Kristina Esfandiari is Miserable. Former vocalist of Bay Area shoegazers, Whirr, Kristina writes and performs a brand of moving and evocative music that oozes with nostalgia – and the Halloween Dream EP is no different. Over the course of four tracks, Esfandiari’s powerful voice and poignant compositions swell into soundscapes both haunting and wistful. 

Building on the momentum of her Run For Cover-issued 7-inch split with PA’s Grey Zine, Halloween Dream finds Kristina experimenting with muscular riffs ("Bell Jar") and sparse instrumentation ("Spinning") – new territory for the songwriter, but seemingly comfortable all the same. 

Halloween Dream, Miserable's first release with The Native Sound will be available on February 18th as both a digital download and on a limited edition, hand-numbered transparent 7-inch with gold haze.

Click the "Buy" link above for more info!

Miserable – Bell Jar

Dune Altar (DA-042)

The sonic equivalent of standing on a beach as a tidal wave approaches, listening to IRESS is to be aware of certain devastation, yet grateful to witness something so terrifyingly beautiful, and transfixed in anticipation for whatever happens next.

Formed in Los Angeles in 2010, IRESS employ dark, commanding elements of shoegaze, slowcore and metal, swelling in moments of cinematic-like crescendo. Dubbed the “Adele of Doom” by her local LA music peers, frontwoman Michelle Malley’s vocals have the power to envelop with smokey warmth, destroy with anguished belting, and arrest with unbelievable restraint. Bassist, Michael Maldonado, provides the much-needed anchor in the bewitching melodies and reverb, while drummer, Glenn Chu, pushes unrelentingly forward. Guitarist, Graham Walker, joined in 2022 instigating a new, more collaborative way of working for the band. This chemistry is undeniable on stage as the intentionality applied to live performances leaves audiences stunned to silence in moments, brought to tears in others when impaled by Malley’s emotional screams, all the while supplying a satisfying amount of crushing distortion to head bang through.

The success of Iress’ newfound anatomy can also be heard in the exceptionally composed, staggering wave of doomgazey sound on the upcoming Solace EP, which tells the story of the brutal reality of change: inevitable, painful and beautiful.

Particle Flux

CHELSEA WOLFE

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