Paleophone was pleasantly surprised by these writeups of Steve Espinola’s ongoing music project, which appeared in the NYC Autumn Antifolk Festival 2012 guide. They were written by J. J. Hayes, Jonathan Berger, and Bernard King. We would like to share them.
“Mr. Espinola harks back to the ’90’s on the scene, and he’s been performing his sometimes soft, sometimes ribald, keenly observational songs here ever since. Sidewalk Cafe’s Blackout Nights have seemed the perfect vehicle for him to shine, by their candlelight, encouraging the audience to help him unroll a giant scroll or winding up the Victrola that he’s set up in the corner for between sets.” –Bernard King
“Steve Espinola–A sound-whore Luddite mad musical scientist who writes beautiful Tin Pan Alley-sounding tunes arising out of his own innate sweetness confronting the frightening near absolute zero of the void. He will convince you that Love will be victorious; he may play an electric tennis racket of his own making.” –J.J. Hayes
“Creator of the Log-o-rhythm, Steve Espinola has touched more aspects of Antifolk than you could ever hope to. He’s been a leader of the Look-a-likes (USA), SideWalk soundman, second banana in the Dan Emery Mystery Band, producer of the Sprinkle Genies, inventor of instruments, engineer of 78’s recorded on plastic plates, opening act for Michelle Shocked, cub, and Biff Rose, and–well, isn’t that enough? Would it impress you to know that his songwriting is first-rate, from the hilarious ‘Right Out in the Street’ to the melancholy ‘Whoop-De-Doo’ to the curious ‘Bumbling Along’ to the gorgeous ‘Love Song While Running Away?’ What will it take to convince you?” –Jon Berger
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