Columbus has a lively, budding music scene, with dozens of places to hear live music that draw in a range of talented artists. Each month, The Lantern will set out to highlight some of the best acts to come through the city: stay tuned to see what we think is worth the ticket price.

January seems to be a bit of a slow month for concerts in Columbus – it’s as if the city is still trying to recuperate from a winter break. But as the month wears on, the number of concerts around Columbus picks up. And how better to forget the bitter chill of the winter wind than crowding indoors for some spicy live music?

Freelance Whales – Jan. 20 at The Basement
Freelance Whales is one of my favorite hidden gems in all of music. Its songs glow with positivity and are undeniably addictive. The band’s music tends to feature soft vocals folded into synthesizer and guitar riffs. With two vocalists, Judah Dadone and Doris Cellar, the band easily switches up sounds just by changing its featured soloist, and the quality of music soars when the two intertwine their voices on the same track.

While Freelance Whales tend to fly under the radar of most music lovers, seeing the band in concert would be enough to convince almost anyone to become a fan. And while the band has only two albums under its belt, that is not a detriment to its live show. Any of the tracks it decides to pull from its library will fill The Basement with a joyful sound, leaving concertgoers with a smile and a new favorite tune.

Tickets are available for $13 in advance or $15 at the door. Hundred Waters and Il Abanico are slated to open the show and doors open at 7 p.m.

Marilyn Manson – Jan. 20, Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
Competing with Freelance Whales for attention on Jan. 20 is an artist with a completely polar opposite sound – Marilyn Manson. The provocative rock singer, whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner, has no trouble pushing boundaries onstage and off, but I guess that’s what you get when you combine Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, the artists’ chosen namesakes.

One thing you can count on from Marilyn Manson is a good show. Chances are he will leave the audience shocked, sweaty and craving more. The Canton, Ohio, native is known for his outrageous makeup and over-the-top stage personality and will surely put on a show worthy of the cost of admission.

Tickets are available for $39 in advance and $42 the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m., and Butcher Babies is scheduled to open the show.

Morrissey – Jan. 22, Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
Originally scheduled for October, Morrissey made good on his promise to disappointed fans and rescheduled his Columbus show. Since gaining popularity as the lyricist and vocalist of The Smiths in the 1980s, Morrissey, whose real name is Steven Patrick Morrissey, has remained a bit of an enigma – he keeps quiet, generally out of the eye of the media when it comes to his personal life and remains unsigned to a label.

While Morrissey can’t necessarily deliver a show to go wild to, hearing this legend live would be worth every penny. His songs are soulful, and the audience will most likely find itself having no trouble connecting to him as he plays. And for fans looking forward to his originally scheduled show, the wait will be worthwhile.

Tickets for the show are $45 and general admission. Doors open at 7 p.m., and Kristeen Young is set to open the show.

Keane – Jan. 26, Newport Music Hall
Without a doubt, most of us have heard popular Keane songs such as “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Everybody’s Changing.” Digging deeper into the band’s discography, one will find that the rest of the group’s library is just as soothing. The band hails from England but has no trouble connecting with its American audiences.

Keane is finishing off January touring through the United States with supporting act Youngblood Hawk before sailing down to Peru to begin a string of shows in South America. Both Keane and its opening act are bands fans of alternative rock won’t want to miss seeing live.

Tickets for the show are $26.50 in advance and $28 the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Jan. 30, Newport Music Hall
Grace Potter is a beautiful singer with a big, powerful voice, and the fact that she isn’t all over the radio waves is a detriment to listeners everywhere. I cannot think of any female singer of today whose voice is better, whose songs are better, or who puts on a better show than Potter does.

Her powerhouse vocals are complemented by her band, which overall produces a refreshingly old-school sound that is beyond the quality of pop music dominating the charts today. The band’s music is infectious, and if you’re not too busy being blown away by Potter’s voice, you’ll probably find yourself hard-pressed to not dance and let loose to the music. This is a concert you simply can’t miss.

Tickets for the show are $22 in advance and $25 the day of the concert. Doors open at 7 p.m.