Black Prairie

Portland's Black Prairie formed in 2007 after Decemberists guitarist Chris Funk, newly drawn to the Dobro, joined forces with Decemberists bassist Nate Query to pursue a largely instrumental acoustic string-band project on the side. They brought in fellow Decemberists member Jenny Conlee to handle accordion duties and recruited two seasoned Portland players from established local acts: guitarist and songwriter Jon Neufield of Dolorean and Jackstraw, along with singer and violinist Annalisa Tornfelt of the Woolwines and Bearfoot. The ensemble fused an eclectic range of sounds and textures—tilted bluegrass, klezmer, runaway Gypsy music, folk, blues, and touches of jazz—yielding a distinctive, free-spirited strain of alternative Americana. After signing with Sugar Hill Records, the group issued its striking debut album, Feast of the Hunters' Moon, in 2010 and followed with A Tear in the Eye Is a Wound in the Heart in 2012. As Tornfelt developed into a confident lead vocalist, the band's third release, Fortune, veered sharply toward garage folk-rock while consisting entirely of original material.