Song Spotlight: Taleen Kali's Crossed (a night at Midnight Hour Records)

I first came across Taleen Kali (the eponymous for lead singer Taleen Kali) in 2017 at The Hi Hat (the current location of The Goldifsh). It was a blending of genres night. On one end you had Lucy & La Mer and MetronOhm (Annabelle Freedman) providing singer-songwriter tunes and on the punk side you had Wasi and Taleen Kali. Since that point in time, I've followed the band throughout the years with 2023 being the highlight as I covered the band's Flower of Life release party for Buzzbands (read that article here) and the inaugural Dum Dum Fest for US Rocker Music (read that article here). 

Taleen Kali at Midnight Hour Records

Now Kali also runs Dum Dum Records, which recently celebrated their four year anniversary party at Midnight Hour Records. I was invited to covered the night for US Rocker Music (read that article here). This was my first time at Midnight Hour Records though fellow music photographer Evan Moses suggested that I should check out the venue a few months earlier. Amusing story for me as that I missed the exit, which resulted in me nearly ending up at the 14 freeway. There aren't that many freeway exits in that area of the 5 freeway. Even with that detour, I still arrived thirty minutes before the first band hit the stage. 

Taleen Kali at Midnight Hour Records

Taleen Kali closed out the night. Kali admittedly that members of the band lived out in the valley (San Fernando Valley), but that this was the first time the band had played in the valley. The night recognized both the anniversary and a single release by the band. The single is called "Crossed" and is a very personal release. Per the band's Instagram page, the song is a dedicated to Kali's grandmother who died in 2023. "The opening lines of the song are ‘Rose is a rose’ which is from my favorite Gertrude Stein poem ‘Sacred Emily.’ It’s meant to convey ‘it is what it is,’ or ‘things are what they are.’ I wanted to write about how matter of fact things are in life when the only choice you have is to ride the waves of grief." 

Taleen Kali at Midnight Hour Records

Even the lyrics "And I remain crossed. Hung on a cross" are inspired by her grandmother who wore an Ethiopian cross. 

Prior to starting their set, Kali asked the sound guy to have her "sound like I’m under water." That sound quality rang true for this song where vocals sounded like they were being captured in air bubbles that burst forth once popped upon reaching the surface.