New Orleans, Louisiana has been a musical hot-bed for as long as it’s been a cultural destination. This melting pot made Jazz an institution, and took that same free-form musicality and threaded it through Funk, Soul, and Bounce. From Louis Armstrong to Fats Domino, Juvenile to Jay Electronica, this soul city has represented with innovation, raw expression, and bold creativity.

Tank And The Bangas are the latest export from N.O. The collective, fronted by vocalist Tarriona Tank Ball (and Jelly Joseph assisting on the mic), this sextet is a welcomed act for fans of Jill Scott, or Galactic. Having won their way onto NPR’s Tiny Desk video series (with a reported 6,000+ signatures), the band plays 23 minutes of music. They command the moment, with strong synergy, animated playing, and an intimate vibe perfectly tailored for the National Public Radio office platform. Like hallmark music from “Jilly From Philly,” Tank can be whimsical, yet direct. The playing is tight, while still sounding delightfully unpredictable. The interplay between the Tank and Jelly may remind some of the back and forth chemistry between D.M.C. and Run (especially into second song “Quick”), even in a completely different genre and vibe. To make it even more of a melting pot, that flute playing is also G-Funk-inspired.

This style of contemporary Soul deftly balances Soul, Spoken Word, Jazz, with some Hip-Hop savvy in there too.

Rapsody’s Tiny Desk Concert With A Full Band Is Must Watch Music (Video)

This is also telling that “new music” is relative. “Boxes and Squares” and “Rollercoasters” belong to the late  2013’s Think Tank album.