Nina Ryser’s “Dancing in the Street“ is a ray of crooked, underground sunshine

Nina Ryser is one-third of Palberta, the acclaimed New York City-based trio operating in the orbit of jangly, home-spun post-punk while never being afraid to branch out. Ryser is a solo artist in her own right as well, and on October 22 she'll share her latest full-length project Paths of Color via Cowgirl Records. Today we've got the premiere of her latest single "Dancing in the Street," a twinkly waltz of new age-y synths and Ryser's tender lyrics. As in her band, Ryser knows how to create an emotional journey from unconventional material; in this case, the path will leave you with a smile.

In an email, Ryser revealed the deeply personal origins of the song. "The chorus is a quote from an e-mail I got from my grandma, which she sent to me before she died: 'I have been meaning to write to you / But I was busy gallivanting all over the place / Dancing, stripping, and streaking / Now that this is the year of the women.' I think this sentiment is beautiful and pretty much speaks for itself. It's something that my grandma casually wrote in an e-mail, but to me, it's sort of a mantra that can be used and applied by anyone, even 90-year-old women like herself. We have to keep dancing, being our freaky selves without shame, doing our best to live out our truths with a sense of humor."

Listen to "Dancing in the Street" below. Ryser's new album Paths of Color is out October 22.