It's easy to brush off the plethora of holiday concerts offered by Twin Cities musicians, as I used to do. There are too many other distractions keeping us busy this year. Plus, the acts that get pulled into the yuletide performance pool don't play their usual sets at these events.

After attending more holiday shows in recent years, though, I've learned those excuses to stay away are actually good reasons to attend. Here's a sort of dummy's guide to the big ones over the next few weeks.

If you want to hit the biggest mall on the busiest shopping day of the year ... Some of the 15 local musicians on the new "Home for the Holidays" charity CD (on sale at Target stores) will be singing in the Mall of America's rotunda today to tout the cause, as well as their own individual holiday concerts, including Mick Sterling, Katie McMahon, Tim Mahoney, Patty Peterson and Mary Beth Carlson (8 a.m.-5 p.m., free). If the MOA idea is DOA with you, though, they'll also unite Dec. 10 at the Pantages Theatre (7 p.m., $21-$31).

If you want to feed starving people besides musicians ... In their 10th year of holiday shows, harmonizing acoustic folk/Americana duo the Brothers Frantzich have really fine-tuned the idea of a charity concert, pledging that each $25 ticket will provide 25 meals through their Feed Them With Music org. Guests will include TC Gospel Choir leader Robert Robinson and New Standards bearers Chan Poling and John Munson (7 p.m. Sat., Pantages Theatre).

If Christmas is the time of the year you want to hear a really, really great old-school country band ... It's a beautiful sight this time every year to walk into Lee's and see a packed house for Trailer Trash, whose "Trashy Little X-Mas" shows have become the stuff of legend. But hark, those herald honky-tonkers sing year-round, folks. I'm just sayin'! (Every Sat. through Dec. 19, plus Dec. 17, 18 and 23, Lee's Liquor Lounge, $12.)

If you want to hear carols by guys who used to sing "Cows" and "Tool Master of Brainerd" ... Poling (ex-Suburbs), Munson (Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic) and vibes player Steve Roehm will once again apply the New Standards' charming, jazzy revisionist formula to holiday standards with guests including Gary Louris (Jayhawks), Prudence Johnson, Kristin Mooney and Pretenders sideman Eric Heywood. (Dec. 5, Fitzgerald Theatre, $29.)

If you wish Andy's vocal group from "The Office" was real, but cuter ... Boys-to-men a cappella quartet the Blenders always pack 'em in for their holiday run, which this year will feature a live band to go with the wrapped-up harmonies. (Dec. 11-13, four shows, Pantages Theatre, $37.)

If you want to hear someone under the age of 33 ... Eclectic and edgy neo-folk group Roma di Luna -- led by husband/wife duo Alexei and Channy Moon Casselle -- enjoyed their previous holiday shows enough to have recorded a new holiday EP with a seven-piece band. (Dec. 23, Cedar Cultural Center, $10-$12). Another young star throwing a holiday mixer this year is Cities 97-style songstress Keri Noble. (7 and 9:30 p.m. Thu., Varsity Theater, $20).

If you want more Jesus and less Santa ... Beloved gospel-bellowing clan the Steeles have put on Christmas shows for 25 years, and this is their last, they say. The family -- Jevetta, J.D., Billy, Jearlyn and Fred -- always remember the reason for the season. (Dec. 11-12, Fitzgerald Theatre, $28-$38.) Same with Robinson's Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir. (Dec. 4, Hopkins High School Auditorium, $16-$20.)

If you wish your family could muster a better sing-along than "Jingle Bells" ... The Peterson Family's 22nd annual concert truly is a homecoming, since Billy has been off playing with Steve Miller, Ricky with Bonnie Raitt and David Sanborn, and Paul with Oleta Adams and Kenny Loggins. (Dec. 20-21, four shows, the Dakota, $16-$25.)

First Ave's staff wanted to mark the 25th anniversary of the Replacements' "Let It Be." Jim Walsh wanted to tout the paperback edition of his Replacements oral-history book, "All Over But the Shouting" -- which just made Paste magazine's top 12 list of the best rock books of the decade.

Put two and two together, and you have tonight's doubly promising Replacements marathon in the First Ave main room and 7th Street Entry (7:30 p.m, $6-$8). The show's centerpiece will be a live reincarnation of "Let It Be" with an all-star band featuring Ryan Smith and Pony-Hixon Smith (Melismatics), Peter Leggett and dVRG (Heiruspecs), Terry Eason and Jake Hyer, with vocals by Adam Levy, Curtiss A, Jason Miller (The Evening Rig) and Sarah Nienaber (Gospel Gossip). Countless more 'Mats covers will be played throughout the night from the likes of Idle Hands, High on Stress, Jeremy Messersmith, Eliza Blue and Stook. A surprise guest or two may show up, but not any with the initials PW or TS, said First Ave booker Sonia Grover, who also assembled some "Purple Rain" silver anniversary parties this summer.

Here's hoping First Ave can throw together a "Zen Arcade" tribute by New Year's (and then maybe a "Tim" show this time next year).

After a few years of performing on Jonas Brothers albums, ex-Prince & NPG members and local music vets Michael Bland, Tommy Barbarella and Sonny Thompson will also now be playing live shows with the first of the brothers to go solo, Nick Jonas. Going by the name Nick Jonas & the Administration, they will debut on TV Wednesday night during the newly prime-timed Grammy nominations announcement ceremony on CBS (8 p.m.). Bland and Barbarella also played on Nick's forthcoming album, "Who I Am," produced by usual JoBros producer and ex-Twin Citian John Fields. The guys expect to hit the road with Nick when the album comes out Feb. 2.

Bland was in a local studio with Soul Asylum last week, working on a new album that the band hopes to have out by next spring. A few songs from the record are likely to make it into the set at First Ave on Dec. 4. ... Bland's wee-sized protégée Mayda tore up the winning funk/rock/electronic formula on her debut album but came up with something nearly as interesting for her new online EP, "Eyes on the Water," a mostly acoustic collection that showcases her talent as a singer/songwriter. ...

Punky rockabilly band Bitch N' Brown will show off its namesake singers' X-like boy/girl vocals and tumbleweed rhythms while celebrating the release of its self-titled sophomore CD Saturday at the Hexagon Bar with A Night in the Box (9 p.m., free). ...

Stylish, classic-sounding pop-rock trio the Arms Akimbo -- whose frontman Nick Schaser sings and writes a whole lot like Nick Lowe (might've been the three years Schaser lived in England) -- celebrates the release of its EP "You Want To" at the Kitty Cat Klub tonight with the Alarmists (9 p.m., $7). ... One last holiday bit: Mick Sterling also just issued his first seasonal CD, "Blessed: Songs for Christmas," featuring mostly acoustic versions of "Ave Maria," "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and -- because Brian Wilson is like Santa to some folks -- "God Only Knows."