There is an obvious Cocteau Twins/*Siouxsie and the Banshees* feel to this, as well as the entire record it comes from, “Anniversaries:Reunions”, out on Saint Marie Records in April. This opening track has grabbed me with its slightly sinister tones, as well as its deeply buried angelic choirs. There are many layers, and it demands a good set of headphones to appreciate it. This one is a sleeper.

This is space rock of the finest stripe, strongly reminiscent of Experimental Aircraft and Flying Saucer Attack in spots. It also veers into psychedelic pop territory, which is perfectly fine with me. The title track is akin to the Mother ship descending on your head before it kicks into high gear with “Cosmic Age”, some first rate shoegaze. There seems to be something for everybody, and I recommend this release highly.

You couldn’t ask for a finer opener to this long awaited album from England’s terrific House of Love. The guitar on this track slays me, and I could do with a whole album of riffs like this, but hey, the rest is cool too. “Hemingway” wouldn’t be out of place on an REM album, and the title track, “She Paints Words in Red”, is simply sublime.

I have already reviewed Anna-Lynne’s excellent album, “The Bluebird of Happiness”, but this track is a standout. It is so different from her usual style, and its creepy undertone is compelling. Anna is also on the aforementioned Saint Marie, and they are keen on her creating darker textures like this tune. I say, bring it on.

I am late to the game in discovering this band, though I have no excuse. I own one of their long ago releases, “Outerbeats”, but it’s buried in my music cabinet. For whatever reason, I rediscovered them in the past month, and am so glad I did. Their most recent album, “Pearl Diver”, is superb dream pop. This is complete chill out music, and yet it keeps me riveted. I am not sure the band exists anymore as they aren’t answering correspondence or requests to interview them. Oh well, at least there is this to relish.

This is music to melt your face off. One can only imagine how loud they must be live from the way this is mastered. One listen to “Cinnamon” will kick you into high gear. This is drive with the top down music to be played at maximum volume on a fine day. Reminiscent of “A Place to Bury Strangers” and “The Jesus and Mary Chain”, and that is only a starting point. I swear I even hear Iggy Pop lurking in the mix. And man, the FX on “Deny You” along with the Ian Curtis deadpan vocals are way cool.

I get out to shows like this only a few times a year. Parking in Boston is always a bitch, and then there are the late nights. And boy, this show got out really late for this old time listener. I got to meet “Veronica Falls” and my interview with them should be going up in a few weeks (fingers crossed). The opening band, Cold Showers, was lots of fun, even as they sported such obvious influences (Joy Division, The Sound, Echo and the Bunnymen. They sported an excellent bassist and a drummer whose patterns resembled a metronome. Talk about power. And of course, Veronica Falls were great, playing and singing wonderfully throughout their brief set. I will not mention the dreadful opening band except to wonder how they got hired. Overall, a great show.

This list is heavily weighted with music from Saint Marie Records, because I received a ton of excellent promos from them. LA’s Nightmare Air was also reviewed by me, and they remain in rotation. I especially enjoy this song, which would be a commercial success in an alternate universe. Bassist Swaan Miller‘s sweet voice is anchored by her angular bass playing and some excellent guitar work from her band mate.

This sonic trinket is the B-side of their latest single. Guitarist Matt Etherton lays down crunchy riffs that mesh nicely with his pretty vocals, and since I know they are working on a new album, I cannot wait to hear what they have in store for us. Look out for an upcoming interview with Matt on the BTO web site.

I haven’t had a ton of time to sink my teeth into this one, but I like how it veers from noisy power pop (“Dark to Light”) to quieter songs like “Symphony”. Michael Benjamin Lerner can get away with such a wide range of styles because of his talent, and this release should please old fans as well as people who haven’t picked up on this band yet.