New Orleans funk-soul band Tank and the Bangas have a sound that’s larger than life thanks to nine members who play everything from drums, bass, synth, keyboard, alto and tenor saxophone, flute and more. Tarriona “Tank” Ball who fronts the band, got her start as a slam poet, which influences the band’s defining sound. The band propelled into the spotlight earlier this year when they won NPR’s 2017 Tiny Desk Contest beating out over 6,000 entrants. Bob Boilen heralded, “This band combines R&B with hip-hop’s poetry and rollercoaster storytelling, with a flair and alchemy that could only come from New Orleans.”
The band is featured in our latest NOLA vinyl package.