Tank and the Bangas | |
Landscape: | yes |
Origin: | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Years Active: | 2011–present |
Current Members: |
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Past Members: |
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Tank and the Bangas is an American musical group based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band won the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Contest and in November 2019, they were nominated in the Best New Artist category for the 2020 Grammy Awards. They have released three studio albums, Thinktank (2013), Green Balloon (2019), and Red Balloon (2022).
Members of Tank and the Bangas met at a New Orleans open mic show called Liberation Lounge at now-closed Blackstar Cafe and Books in the Algiers section of New Orleans and formed the group in 2011.[1]
Writing in The Washingtonian, Heather Rudow described the group's work as "lively fusion of funk, soul, hip hop, rock, and spoken word."[2] Speaking to the Times-Picayune, the musicians in the group mentioned a variety of genres they identify with, including rock, folk, gospel and Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph's invention "Soulful Disney". In addition to Disney, the group has also mentioned anime as influence on the group's "childlike" and "magical" sensibility, in Ball's words. In the Financial Times, Joshua David Stein said, "Tank and the Bangas don’t conform to the jazz stereotypes trotted out in the lobbies of convention hotels or milked on Frenchman Street. It’s New Orleans but it’s New Orleans now."[3]
In The Village Voice, Rajul Punjabi described the group's debut album ThinkTank as "sincere and eclectic. Ball’s vocals are strong and versatile—evidence of her childhood in church—and she coasts through sweet melodies and wide-ranging vocal undulations reminiscent of Nicki Minaj’s character voices. She throws gentle shade when reminded of this — 'I’ve been doing that before she came out,' she says."[4]
Naming Tank and the Bangas the 2017 winner of NPR's Tiny Desk Contest for their song "Quick", NPR co-host of All Songs Considered Bob Boilen said, "What won me over about the band's performance of 'Quick' were the interactions among lead singer Tarriona 'Tank' Ball and her bandmates, and the way they seemed to surprise one another. It all felt so organic and on-the-spot." Juror Trey Anastasio of Phish said, "I immediately loved this...Tank is a force of nature, just full of joy—and her band is killing in the background." The story of the evolution of Tank's voice was covered in an episode of NPR's World Cafe show for essential and emerging artists.[5]
Performers that while not core members of the band, play with the band at live performances and on some album tracks.
Artist: | Tank and the Bangas |
Studio: | 3 |
Live: | 1 |
Ep: | 6 |
Singles: | 24 |
Music Videos: | 24 |
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US Sales [15] | US Heat | |||
Think Tank |
| – | – | |
Green Balloon |
| 73 | 3 | |
Red Balloon |
| 74 | 21 |
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US Heat | |||
Jam in the Van - Tank and the Bangas |
| – | |
Live Vibes |
| 21 | |
Live Vibes 2 |
| – | |
Friend Goals |
| – | |
Tank and the Bangas (Live) |
| – | |
Pretty Poems |
| – | |
Floating |
| – |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Rhythm of Life" | 2013 | Think Tank |
"Drummers" | 2015 | rowspan="2" |
"Quick" | 2017 | |
"Smoke.Netflix.Chill" | 2018 | Green Balloon |
"Spaceships" | ||
"I'll Be Seeing You" | Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | |
"Ants" | 2019 | Green Balloon |
"Nice Things"[18] | ||
"For André" | 2020 | rowspan="2" |
"What the World Needs Now" | ||
"Self Care"[19] | Friend Goals | |
"To Be Real"[20] | ||
"Big" (with Big Freedia) | 2021 | Red Balloon |
"Back in a Minute" | Madden NFL 22 | |
"No ID" | 2022 | Red Balloon |
"Black Folk" | Pretty Poems and Floating | |
"Stolen Fruit" | Red Balloon | |
"Why Try" | ||
"Oak Tree" | ||
"There Goes the Neighborhood" | Pretty Poems and Floating | |
"Outside" | Floating | |
"She's a Rainbow" | ||
"Communion in my Cup" | Red Balloon and Floating | |
"DM Pretty" | 2023 | Pretty Poems and Floating |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"In My Bones" | 2020 | Djesse Vol. 3 |
"Let My People Go" | 2021 | Goshen |
"Betty Bussit" | Big Diva Energy |
Title | Year | Director |
---|---|---|
"Boxes" (ReLoaded) | 2013 | RandoMe |
"Drummers" | 2015 | RawKus TV |
"Quick" | 2017 | FosterBear Films |
"Spaceships" | 2018 | Nick Spanos |
"Spaceships" | Kyle Goldberg | |
"Ants" | 2019 | Jean Baptist's-Ramondi |
"Nice Things" | Kyle Goldberg | |
"Nice Things" | Danny Williams | |
"Hot Air Balloons" | TATB and Tavia Osbey | |
"Forgetfulness" | Alina Kulieva | |
"I'll Be Seeing You" | ||
"Dope Girl Magic" | 2020 | Jake Wilson |
"Lazy Daze" | David Bates Jr. and Tavia Osbey | |
"What the World Needs Now" | ||
"Self-Care" | ||
"To Be Real" | Tarriona Ball | |
"Fluff" | Baptiste Leroux | |
"Big" | 2021 | Marion Hill |
"No ID" | 2022 | Phillip Youmans |
"Black Folk" | Michelle Renslo | |
"Stolen Fruit" | ||
"Black Folk" | ||
"Why Try" | ||
"Communion in My Cup" |