We watched more than 6,000 videos. Ten judges weighed in. Now, the 2017 Tiny Desk Contest has a winner.
We are proud to have fallen in love with the sounds of New Orleans’ own Tank and the Bangas. 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, just like the best Tiny Desk concerts.
The decision was unanimous across our judging panel, which included Phish guitarist and singer Trey Anastasio. “I immediately loved this,” he tells me and NPR’s David Greene on Morning Edition. “Tank is a force of nature, just full of joy — and her band is killing in the background.” (Hear that interview at the audio link above.)
The other judges were equally impressed. Stas THEE Boss, a hip-hop DJ at NPR Member station KEXP and a former member of THEESatisfaction, says, “Tank and the Bangas gave me life straight out of the gate.”