STAFF WRITERS
We have an incredible team of staff writers who provide daily content about music and the diverse culture that surrounds it. Get to know them a little better!
JULIE DRAGLAND, Writer
Jules is from Eagle Bay, British Columbia by way of Saratoga Springs, NY, but calls SF “home” after more than 7 years in the Bay. She’s passionate about whiskey, rap, burritos, Kraft Dinner and the Canuxedo. Often admired for her ability to sleep long hours in loud and uncomfortable places, she’s been told that she’s in the 98th percentile of the nation’s top relaxers.
LEN BROWN, Writer
Brooklyn born and bred with Jamaican roots, Len can’t remember a time when music wasn’t a focal part of his life. Having been raised in one of the world’s largest melting pots allowed him to be exposed to all sorts of genres of music, but hip-hop, R&B and reggae dominate his ears. Being able to share his views on the music scene, whether new or current artists, is his primary goal and Mixologi is the vehicle driving him there.
YUMNA BAHGAT, Writer
Yumna Bahgat (yum-nah) is a Bay Area native who currently calls Berkeley her home. Her love of music is diverse and ranges from club bangers to music that conveys a larger political message. Yumna is fascinated by the intersection of music, art, and culture. Always interested in an artist’s backstory, you can find her digging up old interviews for tidbits of information that she will casually mention in conversation. Some of her favorites include Kendrick, Deep Cotton, and Kehlani.
DAVID NAZARIO, Writer (Music Discovery)
David Nazario is a writer and educator living in New York City who loves 90s Hip Hop and R&B and despises everything on the radio right now. David enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and writing about music, culture, and fashion. David has worked as the Editor-in-Chief for Mute Magazine, in addition to freelance writing for sites like: Viralfashion.com, Runwayplus.com, Adamcentric.com, and Cititour.com.
ANASTASIA DEXTRA, Contributor
Ana grew up in Las Vegas; but decided to ditch the scorching deserts of Nevada in favor of the brutal winters of Chicago, a city she now calls home. In addition to being a weather related masochist; Ana enjoys exploring neighborhoods, dancing to Soulja Boy deep cuts and eating Thai fusion burritos.
You can often find her patiently waiting for Frank Ocean’s return, deconstructing mixtapes, crafting playlists for unnecessary life events, and on occasion, writing all about it here on Mixologi.
MARS TODAY, Contributor
Mars Today is a San Franciscan producer/artist/songwriter who now resides in LA, trying to make timeless music, and wasting far too much of his time on the inter webs.
ERIN DUNCAN, Contributor
Erin is a Bay Area Native who loves music, reading and exploring coffee shops. You can find her dancing off beat at concerts or parties. Erin’s other loves are (but not limited to) whiskey, bearded men, traveling and cracking jokes. She irregularly tweets at @bellametaphor.
VANCE BRINKLEY, Contributor
Vance Brinkley is an active music journalist based out of Washington, DC. In addition to Mixologi, he works for AllHipHop.com, Stereo Champions and All Digitocracy. He has also covered the music scene as a blogger for WPB Radio, where he was also a co-host for the primetime show, FM Radio 101. Vance is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a graduate from Morgan State University, currently pursuing a Masters at Bowie State University for Organizational Communications.
ENID KAGALE, Contributor
Enid is an East African Bay Area transplant who is fascinated by how music has the ability to bridge cultural/diversity gaps and evoke raw emotion at the same time. This is what drives her to listen, research and write about it. While she’s listening to Spotify, attending festivals, travelling, and working hard towards expanding global connectivity, she’s also on the hunt for life changing tacos around the bay.
KEVIN SEAL, Contributor
Kevin grew up in Cincy — home of Bootsy Collins and DJ Hi-Tek, as he’s quick to point out — but he’s spent the last 11 years analyzing songs for the Music Genome Project in Oakland. When not eating hefty portions of Indian spinach dishes, he is often looking for a comedy open-mic or teaching his son how to dig for earthworms.
JENNIFER MATTHEWS, Contributor
Sooner bred, Jennifer is a true Oklahoma gal. Trading in her Midwest living for the Dirty South, she has set up shop in Atlanta where she does everything from producing news at CNN to teaching journalism at Kennesaw State. When she isn’t in the newsroom or classroom, you can catch her in the studio songwriting with some of the music industry’s finest or at the nearest yoga studio finding her “zen.”
DJ MACKSWELL, Resident DJ
DJ Mackswell was born and raised in Oakland, California and has been gracing turntables throughout the Bay Area, NYC and Seattle for quite some time.
BOARD
Aaron Dolores, Founder and Principal
Brady Thomas, Digital Content
Matt Taylor, New Business Partnerships
Marcus Taylor, Creative Director
Aaron Weinberg, Strategic Partnerships
Jane Lee, Administration