Kenneth Partridge's work has appeared in such publications as USA Today, the Village Voice and the Hartford Courant, as well as online at MTV Hive and HowAboutWe, among other sites. He's helped to edit two encyclopedias -- one on Latin music, the other on reggae -- and penned biographies about Louis Armstrong and the opera singer Marian Anderson. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his beloved wife and slightly less beloved record collection.
Kenneth Partridge
Bruce Springsteen Posts Bilingual Tribute Song to Argentina
On Tuesday (Sept. 17), days after playing his first show in Argentina in 25 years, Bruce Springsteen posted video of a bilingual tribute to the people of that country. (Watch it below.) The song, 'Solo le Pido a Dios,' or 'I Only Ask of God,' was penned in 1978 by native folk-rocker Leon Gieco, and it became a protest anthem for the Argentine people, who suffered through a military dictatorship fr
Morrissey’s Autobiography Coming Out In ‘Next Few Weeks’
Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Morrissey's long-awaited autobiography, apparently titled 'Autobiography,' will be released "within the next few weeks," according to the singer's website.
Best Coast Release ‘I Don’t Know How’ From Upcoming Mini-Album ‘Fade Away’
Loud and proud Cali rockers Best Coast have revealed another song from their forthcoming 'Fade Away' mini-album. 'I Don't Know How,' streaming below, follows 'Fear of My Identity' and 'Who Have I Become,' both of which the band released on Record Store Day, and in true Best Coast fashion, this first official single is a bittersweet bite of punky, surfy pop, punctuated by the longing vocals of Beth
Elvis Costello and the Roots Celebrate ‘Wise Up Ghost’ at Brooklyn Bowl
Elvis Costello and the Roots were chucking rocks last night at Brooklyn Bowl, musically speaking.
Riot Fest Day 3 Recap: Replacements Tremendous at First U.S. Show In 22 Years [Exclusive Photos]
Of course it rained. At day three (Sept. 15) of Riot Fest Chicago, where the newly reunited Replacements played their second show -- and first in the U.S. -- since 1991, the gods were bound to muddy the grounds. Throughout their original run, the 'Mats were victims of cruel fate and terrible decisions, and before for these shoulda-been-contenders could make any kind of triumphant return, a few tho
Riot Fest 2013 Day 2: Genre-Crushing Punks Cut Loose in Chicago’s Humboldt Park
If opening day of Riot Fest Chicago was all about originators -- Joan Jett, Danzig, Bad Religion -- Saturday (Sept. 14) showcased agitators and innovators, artists behind bastard sub-genres and styles difficult to peg. The theme extended from noontime openers Mephiskapheles to main attractions Rancid and the Violent Femmes, and if headliners Blink-182 aren't exactly sonic voyagers, they've found n
Riot Fest 2013 Day 1: Old Punks Eschew New Tricks, Rock Chicago All the Same
Some festivals are all about what's new. Not Riot Fest. At stop No. 2 of the 2013 traveling punk weekender, which kicked off yesterday (Sept. 13) in Chicago's Humboldt Park, there were no 22-year-old techno wizards hunched over laptops, double-clicking up twitchy variants of house music. The only people on computers were likely 30- and 40-something journalist-types tapping out stories about guitar
The ‘New Kurt Cobains’
Who will be the next Kurt Cobain? Can there be another? And who would want the job, given how things turned out for the first one? Such questions were quick to surface in the wake of the Nirvana frontman's 1994 suicide, and they of course beget more questions. Like, which Kurt Cobain are we talking about? He was, after all, different things to different people -- an angsty grunge spokesman to tren
Ted Leo and Aimee Mann Brilliant as the Both at Brooklyn’s Bell House
The best part of any cocktail party -- after the cocktails, of course -- is the mingling. There's nothing like that charge of clicking with a total stranger, but not everyone is quick with a joke or an anecdote about Kiss or Sharpie drawings of male genitalia. Sometimes, the smart play is to hover, futz with your phone and hope to land within earshot of two funnier, more fearless guests firing awa
Arcade Fire Unveil Second ‘Reflektor’ Video, Directed by Anton Corbijn
The Arcade Fire 'Reflektor' promotion juggernaut rages on, as the Montreal rockers have dropped a second video for the debut single from their forthcoming fourth album. The last 'Reflektor' clip, as you may recall from a few hours ago, was an "interactive short film" that puts your webcam to rather nifty use, and while this one, directed by Anton Corbijn, is far more conventional, it's s