Mark Haskell Smith
Robert Newman
Sylken Somers
“Would you listen to this again?” We asked the jurists after playing each new release. We didn’t want boring answers, so we selected three guests we knew would provide intelligent, and entertaining critiques of every song. The first edition of Life Elsewhere’s Juke Box Jury features three highly qualified guests:
Mark Haskell Smith, author of rollicking smart fiction – Blown, Raw, Salty, Baked, Moist and Delicious. The LA-based writer is also a deft hand with non-fiction – Naked At Lunch and Heart Of Dankness. When not hunched over his MacBook, Mark teaches, writes screenplays and searches for the ultimate cocktail. In his earlier years, he slung a guitar on way down low and was part of Seattle post-punk noise-makers, 3 Swimmers.
Highly acclaimed creative director, Robert Newman has an impressive list of magazine designs under his belt, including, Real Simple, Entertainment Weekly, New York, Details, Vibe, The Village Voice and Guitar World. He was also the editor of The Rocket, a music and culture magazine based in Seattle. Newman and his teams have won over 500 design awards. Plus, he is past president of the Society of Publication Designers and has been a guest lecturer at the Poynter Institute. Robert is based in New York City and is an avowed music aficionado.
Singer-songwriter, poet and producer, Sylken Somers came to our attention just a short while ago. So impressed were we with Prone, her three-track EP, we had to find out more about this intriguing talent. We reached out to engage Sylken in conversation, (available here), she talks about music, life, love, mental and physical health, plus being non-binary. Sylken’s obvious delight in vocabulary made her a perfect choice for this show where we asked our guests to articulate their opinions – honestly.
The music we selected:
Akai Solo – Stand Alone Calm (prod. Ibiss)
Onipa – Makoma
Jordana – Signs
Iceblink – Dialoghi
Stutter Steps – Giant Sand Heart
David J with Emily Jane White – I Hear Only Silence Now
Hallows – Subtle
Grimm Grimm – Ginourmous
Drama – Forever And A Day
Nnamdï – Price Went Up
Listen carefully, do you agree with the opinions of our Jury, Sylken Somers, Robert Newman, and Mark Haskell Smith?
Show #363
Life Elsewhere’s Juke Box Jury “Would you listen to this again?” We asked the jurists after playing each new release. We didn’t want boring answers, so we selected three guests we knew would provide intelligent, and entertaining critiques of every song.