Tank and the Bangas Stay Lifted With Playful Tunes, In-Studio

Soundcheck | Jun 1

The New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas have built their considerable reputation on a high-energy, exuberant blend of R&B, funk, hip hop, spoken word, gospel, and pop. Listeners may recall how the band first introduced themselves to the public radio community in 2017 by winning the NPR Tiny Desk contest, and have since been awarded a GRAMMY. Their new album is called The Last Balloon, and it completes a trilogy that began with Green Balloon in 2019 and Red Balloon in 2022. Tank and the Bangas play a few fizzy-lifting, playful, and cathartic songs from the Last Balloon, in-studio.

Set List: 1.Move 2. No Invite 3. Whole World

Photo of Tank and the Bangas by Jeremy Tauriac

WNYC Homepage - Top Stories

Ask Mayor Mamdani: Childcare, Pedestrian Safety & Trans Healthcare

Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor, takes questions from listeners and talks about the big news in the city.

The Brian Lehrer Show |

Albany's 'Mad Dash'

State lawmakers have finally approved a budget; now what? Jimmy Vielkind talks about the work left to do.

The Brian Lehrer Show |

New Jersey, Newark expand legal push to close Delaney Hall ICE facility

The city is expanding its federal lawsuit as state officials sue for health inspector access to the detention center.

Gothamist |

Books About LGBTQ+ History and Rights

All Of It with Alison Stewart |

Soundcheck

Live performances and conversations in which artists talk about their work, their process, and themselves. Genre-blind but open-eared. Hosted by John Schaefer.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

To request a transcript for an episode of this show, please use the form on this page, and select the “I Need To” and “Request Transcripts” options.

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations