Best of Soundcheck: Tank and the Bangas, Rodney Crowell

The New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas have been public radio favorites since they won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2017. Since then, they’ve built their considerable reputation on their high octane, dance-ready blend of R&B, hip hop, spoken word and pop. The Grammy-winning band has some new songs to play for us from their latest album, The Last Balloon. After that, we welcome Rodney Crowell into our studio, who helped create the genre known as alternative country. He’s written #1 hits for himself and artists like Bob Seger and Waylon Jennings, as well as collaborating with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and, most notably, Emmylou Harris. He joins us to tell some tales and give us a taste of his 2025 album, Airline Highway. 

Setlist: 

1. Tank and the Bangas - "Move" 

2. Tank and the Bangas - "No Invite"  

3. Rodney Crowell - "Rainy Days in California"  

4. Rodney Crowell - "21 Song Salute"  

5. Rodney Crowell - "Taking Flight"