Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes

Almost two and a half years ago we lost an amazing singer, and though some may dislike her simply for her life choices, Amy Winehouse was a powerhouse musician.
After her death in July 2011, her album “Back to Black” became the best-selling album in the UK. This was also the album that landed her five Grammy awards, as well as various other awards for singles off the record. Winehouse’s name is instantly recognizable, as is her sound. What some may be asking themselves now is whether or not we’ll find another talent like Amy Winehouse.
The answer is yes, we will, thanks to the magic of Spotify.
The simple app led to my discovery of Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes. The group’s top song, Love Letter, opens with a distinct doo-wop-meets-blues saxophone riff that mirrors the distinct sound of Amy Winehouse. The Australian group formed in 2011, literally picking up where Winehouse had left off.
Browne’s soulful yet almost weathered-sounding vocals add a layer of legitimacy to the retro, brass-based sound.  This legitimacy landed the group a deal with Heineken, which featured Browne performing “Love Letter” in a commercial aired in 2012. Since then, the group has gained a lot of success in the United States. They’ve had so much success that they performed at SXSW this past year, as well as a 28-day U.S. tour. Not bad for a seemingly unknown group from down under.
Spotify has really upped its game lately. The free Internet-based music streaming app has gained popularity in the past few years due to its ability to give listeners various music suggestions based on their recent activity, as well as listing various artists similar to a certain group or singer. Add to that being able to save songs and albums to playlists and stream radio based off of artist/song similarities, and this gives even Pandora a run for its money. So the next time you want to discover something new, let Spotify steer you in the right direction.