Editor’s Note: Anyone who says there isn’t good music coming out these days — and quite literally, every day — simply isn’t paying attention. Vanyaland’s new compilation feature The V List highlights the best in new music over the past month, pulling together the sounds that have soundtracked the website in recent weeks from our wide-ranging series of features. It’s all the stuff we’re bumping here at Vanyaland HQ, one new bop at a time.
Housewife, ‘Life Of The Party’
When a person innocently asks “How are you?”, we’re immediately faced with a decision: Do we answer honestly, and let this person into our authentic headspace if only for a second; or do we lie and keep it simple and quickly move on? It’s a question we ask ourselves on the daily, and it comes to mind when swimming deep inside Housewife’s glowing new single “Life Of The Party.” The rising alt-pop project of Toronto artist Brighid Fry says the haunting track is “about the cognitive dissonance you get between people’s perception of how your life is going versus how you actually feel it’s going.” This new one takes on a more darker edge than Housewife’s previous indie-pop singles, and it stirs up an enchanting swirl of melancholic self-reflection. And reminds us that just because we’re the “Life Of The Party” one moment, doesn’t mean we are the next — no matter how we answer those innocent inquiries from those orbiting around us.
Miranda and the Beat, Anxiety’
Pop Quiz: What gives you anxiety? Trick Question: The answer is everything. The world is a fucked up place that comes up with elaborate new ways to raise our anxiety higher than a Dutch stoner, but Miranda and the Beat are flipping the script. The Brooklyn-to-New Orleans garage rock band serve up “Anxiety,” a riff-roaring groove bomb of cool that suddenly has us street walkin’ like a cheetah. This raucous rabble-rousing joint-shaker is featured on the crew’s new album Can’t Take It. “This song legit causes anxiety,” says vocalist Miranda Zipse. “This goddamn song has got me so stumped. I shot two different ideas for music videos and pulled two all-nighters this past week at work trying to get them together between working this job and nothing was looking good enough to put out.” Pencils down. Go rock out.
Isabel LaRosa, ‘Muse’
When Isabel LaRosa rolled through Allston for a show at Brighton Music Hall, and we told y’all not to sleep. Now the teenage Cuban-American artist from Maryland continues her ascent with an elevated dose of dark alt-pop hypnotism called “Muse” that doubles as her lush and dizzying new single. As guitar riffs fuel its alt-rock core, “Muse” explores lyrical themes of admiration and infatuation as LaRosa radiates self-expression and confidence. “I’m so excited for everyone to finally hear ‘Muse.’ This song holds a special place in my heart, and I wanted to share it with my fans as a heartfelt thank you for all their love and support this year,” says LaRosa. “I can’t wait to see my international fans next week — we have so many exciting things planned!” Be her “Muse,” yeah.
Momma, ‘Ohio All The Time’
Lots of bands have taken us back to the ’90s in recent years, but only Momma transport us back to the aisles of a Sam Goody on Long Island with a wallet chain dangling off our baggy jeans and a white concert t-shirt worn over a black long-sleeve. That’s how the Brooklyn band’s brand of familiar but exciting alt-rock hits, and effervescent new single “Ohio All The Time” continues this vibe. The punchy new joint is lyrically and musically soaked in nostalgia — and one a little more universal than the personal anecdote we just dropped in the intro. “We wrote it about a summer when we were on tour, and it felt like everything in our lives changed within a one-month span,” Momma offer up. “We wanted the video to capture that youthful feeling, like the world is brand new and everything is ahead of you. We went upstate to our friend’s house near Hudson to film, and just spent the whole day goofing off and running around.” Take us back.
Winter Gardens, ‘U/U’
It’s been a white hot minute since we last caught up with Winter Gardens, but the English band’s sonic racket is always difficult to ignore. The English quartet unleashed a searing new tune called “U/U,” part of the collective’s forthcoming Uncomfortable/Unlovable 12-inch that’s out early next year via Austerity Records. The ‘gazing and propulsive “U/U” is a hurricane of a track, a swirling torrent of aural magnetism that holds up as we head towards Best of 2024 season as one of the finest of this uneven year. “‘U/U’ tackles the daily struggle,” the band declares, “of incessant self-doubt & not feeling worthy of reward creating internal conflict around not being capable or good enough for the standards and expectations we assume others have of us.” Crank it to the heavens below.