Regular readers will doubtless know DaVinci, the under-appreciated Fillmore District rapper whose work has long stood out among the eager crop of local MCs. Over two records so far -- 2010's The Day The Turf Stood Still and last year's Feast or Famine -- DaVinci painted a portrait of his changing 'hood while proving himself one of the most vivid and versatile rappers in the Bay. Today he's back with new album The MOEna Lisa, the final chapter in a trilogy of sorts -- and he's posted it for free download on the usual platforms.

See also:
* SF Rapper DaVinci Lists His Five Favorite Fillmore District Memories
* The 10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2011
* Fillmore Rapper DaVinci's thoughtful 'hood parables

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That ethereal vibe you get from the above image? It's appropriate.

Last fall, we told you about These Long Strange Nights, a then-new mixtape/album from S.F.-born, L.A.-based rapper-producer Alexander Spit. That was good stuff. But Spit came back yesterday with Mansions, a funky, spooky, mind-bending instrumental mixtape that's pretty damn engrossing. It shows Spit to be at least as talented at assembling soundscapes as he is at rapping -- and with no rhymes to mind, Mansions lets you focus on its ever-shifting textures and rhythms.

Spit himself bills Mansions as "a wide array of drugged-out 4 a.m. vibes to sample-heavy neck crampers," which is putting it pretty well. Some of the tracks here are wispy and ethereal, barely announcing their presence before they disappear; others are built on big, funky beats that beg for a huge car to bang out of. There's no rapping per se, but there are plenty of vocal samples: Slowed-down, pitch-lowered utterances, hilarious clips from television, and, on "DMT," one lengthy explanation (endorsement, really) of the psychedelic powers of the naturally occurring drug dimethyltryptamine. That track is lots of fun on its own, but this is whole mixtape is probably something you should hear:

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Rapper Lateef the Truthspeaker was born and raised in Oakland, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. His new song, "Oakland," is a tough-love ode to his hometown and features some of his fellow natives, like Del the Funky Homosapien. Highlight: "It don't matter what race you are/ Everybody pullin' strings like a bass guitar." Listen here.

If you prefer chill synths and a spacey feel over the slow, rock-inspired "Oakland," check out "Testimony," the single from his upcoming album Fire Wire, after the jump.

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Oakland garage-rock trio Bare Wires will release a new album, Cheap Perfume, on Oct. 18. If you don't know them by now -- and frankly, if you read this blog, that's unlikely -- you should: They're easily one of the best straight-ahead, stripped-down rock bands in the Bay right now. We like 'em so much we had 'em play at last year's All Shook Down festival (and, coincidentally, they played a show at Thee Parkside during this year's All Shook Down Fest).

To tease the new album, the band has released its title song, "Cheap Perfume." Hit the jump for a lo-fi but high-quality treat.

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Irie Cartel is one of the DJ groups performing at the free Fillmore Dub Music Festival on Saturday.

If you're reading this blog, you've probably already heard of it -- it's heavy, it wobbles, and it's not the Bay Bridge.

A fast-growing electronica genre with roots in reggae and dub music, dubstep is taking over the Fillmore this weekend. The Dub Fillmore Festival goes down at Fillmore and O'Farrell streets this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., featuring DJs like Mochipet, Nebakeneza, and El Diablo. It's funded by a grant from the mayor's office.

Dubstep "brings together all these different people and blends it in and remixes it in," head organizer Shanell Williams says, stressing the festival's ability to draw a younger crowd to the area than jazz generally does. "Dubstep is that meeting place where everyone can come together and agree upon the sound because you have so much in there."

She agrees that the Fillmore may be known mostly for jazz, but believes that's about to change.

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A few weeks ago, we posted about Oakland rapper A-Plus's misguided new project, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute EP called Pepper Spray.

We weren't big fans of the idea (at all), but if you disagree and want a copy of the EP for free, head over to Pacific Standard Time at Eve Lounge tonight. Hit the jump for details.

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​Yeah, so, not that there isn't a ton of good stuff going on tomorrow evening, as with any normal Friday in S.F., but we'd love to meet you at the Fifty24Gallery in Lower Haight. We'll be holding court there with Blackbird Blackbird, Richie Cunning, a shit-ton of free Pabst Blue Ribbon (note: tastes better than non-free PBR), and your favorite writers and photographers from this very music blog.

Party kicks off at 6 and runs 'til 10, with both performances in the 7-9 p.m. window, so you can definitely stop by for a beer, a chat, and a few beats before heading off to Public Works or Cafe Du Nord or the Independent or wherever.

After the jump, we attempt to bring you fence-sitters down on the side of "will attend." And no, it's not a picture of us naked.

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