For Tank and the Bangas, music is a vessel for unbridled joy and transcendent connectionâforces as integral to their essence as their wildly original sound. On their new album, The Last Balloon, the New Orleans-bred outfit channels those impulses into something celebratory yet profoundly human, exploring themes of frustration, resilience, and self-realization with equal parts raw emotionality and playful exuberance. A shapeshifting collective helmed by lead singer Tarriona âTankâ Ball and multi-instrumentalist Norman Spence II, the globally beloved group completed the LP after winning a Grammy for 2024âs spoken-word powerhouse The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, moving from incendiary poetry to a euphoric collision of soul and hip-hop and forward-thinking R&B. As the final installment in a trilogy of albums that began with 2019âs Green Balloon (a critical triumph that earned them a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist), The Last Balloon ultimately solidifies Tank and the Bangasâ legacy as one of modern musicâs most steadfast voices of sublime exhilaration.
With Ariel J., Zeus (DJ). All Ages
New Jersey-raised, Brooklyn-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Velasquez, aka Flamingosis, blends old-school soul, wild funk, hip-hop, and DIY electronic production into a bright, groove-heavy sound. With more than 100 million streams and a catalog built around feel-good samples, live instrumentation, and infectious rhythms, Flamingosis has become a standout in the future-funk and electronic scene.