Damien Jurado, Kelly Clarkson on tap for 2012

After the commercial rush of Christmas, winter's gray days and long nights signal a lull for the music industry, before the outdoor festivals and ubiquitous radio singles of spring and summer begin. But there's always plenty of live music in Seattle. Here are six options for some of the best shows in the next three months.

Four concerts in January and February offer tidy crash courses in different, percolating sections of the Seattle music scene and two shows in March mark the return of big tours.

Jan. 10, Neumos, Stephanie, Flexions and Erik Blood with DJ O.C. Notes: Up-and-coming Capitol Hill quintet Stephanie developed an experimental style of dance-rock in 2011 on tiny underground stages, with dramatic vocals and interwoven guitar and synthesizer lines. At the end of the year they jumped into a studio with Erik Blood known for his work with Seattle rap act Shabazz Palaces and his own elegant shoegaze rock music and made the album "One Glove," out soon on Cairo Records. Blood and Stephanie's concert together represents closure for that project and a step up to the next level for Stephanie.

Jan. 14-15, Neptune Theatre, Allen Stone with Seattle Rock Orchestra (Kris Orlowski opens Saturday, Noah Gundersen Sunday): Local and national audiences fell hard last year for crossover soul singer Allen Stone. Like Adele, he's white, young, Motown-y and in total control of a voice that's truly something to write home about. Everything points to his continued success in 2012.

Feb. 17, Neptune Theatre, Damien Jurado, Gold Leaves, Bryan John Appleby: Damien Jurado's new "Maraqopa" album (out in February) shows our folk-boom godfather writing solid verse/chorus pop with a drug-cowboy twist and impeccable production and delicate, spacey atmosphere that takes the whole thing from good to great. It's Seattle's first big album of the year; the Neptune concert is Jurado's record release party.

Feb. 18, Town Hall, THEESatisfac! tion: Local hip-hop heads know Catherine Harris-White and Stasia Irons' alternative sing-rap, but the rest of Seattle is going to meet THEESatisfaction this year when their bouncy, heady debut album, "Awe Naturale," comes out in March on Sub Pop Records. This family-friendly doubleheader kicks off at 11 a.m.

March 18-19, Neptune Theatre, Magnetic Fields: With more than 20 years as a cult-favorite pop group, Stephin Merrit and his band the Magnetic Fields have a ton of songs at their disposal about love, death, frustration and vulnerability. Each song is more sharply written than the last.

March 22, ShoWare Center, Kent, Kelly Clarkson: Clarkson's smash hit "Since U Been Gone" (2002) will go down as one of the great modern, fist-pumping American pop-rock songs of all time. Jumping in unison to it at the massive ShoWare Center should feel religious.

Andrew Matson blogs about music at www.seattletimes.com/matsononmusic. Reach him at matsononmusic@gmail.com