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Shanda Cisneros Ratto, powerhouse singer of the 1960s-inspired rhythm and blues band Shanda & The Howlers, rarely holds back. Dismantling the idea of \u201csinging pretty,\u201d the vocalist taps into her raw potential, channeling all the grit and glory of music\u2019s finest growlers. Now Ratto is working on a solo project with Wild Records, which she promises will be \u201cdirtier, more growling, more feeling\u201d than anything she\u2019s done before. Here, she shares three key albums that helped shape her musical trajectory.<\/p>\n
Ella Fitzergald –\u00a0Ella<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe first one is actually an album my older brother gave me, and it made me want to sing in front of people. I always wanted to sing, but this actually made me do it. I picked my first ever singing solo from this album. I still remember what it felt like at that performance. My legs were shaking so bad, I thought they could see it through my dress (laughs). I wanted to be her. I think she\u2019s one of the greatest voices ever, to be honest, and she\u2019s also this amazing personality.\u201d<\/p>\n The Raconteurs –\u00a0Consolers of the Lonely<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t exposed to classic rock. My parents were older, so it was either oldies, country\u2014or my brothers listen[ing] to Depeche Mode. My friends and I, we all listened to Bell Biv DeVoe, New Edition and I was too busy dancing to \u2018Poison\u2019 [laughs]. When I moved to Vegas, and I got the job at Tower Records, I started getting exposed to more music. I love Jack White, so any project he did, I would look into. And I just feel like The Raconteurs are like our modern day Beatles. It\u2019s this Gen X supergroup of musicians. That album is so diverse in its styles of music, but it\u2019s also really rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.\u00a0And it has the best breakup song on it, I think, of all time. It\u2019s called \u2018Many Shades of Black.\u2019 You can almost hear the bitterness in [Brendan Benson\u2019s] voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Otis Rush –\u00a0<\/strong>1956-1958 Cobra\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Recordings<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe minute you hear his voice, you\u2019re gonna melt. It\u2019s blues, but it\u2019s so … Magic Sam. It just hits me, and I feel everything that he\u2019s singing. And he\u2019s a prolific guitar player too. There\u2019s this YouTube video, and it\u2019s one of his most popular videos. He comes out, and the song\u2019s called, \u2018I Can\u2019t Quit You Baby.\u2019 He starts with a note. His tone, it\u2019s perfect. Hairs on the back of your neck just stand up. And I\u2019m like, \u2018I want to do that. I want to be like that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n BONUS PICK: Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Feelin\u2019 Kinda Lucky<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe reason I didn\u2019t pick it as my Top 3 is just because it is considered rockabilly and kind of obvious, but I wanted to do an honorable mention because my older brother gave me that CD. Believe it or not, I didn\u2019t know rockabilly existed until I left Southern California and moved here. You would think I would know, being right next to the epicenter, but \u2026 we grew up in kind of low-income neighborhoods. I had a few vintage dresses, it was just kind of the California style, but I didn\u2019t know anybody who completely dressed \u201940s or \u201950s. But I was always obsessed with it. So when I discovered it, it was like angels singing and the light came down. \u2026It was something that solidified my track in life.\u201d<\/p>\n LISTEN NOW\u00a0<\/strong>Shanda & the Howlers, shandaandthehowlers.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n