Night Moves

Bio

Night Moves is an American indie band from Minneapolis. For such a patently American locale, the Twin Cities have lacked a remarkable group that evokes the American rock canon in a classic manner for a long time. Enter Night Moves. Formed in 2009 by guitarist and vocalist John Pelant, bassist Micky Alfano and multi-instrumentalist Mark Ritsema, Night Moves is a distinctly original concoction. Their honey-dipped sound seethes with a kind of down-home tenderness -- and like the best glittering music -- the arrangements are colossal in shape. Night Moves’ powerful debut Colored Emotions is this Minneapolis group’s first album. The three core members of Night Moves first met at Southwest High School in Minneapolis. Following the tangential fits and starts typical of early music projects (including a detour to college and back), the ensemble took definite shape as Night Moves and is the crowning achievement to the long-standing collaboration between John Pelant and Mark Ritsema, who first met as freshman. Pelant’s taste for Dylan, Blind Lemon Jefferson, et. al, would prove most propitious for their future work together in Night Moves. Ritsema describes himself as being into electronic music at the time - a Daft Punk fan - when he met budding folknik Pelant. Pelant throughout high school would write some solo material but hadn’t been keen on sharing. Whatever musical differences there were between them faded as the motivation to play music together persisted over the next years. In 2009, with the group at last solidified with the addition of bassist Micky Alfano, Night Moves began the long, astounding odyssey that was recording their meticulous debut album Colored Emotions. Nearly two years in the making, the debut exudes the craft and professionalism of a seasoned band. It was these painstakingly self-recorded tracks Night Moves prepared themselves that attracted interest from Domino, further developed with the appointment of studio guru Thom Monahan to take the album and set it free, so to speak. Monahan's easy-going nature was a relief for this perfectionist ensemble, who had already made something wholly precious in private. According to Pelant, Monahan’s mountainous pedigree of producing terrific psychedelic pop and freak-folk outfits immediately eased their mind: Vetiver, Devendra Banhart, Beachwood Sparks... Night Moves were indeed in good company, and so they hauled down to Los Angeles to put the final touches on Colored Emotions. Pelant's tone-perfect vocals on Colored Emotions serves Night Moves not just as its lyrical core but also its glittering adornment. With an extensive vocal range, his voice ventures where lone guitar solos cannot. Hence, there’s no cornball guitar hero antics in Night Moves. Instead, they carefully built their songs around strong acoustic and rhythmic grounds, the clarity of crystal-clear production, and Pelant’s deft howl. The reverb of hollow-body guitars, the bright wash of crash cymbals, the haze of harmonica and organ tremolo – this is the album’s bedrock and it shines like gold. And just as The Zombies’ classic Odyssey and Oracle has surprising melodic twists and shape-shifting choruses but never beats you over the head with them, the epic arrangements throughout Colored Emotions are sophisticated but not overbearing. Standouts “Headlights” and “Country Queen” are both perfect examples: seamless segues and hook-laden bridges defy conventional song structures, yet remain altogether memorable. The songs of Night Moves conjure a spiritual energy only twenty-somethings dislodged by adversity and isolation could produce. An album like Colored Emotions seems intent to turn inward to create a joyous universe within its own boundaries. Certainly, the group's musical abilities are innate without ever being too self-conscious about it. It’s as if Colored Emotions came second nature to them and the arrival of the rest of us took them by surprise. -- by Anthony Atlas . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Similar artists

TOPS, Hospitality, Generationals, French Kicks, Porches

Genres

synthpop,indie,Minnesota,indie pop,seen live,indie rock,

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Infos

On Tour: No

country: US

city: Minneapolis

Begin Date: 2010

Last Update:

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Videography

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Artist discography

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Last FM

Dubium - Single

Dubium - Single

Jul/2019

Can You Really Find Me

Can You Really Find Me

Jun/2019

Recollections

Jun/2019

Strands Align (Single Version)

Strands Align (Single Version)

Apr/2019

Strands Align

Apr/2019

Transdance (Remix)

Transdance (Remix)

Feb/2017

Carl Sagan EP

Jan/2017

In Transition

Oct/2016

Pennied Days

Feb/2016

Carl Sagan

Feb/2016

Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry

Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry

Jan/2016

Colored Emotions - Single

Colored Emotions - Single

Oct/2013

Transdance GC1 - Single

Transdance GC1 - Single

Jul/2013

Transdance GC1

Jul/2013

Country Queen - Single

Country Queen - Single

Mar/2013

Mystical Dreams

Mystical Dreams

Dec/2012

Colored Emotions

Colored Emotions

Oct/2012

Country Queen

Aug/2012

Headlights / Horses

Headlights / Horses

Aug/2012

Night Moves - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Tribute - Single

Night Moves - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Tribute - Single

Jun/2011

Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry

Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry

Jan/2016

Transdance G.C.1

Transdance G.C.1

Jul/2013

Headlights

Aug/2012

Throne - Single

Throne - Single

Feb/2021

Coming Home - Single

Coming Home - Single

Nov/2019

Double Life

Jul/2025

Hold On To Tonight

Hold On To Tonight

Mar/2025

Stars

Dec/2024

Caroline Goodbye

Caroline Goodbye

Jun/2024

Caroline Goodbye - Single

Caroline Goodbye - Single

Jun/2024

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Nov/2023

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Single

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Single

Nov/2023

The Redaction

Jul/2022

The Redaction - EP

The Redaction - EP

Jul/2022

Feel Another Day

Feel Another Day

May/2022

Feel Another Day - Single

Feel Another Day - Single

May/2022

Night Moves

Apr/2022

Vulnerable Hours

Vulnerable Hours

Mar/2022

Vulnerable Hours - Single

Vulnerable Hours - Single

Mar/2022

Fallacy Actually - Single

Fallacy Actually - Single

Nov/2021

Fallacy Actually

Fallacy Actually

Nov/2021

What You Started - Single

What You Started - Single

Aug/2020

Ring My Bell

Jun/2025

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