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Listen To The New Single From Tiny Desk Contest Winners Tank And The Bangas

Tank And The Bangas perform perform a Tiny Desk Concert on Mar. 6, 2017. (NPR)
NPR
Tank And The Bangas perform perform a Tiny Desk Concert on Mar. 6, 2017. (NPR)

On January 27, a New Orleans group called Tank And The Bangas uploaded a video to YouTube. It was a simple, one-shot clip of the R&B, spoken-word and hip-hop group performing their song "Quick": a danceable, NOLA revenge-fantasy of sorts. A month later, NPR Music announced on Morning Edition that, from a pool of over 6,600 entries from all 50 states, Tank And The Bangas had won the 2017 Tiny Desk Contest. That entry video has since garnered over 10 million views on Facebook.

Today, the band released the single version of that song. As a live act, Tank And The Bangas is transporting. These musicians enliven whatever venue they're in with a spirit of celebration. A sense of constant discovery animates their music and drives them to glorious heights of spontaneity — just watch their Tiny Desk concert. "Quick" captures some of that magic on recording, and it's full of their signature balance of big sounds (heavy, blasting synth bass) and playful asides (the childish chant "My back is aching, my bra too tight, my booty shaking from left to right"). Listen below via Spotify and Apple Music:

We're hosting the Tiny Desk Contest tour right now — some of the shows spotlight local entrants to the Tiny Desk Contest, and others feature headline performances by Tank and the Bangas along with other contest contenders we loved.

Starting next Tuesday, May 9, Tank And The Bangas is starting a six-show run with other Tiny Desk Contest entrants in Petaluma, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Azusa, Calif.; Chicago; Charleston, S.C.; and Austin, Texas. Tickets are currently sold out, but you can sign up for our Tiny Desk Contest newsletter, and we'll notify you if more tickets become available.

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