Valentine's Day is upon us, which means it's time to separate the lovers from the haters. Are those tiny red hearts shooting from your eyes, or little sharpened daggers? It's no matter, SFist promises to love you either way. Here are our picks for the this week's bay area music offerings.

If you're aware that umlauts are the universal symbol for rock, you might already have your tickets for Thursday night's Queensrÿche show at the Warfield. You've heard of a concept album? This is a concept concert. In the "First Act" you'll hear all the hits, and the "Second Act" boasts a full theatrical production of their 1988 opus Operation:Mindcrime. We guarantee you this will be very entertaining. Across town at the Exploratorium, get highbrow with experimental electronica outfit Matmos. They're a bit like Alan Lomax on acid, making their field recordings by amplifying surgery, helium tanks, human hair and crayfish nerve tissue straight from the Exploratorium. Advance tickets are sold out so show up early if you'd like to get in on the fun. SFist Isaac recommends taking your good intentions to the benefit for "Mr. Nancy" Kravitz at Bottom of the Hill. For a donation of $7 or more, you can give towards his medical costs and also have fun punk rock times with Western Addition and Dirty Power.

Friday night at Elbo Room, True Skool dishes up fresh live hip-hop from Felonious with Lunar Heights and Unified School District. 12 Galaxies celebrates Valentine's Day early with the SF Famous Burlesque Review. Performers include The Lollies, Flying Fox and San Francisco's Famous Burlesque Orchestra. SFist Jackson recommends bringing your sweetheart or your wing(wo)man to Saturday's Valentine's BOOTIE party at Cherry Lounge. Entertainment includes DJs Lionel Vinyl (XFM London/MTV UK), Jay-R, Party Ben (Live 105), a midnight mash-up performance by Bea Dazzler, free CDs and shimmying go-go dancers. If you think V-Day should have its own equivalent of the Grinch, perhaps you'd enjoy the International Quirkyalone Day Party at Rickshaw Stop. IQD claims to be a "celebration of individuality, romance, friendship, and self-respect," and doesn't consider itself an anti-Valentine's Day movement. In fact, they claim that people in relationships can be "quirkyalones" too. We reckon most IQD celebrants are single, which would make this party a great place to find a like-minded soul. Cupid won't be at the Call and Response show at Cafe Du Nord, the Nanci Griffith show at Fillmore, or the Beep Beep show at Bottom of the Hill. SFist Isaac says the Independent is the place to be, where Martin Luther of The Roots will be proving why he's "at the forefront of the Bay Area's ever-expanding Soul scene."

On Sunday night, Jonathan Richman starts a four night stint at the Rickshaw Stop with Dengue Fever and DJ Brother Grimm. Cafe Du Nord has a performance by Matisyahu, the Hasidic Reggae Superstar, a young MC in traditional side curls who beatboxes and flows with Torah-inspired rhymes. Now that's what we call a "mash-up."

Monday is St. Valentine's Day, a day to be dreaded, ignored, berated or in rare cases celebrated. Popscene wants you to dance your way through it at Club 6 where performers include The Lovemakers and guest DJs Gold Chains, Geo (Misshapes NYC), Carlos, and more. Pull up a chair at the Independent for a free screening of Garden State and watch Natalie Portman and Zach Braff be all kooky and meant for each other. Madrone Lounge gets ambitious with a combo of Valentine's Day celebration plus Tsunami Benefit. The Warfield has the warm, fuzzy sounds of Interpol and Blonde Redhead. We think the Makeout Room sounds like a good place to find somebody to love, or at least smooch, especially during a book release party for Isn't it Romantic: Poems by Younger American Poets. Poetry mixed with some pints of PBR is the perfect recipe for amore. If none of this works, you could lure your secret crush to Hotel Utah and sign up for the open mic with Bob O'Magic. Your romantic acoustic rendition of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love" is sure to woo them.

Once Tuesday rolls around, we can put all this mushy stuff behind us and get back to the business of rocking. Things get rootsy, raspy and real at the Great American Music Hall when Steve Earle & The Dukes play with opener Allison Moorer. Get your ticket for this show now, because the show on the 16th is already sold out. It's more of a Memorex moment at Madrone when they host an Austin City Limits Viewing Party, featuring Trey Anastasio's set videotaped live at ACL Fest '04. Free Bud tall-boys for the first 50 guests, can't argue with that. Wednesday night Jesse Denatale continues his residency at Red Devil Lounge with special guests Mark Eitzel and Bone Cootes. We're not sure what Bone Cootes' story is, but with a name like that, it's bound to be a good one.

Heart image from the addictive Acme Heart Maker website. Allison Moorer image from thecountrystage.com.