Prairie Empire

Prairie Empire, who are split between Brooklyn and Portland, OR, and led by a vocalist with a very obvious (and very pretty) Joni Mitchell influence. The quintet play a '60s-style folk, replete with somber strings and downtempo percussion. And there is real beauty in the subtle details you need headphones to pick up on, like the sleigh bells jingling in the back of the chorus, or the faint digital vocal underlay on the outro. The melancholy air of "Snow" would perfectly soundtrack an afternoon of wistfully looking out the window at the treacherous streets below.