Beat Box

In hip hop, having a variety of aliases is as common as talking about problems with shady record labels. MF Doom has plenty of the former (Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah, Madvillain), seemingly little of the latter, and a penchant for wearing a metal mask at all times. From his formative days in KMD to collaborations with Madlib and Danger Mouse, this self-effacing MC has been at the top of his game. At the moment, rumored projects with Ghostface and a Madvillain reunion remain up in the air. But Minnesota's Rhymesayers recently reissued Doom's Mm...Food with a bonus DVD of live performances. Revisiting this record is a welcome reminder of Metal Fingers' intense lyrical skills and super-villain powers behind the boards; no one else can loop an obscure '80s song and quietly murder it like this rap vet. The masked one performs on Wednesday, Aug. 15, and Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Independent at 9 p.m. Admission is $25; call 771-1422 or visit www.theindependentsf.com for more info. — Jonah Flicker

Atlanta's Le Castle Vania (Dylan Eiland, who is also known as DJ DJ Dylan) is a staple at his local clubs like the Drunken Unicorn and MJQ. He's also an up-and-comer to the international music scene. This year, he remixed 120 Days and Snowden singles into electro-disco jams and released his debut, Troubletronic, an EP of similarly amped and vocoded anthems, all of which have given him exposure outside the ATL. Le Castle Vania DJs at monthly party "Blow-Up" with Jefrodesiac, Richie Panic, and the infamous MC Jelly Donut on Friday, Aug. 17, at Rickshaw Stop at 10 p.m. Admission is $8-10; call 861-2011 or visit www.rickshawstop.com for more info. — Tamara Palmer

We're grateful when promoters book DJs owning deep record collections andgive them proper time to play. So cheers to weekly house music party "Remedy" for scheduling L.A.'s Doc Martin for a four-hour set. In that span he'll not only collaborate on the fly with vocalist Lillia (with whom he records as Sublevel), he'll also stretch out into different directions and moods. The party, which also features popular S.F. house DJ Galen, gets hopping on Friday, Aug. 17, at DNA Lounge at 10 p.m. Admission is $10-20; call 626-1409 or visit www.dnalounge.com for more info. — T.P.