The band Tank and the Bangas and public radio music are a combination that goes back almost 10 years now. The New Orleans-based band has been together since 2011, creating a unique sound that blends poetry with a classic soul/funk/R&B sound and the unique vocal stylings of Tarriona “Tank” Ball.
Tank and the Bangas broke through in a big way in 2017, winning that year’s Tiny Desk Contest. Their performance was a memorable one, during which Tank broke down in tears. In fact, let’s watch it again now.
Since then, Tank and the Bangas has released three more albums (their debut came out in 2013) and the band has been nominated for four Grammy awards, finally winning the award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2025 for The Heart, The Mind, The Soul. Their new album, The Last Balloon, drops on Friday, and you’ll soon be hearing its first single, “Move,” soon on Studio One.
You don’t need to be steeped in the traditions of one of America’s most important music cities to take one listen to Tank and the Bangas and say to yourself 'Yes, this band is definitely from New Orleans.' There’s plenty of The Meters and The Neville Brothers in their sound, and you can also hear some New Orleans “bounce music,” a style of hip-hop made popular in part by Big Freedia (one of many artists who’s also worked with Tank and the Bangas).
If you’re just getting into Tank and the Bangas, “Move” is a great entry point. It’s a solid, straight-forward R&B song that’ll get you moving (hence the title), and it features some great guest vocals by another New Orleans musician, R&B singer Lucky Daye. If you’re a longtime listener to the band, you’ll love this one, but you may notice the absence of Tank’s vocal eccentricities. Don’t worry, those will be back on the album's closing track, “Nighttime.”
The Last Balloon is out May 15. “Move” and a couple of other songs from the album are already available on streaming services.
