Photo by Gabriel C. Pérez
Back in 2011, high school best friends John Pelant and Micky Alfano had one mission: create music they were proud of. Five years, two albums, and a record deal later, not much has changed. Their band Night Moves released sophomore album Pennied Days on March 25th of this year – a beautiful follow up to their wildly successful 2011 debut Colored Emotions.
It’s easy to get caught up in how these Midwestern boys went from the basements of Minneapolis to signed to Domino Records, but after sitting down and talking to Pelant, it all seems the natural consequence of hard work. Pelant self-identifies as a “fickle musician,” which largely contributed to why Pennied Days took close to three years to perfect.
The fruit of their labor has not gone unnoticed. Produced by John Agnello (Kurt Vile’s Waiting on a Pretty Daze, Sonic Youth’s Rather Ripped) the album’s country psychedelic “space-rock” sound rings true to their classic rock roots, finding inspiration in artists like Neil Young, Tom Stewart, and of course, Bob Seger. Pennied Days is the time capsule of a generation, detailing life’s twists and turns between the ages 23-27 while reminding listeners of the classic rock they grew up with. After touring with big names like Father John Misty, Lord Huron, and Django Django, the band is now out on a West Coast solo tour.
Last night, Night Moves headlined a show at Sidewinder but stopped by Studio 1A yesterday afternoon to give KUTX listeners an early preview. In case you missed it, check out the performance – and a few added bonus tracks – below.
– Roxanne Zech
