten Legs ($15), as well as a three-CD package containing deluxe editions of the band’s second and third albums, vs. and Vitalogy, as well as a live recording at Boston’s Orpheum Theater ($29).

Pink Floyd — Discovery Box Set: The Complete Studio Recordings ($180); Dark Side of the Moon: Immersion Box Set ($120); Wish You Were Here: Immersion Box Set ($120)

Zone out in your bedroom and fire up a … ahem, blacklight, as these sweet psychedelic sounds take you back to the 1960s and ’70s. The comprehensive Discovery collection includes a whopping 16 discs of remastered versions of the group’s 14 albums, complete with new packaging and lyric booklets for each. The set also includes a 60-page book of artwork. Floyd is also rolling out “Immersion Box Sets” of its most beloved albums (probably a better bet for more casual fans), which feature the original recordings, plus remixed and remastered versions, demos and live recordings. Both the Dark Side and Wish You Were Here special editions also include memorabilia such as coasters, a scarf and ticket/backstage pass replicas from the original tours. But be sure to save some money as you shop — the Immersion Box Set of The Wall is due out in February.

The Smiths – The Smiths Complete ($64); The Smiths Complete (vinyl) ($245)

The limited-edition (only 3,000 copies!) Super Deluxe box set is more or less off the market (selling for upwards of $650 by private sellers), and there’s no wonder it got snapped up so quickly. A wet dream for any diehard Morrissey/Marr fan, the set included CD and vinyl versions of all eight Smiths albums, plus 25 7″ singles, a poster, prints of the original album sleeves, and a DVD of the band’s music videos. Procrastinators will have to settle for one of two still-available but less cool versions. The $64 CD set (a steal) includes digitally remastered versions of all eight albums, while the pricier vinyl set contains the digital remasters in CD and vinyl form, as well as a booklet and poster.

U2 — Achtung Baby: Super Deluxe Edition ($140); Achtung Baby: Uber Deluxe Edition ($439)

This 10-disc (six CDs, four DVDs) set is essentially two box sets for the price of one — fans get remastered versions of the Irish quartet’s 1991 album Achtung Baby, as well as the follow-up, 1993′s Zooropa, plus B-sides and remixes. But the best inclusion is the “Kindergarten” disc, which features “baby” versions (aw) of the tracks on Achtung Baby. (“One” is a standout). The DVDs include music videos, live performances and bonus footage. The set also comes with a hardback book and 16 art prints. Uber fans may opt for the … well, “Uber Deluxe” limited edition (whose job is it to name these things?), which includes all of the above, plus five 7″ singles, badges, stickers and — wait for it — a pair of Bono’s “The Fly” sunglasses. Housed in a magnetic tile box, it’ll set you back a mere $440.

Also available: 2-CD “Deluxe Edition” ($30); Achtung Baby Vinyl Box ($132)

NEW YORK — Another CMJ Music Marathon has exhaustedly stumbled to a close, and this year was absolutely brimming with wonderful acts and showcases. Here’s what stood out to us from the previous week:

Best Act: Boy & Bear

This Mumford & Sons-esque five-piece from Sydney, Australia opened for We Are Augustines at the Bowery Ballroom Wednesday night before playing their own headlining show Brooklyn’s Union Hall Friday. Huddled on the venue’s tiny stage, the band treated the sold-out crowd to an 80-minute set that felt more like a campfire gathering than a concert. Most of the songs on their debut full-length, Moonfire, which was released in August, blend a folk sensibility with aching harmonies, but lead single “Feeding Line” shows they aren’t afraid to rock out once in a while.

Honorable Mentions

We Are Augustines – Formed from the ashes of indie rock outfit Pela, We Are Augustines play Springsteen-esque rock that is nothing short of infectious. The Brooklyn-based trio played multiple shows at this year’s CMJ, and t’s a testament to the band’s excellence live that, though most of their sets relied on unreleased songs rather than material from their debut album, Rise Ye Sunken Ships,the crowds still ate it up. Frontman Billy McCarthy’s unbridled joy as he plays songs that deal even the most heart-wrenching subjects might have something to do with that.

’90s Nostalgia – Attendees well-removed from the “College” portion of the CMJ Marathon were spoiled for choice on Tuesday night. The opening night of this year’s Music Marathon and Film Festival featured (at the same time, unfortunately) a screening of Cameron Crowe’s excellent, definitive biographical film “Pearl Jam 20,” celebrating the grunge band’s 20^th anniversary, as well as a performance by Helium/Quasi/Sleater-Kinney descendants Wild Flag. Fresh off a blistering performance the previous Friday at Brooklyn’s Bell House, Wild Flag brought their raucous stage show to a packed Bowery Ballroom. The female foursome’s lineup comprises a Who’s Who of women in rock, including Mary Timony, Carrie Brownstein, Rebecca Cole and Janet Weiss. Anyone claiming rock is dead need only witness Brownstein’s ferocious windmilling on her Gibson to be proven wrong. The Crowe documentary, a bittersweet must-see for any Pearl Jam fan, is a loving tribute that is insightful, informative and touching. For those who missed the screening and the movie’s presentation as part of PBS’s “American Masters” series last Friday, not to worry — it was released on DVD today.

Adrienne Drake – The Brooklyn-based Adrienne Drake took to the stage at Arlene’s Grocery on Tuesday night as part of the No Pulp Music showcase and wowed the audience with a deeply melodic (though decidedly bizarre) techno-pop-explosion. The brainchild of lead singer and master mixer Paul Holmes, Adrienne Drake uses keyboards, computers, samples and obscured vocal projections to create a hypnotic arrangement suitable for an acid trip. Composed as an electronic opera, Adrienne Drake’s debut album Dullabies is available as a free download.

Brick + Mortar – This indie rock duo delivers in sound what their name indicates: solid, earthy music. Armed with only a bass, a drum kit and a handful of samples, front-man Brandon Asraf and drummer John Tacon commanded the stage at Arlene’s Grocery Tuesday night with a high-energy performance and audience engagement. A well-blended mix of rock and reggae, the band’s EP 7 Years In the Mystic Room is a worthy investment.

Gem Club – Somerville’s own Gem Club performed as part of the SubPop/Hardly Art showcase at the Mercury Lounge Thursday night, and might take the prize for the quietest act at CMJ — but certainly not the least captivating. The cello and piano duo of Christopher Barnes and Kristen Drymala, named by The Boston Phoenix as the Best New Act of 2011, record the type of music that is best listened to in a darkened room, alone. Performing at CMJ as a trio, the band’s soft, sad lullabies stunned a crowd that, remarkably, watched in hushed silence.

Zola Jesus – Anyone who can draw a sizable crowd to Manhattan’s Ace Hotel at 10am the week of CMJ is a force to be reckoned with, and Russian-American singer Zola Jesus (a.k.a. Nika Roza Danilova) is no exception. The 22-year-old performed a short set Wednesday morning as part of a live broadcast for Seattle’s KEXP Radio, before playing a full set that night at (Le) Poisson Rouge. The diminutive blond’s fixated staring, on a point only she could see, was as haunting as her operating singing. And, as the crowd learned, her gothic-industrial music, heavy on synths and percussion, goes just as well with coffee as with beer.

Papertwin - Papertwin did not disappoint on Thursday night at Lit Lounge. Though this quartet may not yet have solid footing within the New York City music scene, Papertwin has greatly honed their Radiohead-meets-New Wave sound over the last 12 months. But you don’t have to take our word for it — the band plays at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn on Nov. 13th.

The John Steel Singers – Another act that seemed to be all over the schedule at CMJ, the six-piece collective from Brisbane, Australia plays bouncy music featuring trumpets and trombones. Their discernable influences span everything from bluegrass to The Beatles. We were especially sold by their foot-stomping set at Pianos Friday afternoon as part of The Planetary Group’s day party. The group’s debut full-length, Tangalooma, was released last year.

jENNiNGS – For their CMJ debut, jENNiNGS delivered a typically masterful performance at Rockwood Music Hall Saturday. Having spent the last year searching for both a new drummer and lead guitarist, the result is the culmination of four extraordinary musicians talented enough to create a suitable sonic backdrop for frontwoman Mary Jennings’ powerful voice. As a solo act, Jennings is a captivating siren; as a full band, jENNiNGS is a wondrous singer-songwriter-indie-rock-pop-experience not to be missed. The band’s 2010 album, Collapse, Collide, is available online.

Full CMJ Gallery — Photos by Sarah Berman

Pearl Jam’s 9th studio album, “Backspacer,” set to hit shelves Sept. 20, is coming, fully and completely to the Rock Band Music Store on the same day the CD releases.

That’s right, Eddie Vedder and company will soon be in your living room. Scary thought right?

Additionally, if you buy the Special Edition Album at Target stores nationwide you’ll score a code to download the same tunes in Rock Band. Not bad!

• “Gonna See My Friend”
• “Got Some”
• “The Fixer”
• “Johnny Guitar’
• “Just Breathe”
• “Amongst the Waves”
• “Unthought Known”
• “Supersonic”
• “Speed of Sound”
• “Force of Nature”
• “The End”

All tracks are master recordings thankfully and will be first available on Xbox Live (Sept. 20), followed by their Wii release (Sept. 22), and culminating with a PlayStation Network release on Sept. 24.

Each song will run you the usual $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points, or if you want the entire pack that’ll cost you $17.99/1440 MS Points. Sorry Wii rockers, only single-song downloads for you.

It’s with equal parts anticipation and trepidation that some longtime Pearl Jam fans (myself included) react to the announcement of new material, a symptom of the band’s recent releases ranging from mildly to depressingly disappointing.

It’s pretty much a given that the band will never live up to the high standard they set for themselves with their extraordinary first trio of albums in the early 1990s, but there are moments on “Backspacer” their ninth studio album, on which they nearly do.

“Got Some” for instance, which the band debuted on Conan O’Brien’s first show back in June, harkens back to the hard-hitting “Vs.” era, while first single “The Fixer” could blend seamlessly with the band’s 15-year-old album “Vitalogy.” Other tracks like “Supersonic” prove that guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard still have what it takes to make their instruments wail like no other.

It’s a rock clichƒ©, but Pearl Jam sounds older and wiser on its latest effort, out Sept. 20. (They’re also apparently no longer concerned with avoiding the “sellout” tag, having partnered with Target as the only big-box retailer that will sell “Backspacer” in the U.S., where it is being released without the help of a record label.)

Nothing conveys bittersweet nostalgia better than singer Eddie Vedder’s immediately identifiable strained baritone. He pours the weight of the band’s nearly 20-year career into the contemplative album closer “The End” incorporating strings for a heightened effect. And the gorgeous, goosebump-inducing acoustic ballad “Just Breathe” finds the 44-year-old re-treading the musical territory he covered on his solo soundtrack to “Into the Wild” singing, “I’m a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love / Some folks just have one, yeah, others they’ve got none.”

“Backspacer” is not without its weak spots. Leadoff track “Gonna See My Friend” reveals the band to be re-energized, but feels a bit lazy as it progresses, and “Amongst the Waves” causes the album to lag a bit in the middle. But overall, it’s the band’s strongest material of this decade. Credit for that might be due in part to one-time go-to producer Brendan O’Brien, who reunited with the band on “Backspacer” for the first time since 1998′s “Yield.”

On “The Fixer” Vedder croons, “When something’s lost, I wanna fight to get back again.” He might be referring to Pearl Jam’s chutzpah “" in which case, mission accomplished.

Harmonix, creator of famed music game Rock Band, today announced a 3-pack of Pearl Jam tracks, and over 20 tunes headed to the world of downloadables in the Wii-specific in-game music store beginning today.

Launching today, June 23 on Xbox 360, and Thursday, June 25 for PS3 rockers, “Brother,” “Alive (Live: Drop in the Park), and “State of Love and Trust” (Live: Drop in the Park) will be armed and ready for gamers to enjoy for the usual $1.99/160 MS Points a pop or $5.49/440 MS Points for the track pack.

As for Wii fans, and we know you’re out there, Harmonix is finally getting you up to speed with available tunes, and after the inclusion of these next 20, the count will be up more than 330 (of the 730ish total). Have a gander at the full list below, which shows tons of awesome variance. I’ll always have a bias towards anything Weezer, as the frontman, Rivers Cuomo, or Peter Kitts as he called himself, attended my highschool, and that is just too darn cool!

The Cab‚  ‚ ”One of THOSE Nights”

Dashboard Confessional ‚ ”Hands Down”

Dead Kennedys ‚ ‚ ”California Uber Alles”

Dead Kennedys ‚ ”Holiday in Cambodia”

Dead Kennedys ‚ ‚ ”Police Truck”

Free ‚ ‚ ‚ ”All Right Now”

Nine Inch Nails ‚ ”Burn”

Nine Inch Nails ‚ ”Capital G”

Nine Inch Nails ‚ ‚ ”Last”

Scars on Broadway ‚ ‚ ”They Say”

Staind ‚ ‚ ”This Is It”

Testament ‚ ‚ ‚ ”Electric Crown”

thenewno2‚ ‚  ‚ ‚ ”Yomp”+ (only $1.00)

Weezer ‚ ”Dreamin

Weezer ‚ ”The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”

Weezer ‚ ‚ ‚ ”Troublemaker”

The vocal tones of Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam aren’t for everyone-but Harmonix thinks so.

Over at the Ten Club (official Pearl Jam fan club) website fans are voting on a forty song set-list to become the first fan-voted Rock Band or any other music game project (unless you count Guitar Hero Smash Hits-but that was probably rigged).‚  The voting is facilitated by Rhapsody, as you’re given multiple live versions of each tune to pick from via the service.

IGN reached out to a spokesperson with Harmonix who stated:

“Rock Band and Rhapsody are kicking off a new initiative. Beginning today, the expertise of Pearl Jam’s “Ten Club” members will be tested as they begin sifting through hundreds of live tracks performed by the band. Ten Club members will spend the next four weeks narrowing the pool of songs to a selection of the top 40 live tracks.

A Pearl Jam band exclusive title?‚  This will make five-Aerosmith, Metallica, The Beatles, Van Halen, and now Pearl Jam.‚  Is this where the genre is headed?‚  At least with Pearl Jam the tunes included are being voted on by Ten Club members who actually are paying to continue their membership and most likely have a vested interested in the quality of the title.

via IGN

Pearl Jam Ten Club voting

The Rock Band library of tracks continues to grow, as Harmonix today announced that Pearl Jam’s 1991 hit album “10″ will be this week’s downloadable content.

The eleven song track-list includes every song on the album alongside “Alive,” which is currently found on the Rock Band 2 disc.

“Once”
“Even Flow”
“Why Go”
“Black”
“Jeremy”
“Oceans”
“Porch”
“Garden”
“Deep”
“Release”
“Master/Slave”

All tracks are master recordings and will be available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Tuesday and Thursday of next week respectively.

Tracks will be available individually for $1.99 for PS3 owners and 160 MS points for those in the servitude of Microsoft.

Or save 18% and buy the entire album for $17.99 or 1440 MS points.

So, I went to see Pearl Jam Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, which according to some experts, makes me better than you. You can check out the set list. Here are my thoughts and observations in bullet-points on my first Pearl Jam show:

-Eddie Vedder drinks red wine straight out of the bottle during his concerts. Veteran Pearl Jam concert-goers already know this. His blood circulation must be phenomenal.

-As far as I’m concerned, the show started during the third song with a seething rendition of “Why Go?” I picked up my Stratocaster three times today just to kick in the distortion and play that riff. Smoking.

-I really, really wish they had played more off of “Ten.” They played “Even Flow,” “Alive,” “Why Go?” and “Porch.” I wouldn’t have yelled at them for throwing “Once” in there.

-The show got better and better as it went on. Their renditions of “W.M.A.,” “Spin the Black Circle” and “Leash” were simply outstanding. Vedder has lost nothing when it comes to energizing a crowd and he even had his long hair so I felt like we were in the 1990′s. I’ve seen DVD’s with the short hair and it’s not the same.

-They do a good version of “All Along the Watchtower,” which they do at most shows. I’m not surprised as guitarist Mike McCready is a huge Jimi Hendrix fan (yes, I know that Bob Dylan wrote that, but they do it the Jimi way). I love that you can hear Hendrix references in McCready’s guitar voicings. “Black” and “Yellow Ledbetter” are great examples, and no, they didn’t play either of those.

-Speaking of McCready, his posturing and on-stage antics remind me of Derek Smalls or Nigel Tufnel at times.

-I think it’s pretty neat that the crowd knew almost every word to most of the songs. Vedder frequently dropped out to let the masses fill in. He does this quite a bit, especially during “Alive.” If you don’t know what part of that song I’m talking about, you didn’t read this far.

-Beer is $7.75 at MSG. Just saying.

-I wore, and got several compliments on, my 1995 Seattle Supersonics authentic Shawn Kemp jersey. I didn’t know what to wear so I thought I’d go with the Seattle connection.

-Ever heard Pearl Jam’s version of the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me?” I had heard it before, but was lucky to see them cover it last night. They do it perfectly.

-If you want to find out how much you’ve missed from Pearl Jam since you stopped buying their albums after “Vitalogy,” go to a concert. I had to ask several times what song they were playing.

-These guys give you your money’s worth. My ticket was about $97 and they played for a long time. I’ve been to numerous concerts (of bands that I do indeed like, mind you) and felt after a while that I was ready for them to be done. Not with Pearl Jam. They played for quite some time and could have kept going as far as I was concerned.

-I love the audio at MSG. Not because it’s particularly good, because it can be a bit muddy. But you don’t ever get the noisy high frequencies that can ruin a show. That’s more important to me than some clutter in the mid to low end.

-Ending with “Indifference” was marvelous. One of my favorite songs of theirs.