The Citizen Body Featured Artists
Sarai Quinice
June 27, 2021
Growing up in the city of Philadelphia, Sarai Quinice was influenced by the Dramatic Arts. As a child, she fell in love with theater; performed in local Philadelphia productions such as stageplays, musicals, and films. Recently she has studied acting at John Graves Productions and has toured and performed at various productions within this company. Now as a freelance actress, she desires to perform in both Philadelphia and New York and is currently working with local New York screenwriters, directors, and actors in the Manhattan area to further her on camera experience. Her goals are to inspire, comfort, heal, and save the lives of her audience members using the spiritual gifts with which God has blessed her.
https://www.instagram.com/saraiquinice/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011079013823
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb0a4R9Fsch2enXDLXfJm-w
JoAnn Hodges
June 20, 2021
JoAnn Hodges, is a native Philadelphian, born, raised and educated in the heart of South Philadelphia. JoAnn is a poet and the author of Expressions of the Heart, Poetry for the Soul, 2nd edition. Her writings reveal intimate details of past experiences, relevant issues and her genuine compassion for others.
JoAnn is not only great with words but also very creative with her hands. She is the owner of Favors for Life, Extraordinary Delights and makes beautiful chocolate favors and arrangements: http://www.favorsforlife.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ms.creative1959
Johnny Football Hero
June 13, 2021
Johnny Football Hero was founded in 2018 by James McGill and Misha Datskovsky following the disbandment of their previous band, The Dispersions. Having spent the previous two years working with Drexel University’s record label, Mad Dragon Music Group, the recording and planning of their debut album had taken an emotional toll on the band. By the time the album was released in 2017, the label failed to promote it, leaving James and Misha frustrated and disappointed. Over the next few months, they started to write and record a follow up album, which would act as an emotional outlet for the frustration and depression the members all experienced. However, by this point, founding bassist, Jesse Fogg, departed the band in early 2018 due to mental health issues. James and Misha subsequently formed Johnny Football Hero (JFH) after Jesse’s departure, and continued recording their new album, which would become the band’s first release, Long Walk Off the Short Pier.
Shortly thereafter, James and Misha brought in long time friend, Matt Keim, to play bass, and would start playing shows in and around the Philadelphia area throughout the rest of 2018. JFH in the meantime signed to the Brooklyn-based punk label, Knuckle Down Records, and began booking shows in New York City as well.
Here is their most recent release, “Cap’n Oblivious (Deficit)” in May of 2021:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/SyMD6Dtyt7nd5/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnnyfootballherophl/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jfh.phl/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3zNm8P623yxbD4xtIGejTB?si=OQ-dGTG3QsWeNi1iCDjEGg&nd=1
Marshall James Kavanaugh
June 6, 2021
Marshall James Kavanaugh is a dream laborer of words and various art forms used to create poetic dream spaces for his readership to explore. His works contain a culture driven attempt at documenting the creative activism of his generation. Over the years, he has taken his poetry to streets, art galleries, and performance venues around the country. In 2017-2019, he co-organized with the Poets For Peace, a series of readings across the country with a diversity of touring performers. The tours culminated in the publication of two zines by the Poets For Peace in the summer of 2020 as a mutual aid response for Black Lives Matter.
Beyond these community events, as a full time performer, Kavanaugh creates stream-of-subconscious inspired poetry on demand for the general public as Dream Poet For Hire. Equipped with a Smith-Corona Skyriter, he sets up in public spaces around Philadelphia and writes on-the-spot poems on any topic. He has published two collections of short stories, several small chapbooks of travel fiction, and two collections of haikus with the small press, A Freedom Books. His most recent poetry book, Travel By Haiku: Volumes 6-10, Far Out On The Road With Friends (released March 2021) is a modern ode to the community found on the road, with collaborative haikus written by six navigators of its far reaches over the course of three separate road trips. This new release is available for purchase on his website here: https://www.marshalljameskavanaugh.com/travel-by-haiku-volumes-6-10.html
www.marshalljameskavanaugh.com
Facebook: @MarshallJamesKavanaugh, https://www.facebook.com/marshalljameskavanaugh
Instagram: @dreampoetforhire, www.instagram.com/dreampoetforhire
Youtube: @MarshallJamesKavanaugh, https://www.youtube.com/c/marshalljameskavanaugh
Lo-priestess
May 30, 2021
Lo-priestess, based out of Philadelphia, PA, pushes a delicate, melancholic chamber pop sound informed by trip-hop, vocal jazz, and singer-songwriter stylings.
At the core of Lo-priestess are Gina LC (Dear Forbidden) and Scott Radway (solo artist, ex-Polkadot Cadaver), both of whom hail from louder, noisier musical environments. A mutual interest in exploring more spacious, lush styles of pop music resulted in their debut release, 2021’s How’d Your Bones Break?
“Today Could Be Someday”, the first single off of Bones, has been described as “hanging out in the bar in the background of a David Lynch film” (Wofford). How’d Your Bones Break? is set for release in August 2021.
https://lopriestess.bandcamp.com/releases
http://www.facebook.com/low-priestess
http://www.instagram.com/lo_priestess
Jaye Allison
May 23, 2021
Jaye Allison envisions a world filled with human potential and avenues for people to achieve their goals. By creating performance and educational opportunities to the community regardless of age, race, gender, and physical ability, providing excellent theater and focusing on community, she strives to be a significant force in the evolution of tradition. In a Philadelphia Inquirer review, Marilyn Jackson confirms, “LEJA is an American Dance Theater organization that includes broad community involvement nourishing performers, professional or not, and new audiences for them.” Her mission enabled Philly TAP Challenge “ON FIRE!” to contribute to the vitality of tap dance in Philadelphia as a part of American dance culture by: creating venue and opportunity for tap dancers of every age, race and skillset. Bonding is a crucial portion of community building.
https://www.jayeallisondanceproductions.org/
IG: http://www.instagram.com/thatdancelady
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jaye.allison
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thatdancelady
Animit Bhattacharya
May 16, 2021
Animit learned piano for a few years as a child, which developed his sense of tune. But he didn’t sing until he was about 25. Since 2013 he took it on more aggressively, having performed in numerous shows within the Indian community throughout the region from New York to Maryland. He sings in 2 Indian languages; Bengali which is his mother-tongue from the area of India he originates and also in Hindi, Indian National language most commonly spoken. He started performing “BOLLYWOOD” shows professionally a few years ago, and since the pandemic, has performed numerous virtual programs for hosts across the world. He recently released his first couple original songs (both on the YouTube channel) and is aiming to produce an album this summer.
The title of song: Kothay Kothay Je Raat (means “After we talked all night”)
“Kothay Kothay je raat hoye jaaye, ki kotha rakhle baaki” – We spent the whole night talking; what words were still left unsaid??
“Khuje dekho naa, bujhe dekho naa, bhebe dekho naa; taa ki jaano naa kichu naa bole, chole giye mon-ke diyo naa phaanki.” – Look deep in you, try to figure out (understand), think about it; don’t just leave silent and short-change your heart.
Song Details
GENRE: Bengali Popular (non-film)
COVER SONG: Originally sung by Manna Dey (late 1960.s) – Pictured at 1:17
MUSIC DIRECTOR: Sudhin Dasgupta – Pictured at 0:45
LYRICIST: Pulak Banerjee
https://youtube.com/channel/UCH9SA2GeDbcYwCgzwm1bX-A
May 9, 2021
Tommy Link
Tommy Link is a Six Stringer Song Singer (or an indie folk singer songwriter, if you prefer), born in Erie, PA and often found roaming the Great Lakes region.
A wordsmith at heart, Tommy works to bring his lyrics to life, from his head and heart to the pages and stages.
Recommended for fans of classic songwriters such as Billy Joel, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Carole King, George Harrison and Paul Simon, as well as his more modern influences like Regina Spektor, The Lumineers, Courtney Barnett, Michael Kiwanuka and Ray LaMontagne.
Website: tommylinkinc.com
Instagram: @tommylinkinc
Facebook: /tommylinkmusic
May 2, 2021
Shekhinah B
Shekhinah B. is an award-winning dynamic recording artist, engaging international performer, educator, and arts administrator. Her vocal genres include Jazz, Blues, Pop, Funk, House, and R&B. She worked as an independent contractor for several units for both background and lead vocals. A recipient of the Encore Music Award and Image Award. A current member of Sistahs Attune a Philly-based vocal collective spanning genres, merging the gap between art & commerce.
https://shekhinahb.org/
https://linktr.ee/ShekhinahB
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChjSDjorrIvvnNe6kS2u5Fghttps://www.facebook.com/IAmShekhinahBhttps://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/shekhinahbhttps://soundcloud.com/shekhinah-bhttps://twitter.com/thewcehttps://www.instagram.com/thewceinc/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thewceinc/
April 25, 2021
Jim and Lynn Lemyre
Working in oil, with meticulous attention to detail, we paint landscapes of the imagination. The painting becomes a meeting place, a threshold between the worlds of imagination and reality, dream and consciousness, the individual and the collective. Incongruent combinations, dual imagery and unlikely scenarios create moments of visual poetry and reveal hidden meanings. Our collaboration is based on long talks about art, philosophy and concepts for paintings.
April 18, 2021
Dear Forbidden
Dear Forbidden is a female-fronted rock trio based in the Philadelphia area who finds their roots in 90’s grunge, early 60’s rock and noise rock. Gina LC on guitar and vocals, Ryan on bass and Steph on drums, bring us distorted guitars painting a backdrop for haunting melodies confessed from a letter that was never meant to be sent. The band released their first EP in March of 2016 titled Glitter & Dissonance, followed by two tours spanning the Midwest, Nashville, D.C., New York and Boston. They released their second EP, Slow Beat in November 2017 which was accompanied by a music video for their single, “You Say You’re Outta Your Mind.” Their latest EP, Before the Night Expires, was released in August of 2020 and includes their single, “Pledge” which has been featured on WXPN. You can stream and download Dear Forbidden’s music on Bandcamp, Spotify and iTunes and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
http://www.instagram@dear_forbidden
http://www.facebook.com/dearforbidden
http://www.dearforbidden.bandcamp.com
April 11, 2021
Brianna Spause and Brian Walker
Photographer Brianna Spause embarked on an East Coast road trip with Musician Brian Walker of A Day Without Love in March, 2019. They spent 17 days on the road, exploring consent and safe spaces in the underground music scene.
The documentary film, titled “Safe + Sound” will be released in 2021.
“As a musician I’m trying to create is a space where people don’t feel ashamed of the pain inside of them. And people don’t feel ashamed of the good inside of them. I hope to create a community of honesty where that veil does not exist. We don’t respond to positive or negative emotions. Because either A, we’re too afraid of accepting that a good thing is coming to us, or B we’re afraid of the pain that’s actually inside of us.
If we can’t breathe in our art and expression, then how the hell are we ever going to breathe?” – Brian Walker of A Day Without Love
IG: @safesoundfilm
Website: https://www.bsproductions.co/safe-sound-film/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/adaywithoutlove
Music
Twitter| IG | Website: @adaywithoutlove | www.adaywithoutlove.com
Tiktok: @adaywithoutloveband
April 4, 2021
Eric G
Eric Gershenow, often referred to as Eric G. or just plain “E”, is a guitar player, songwriter/ producer and sound engineer. Having moved back to Philadelphia in 2010 to establish roots in the Philadelphia music community, his most recent focus has been writing and recording original content for his solo project Harmonic Frequency Matching, or “HFM” which released a 5 song self-titled EP in the summer of 2018 and most recently the single “Give It To Me” this past fall of 2020. HFM exists as a consortium of musicians, featuring various local artists on each track with styles having been likened to that of G.Love, Little Feat, and even Al Jarreau.
Much of Eric’s musical influence comes from both Rock and R&B chanras. Most notably he honed his chops performing with R&B heavy-hitters Stephen Wise and Doug Grigsby III playing the wedding band circuit from 2012 – 2017. Additionally, Eric operates as the Music Director for Casabuena Cultural Productions, scoring soundtracks and engineering sound for short films and live performances. Other accomplishments include running sound for the 2018 Barrymore award winning production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
http://hfmtunes.com/
https://hfmtunes.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Harmonicfrequencymatching/
https://www.stephenwisemusic.com/stephen-wise–the-edge
https://casabuenacp.com/
March 28, 2021
XIXIX
XIXIX (pronounced “Six Six”) is the emergent solo project of Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Will Brown. After a handful of years playing in rock outfits across Philly and producing lo-fi chill hop, Brown took the downtime of 2020 to pen an album deeply rooted in his longing for connection, knowing that the best way out of a difficult moment is straight through it.
On “Rich Kids”, the debut single from XIXIX’s forthcoming self-titled album, Brown tackles his recent experience dealing with the entitlement and elitism of others. As Brown puts it, ““Rich Kids” is about the intense feelings you get when you’re confronted with someone who thinks their opinion is the right one simply because it’s well-funded.” It’s a point that Brown drives home throughout the track’s three and half minutes.
http://www.xixixmusic.com/ http://www.facebook.com/xixixmusic/ http://www.instagram.com/xixixmusic/ http://www.soundcloud.com/xixixmusic/
March 21, 2021
Christopher Davis-Shannon
Christopher Davis-Shannon’s music is the essence of honest simplicity. Bringing together influence ranging from Fats Waller to Chet Baker, he creates an atmosphere that will instantly transport you back to jazz clubs, and speakeasies of the early 20th century. Not Content being labelled a traditionalist, he forges ahead breathing new life into old classics, weaving together a sound that is enjoyed by both young and old.
As a multi-Instrumentalist, songwriter, and educator, based in Philadelphia, Davis-Shannon maintains a steady tour schedule with his own music as well as a sideman for various acts. He brings to the stage not just the pure joy of music, but a vast knowledge of the history behind the songs that he holds close to his heart. His intricate instrumental work and plaintive vocals are infused with soulfulness which cannot be faked, and a respect for his predecessors which is rarely equaled.
https://TheTinMan.co
https://www.youtube.com/user/untitledtopher
https://facebook.com/cdavisshannon
https://instagram.com/banjoleletinman
https://twitter.com/cdavisshannon
https://www.reddit.com/user/banjoleletinman
March 14, 2021
Marguerite Anglin
Marguerite Anglin is a visual artist based in Philadelphia. Her paintings are inspired by the skies, and are filled with vibrant colors that evoke mystery, wonder and a spiritual connection. After painting with traditional brushes for years, she experienced a season of artist’s block that led her to take a hiatus from art. When she returned to the canvas, it was finger painting that inspired her to create again.
Initially a self-taught artist, Marguerite is now in art school and enjoys creating abstract representational works, merging her love of finger painting with more traditional painting methods. She has a passion to unlock the “artist” in everyone and hosts workshops and gatherings to encourage people to return to their first love- Creativity.
Website: www.margueriteanglinart.com
Instagram and Facebook: @margueriteanglinart
March 7, 2021
Tony Rai
Born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, Tony Rai is a Writer, Actor, Improvisor and Co-Producer living and working in Los Angeles, California. Long ago he made a deal with whatever greater power was listening that he would use his talents to create art that challenges divisive mindsets and makes way for empathy through our shared humanity.
Website: https://www.tonyrai.com/ IG: @pastrami_on_rai
February 28, 2021
Joy Ike
“My favorite thing about being a performer is that music and art bring people together in a way that few other things can. It gives people room to put away their differences, let down their guard, and share a moment together. Art takes intellectual conversations and moves them from the head to the heart. It levels the playing field and reminds us we are not each others’ enemies.”
– Joy Ike
Website:https://www.joyike.com/
The Citizen Body 