It begins with a murder. Watching Blitzen Trapper’s video for "Black River Killer" is a bit like experiencing No Country for Old Men from the perspective of Javier Bordem's ruthless killer, if he was a good ol' boy from down on the range. They spin the desperate tale with the haunting certainty of a campfire tale sung deep in the desert, and the deceptive catchiness of Tom Petty's "Last Dance With Mary Jane." A surreal talk show with a hollow-eyed, masked audience cheers on the gruesome plight - they eat it up, and so do we.  Though, while the grinning soulless masses in the video revel in the entertainment value of evil, we instead champion Blitzen Trapper for their expert storytelling, their eerie production, and their uncanny ability to capture the desolation of the prairies in a way that keeps on the convincing side of old-fashioned. Watch the horizon for their latest EP, set to gallop into town late next month. In the meanwhile, the Portland group is touring all over Europe and the wild west, joining up with folk/alt-country favorites Wilco and the Fleet Foxes. -Nina Mashurova