Kiedis Brings The Heat in BLACK SUMMER by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
Before clicking play on the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s newest song, “Black Summer,” fans must check out Anthony Kiedis’s new and, dare I say, sexy mullet.
Anthony Kiedis and the #mommymullet
Never heard of them? Here is the quick sum. The RHCP’s (for the initiated, that’s an acronym for Red Hot Chili Peppers) have been in the rock music scene since 1983 debuting their first album. With a plethora of work, my personal favorite being Californication, they have it all-mixes of soft rock, experimental vocals, and juicy bass riffs. Popular songs include “Under the Bridge,” “Can’t Stop,” and “Otherside.” The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Their last produced album was The Gateway in 2016. Like most long-lasting bands, players switch out. The current lineup is Anthony Kiedis, lead singer, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante.
Fun Fact: RHCP is listed as the 126th most popular artist in the world on Spotify as of February 8, 2022.
A screengrab from the BLACK SUMMER music video
Now, I’ve got to be honest... I am a somewhat newer fan of RHCP. When I was but a mere young lad, I had terrible music taste. I was only listening to trap rap-Future and Migos. And that was it. Every day in high school, my brother Josh would only play RHCP. EVERY DAY. I grew to despise a band because all I could hear was the high-pitched ringing of guitar riffs in the silence of the day. In retrospect, it seems most of my music taste comes from my family overplaying good music.
When asking the question ‘Is this a good song’ listeners must first consider our biases. For example, I am a vocal focused listener. I tend to notice the changes in tone, pitch, and nuance in vocal delivery. I enjoy a variety of singing styles, and my favorite singer, Serj Tankien of System of a Down, presents his music through operatic singing as well as styles comparable to spoken word poetry. Like Tankien, we see different accents and vocalizing in RHCP’s Kiedis. On the other hand, an instrumentalist may notice the intracacies of the rhythm and harmony in the guitar chords or drum fills. Chad Smith, RHCP drummer and long-lost brother of Will Ferrell, has stayed remarkably consistent in his drumming. His playing is essential to the sound of the band, and he certainly has a strong technical command of the drums, but his playing doesn’t demand attention the way of virtuosic guitar-gods.
I grew up around guitar players. My father plays, and so does my brother Joshua Gantz. Gantz, new band member of TOO MANY COOKS BAND, and OG fan of RHCP shares his opinion of “Black Summer”. Gantz states, “It’s exciting that John Frusciante is back with the band and you can tell he is playing instead of Josh Klinghoffer. I really like the instrumentals of the song but am confused a little on the accent Kiedis is using in the vocals. I think once I hear the whole album I’ll have more concrete idea on how I feel about the song.”
Anthony Kiedis cries out to us, ‘that he’s been waiting.’
Anthony... king… so have I. I cannot wait for this album to drop April 1st with more wacky vocals and sexy hair styles. Hubba Hubba.
The album Unlimited Love is due to release on April 1st.
Listen to “Black Summer” below.
