Diving into new music from Azekel, JIM, Kokoroko, Nate Smith, Don Glori, Phoebe Bridgers, Getdown Services and Kurt Vile.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for August 14, 2026

• “Mountain Top” — RIO KOSTA
• “What It Gave Me” — Jordan Rakei & Jalen Ngonda
• “Comin’ Home Baby” — Mel Tormé
• “Lived In Bars” — Cat Power
• “Moon & I (feat. Céline Dessberg)” — Azekel
• “I’m So Glad” — Magic Sam
• “KEEPS ME WARM” — JIM
• “Da Du Dah (Aleh Remix)” — Kokoroko
• “SPOTTIEOTTIEDOPALISCIOUS” — Kassa Overall
• “PATCHWORK” — Nate Smith, Kiefer, CARRTOONS & Kenny Beats
• “All Blues” — Nicholas Payton & Butcher Brown
• “Sundancer” — Don Glori
• “Miffed It” — Way Dynamic
• “Haunted” — Phoebe Bridgers
• “Lost Boys” — Phoebe Bridgers
• “Summer Sweat” — Hannah Cohen
• “Golden Gate” — Miranda Lee Richards
• “Germfree Adolescence” — X-Ray Spex
• “Backstairs” — The New Pornographers
• “Buena” — Morphine
• “Up on the Sun” — Meat Puppets
• “Days” — Television
• “Rein Me In” — Sam Fender & Olivia Dean
• “Cha Cha Slide” — Getdown Services
• “Glory” — Sault
• “Si, Si, Si” — Abelardo Carbono & Quantic
• “Pelota (Cut a Rug Mix)” — Khruangbin & Quantic
• “Cajun Moon” — J.J. Cale
• “Hey Joe” — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
• “Zoom 97” — Kurt Vile
• “22° Halo” — pôt-pot
• “You Ain’t the Problem” — Michael Kiwanuka
• “Rite of the Ancients” — The Budos Band
• “Spanish Grease” — Willie Bobo
• “Slipping into Darkness” — Funkees

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.

Sometimes it’s good to just hang out inside of a song that feels like a sunny day.

There doesn’t need to be a destination or some grand lyrical proclamation. It’s a hang-out song; a cruiser.

Some of my favorite movies are “hang-out” movies that just feel like a slice of life instead of a plot-driven narrative. That’s the sonic vibe Kurt Vile has captured (yet again) on “Zoom 97.” It’s the latest taste we get from his upcoming album “Philadelphia’s Been Good To Me,” out at the end of the month via Verve.

Vile has spent most of his career boosting up the city of Philadelphia (much like a proud Detroiter, so I totally get it). On this song, he’s really going for it. The whole affair is a jangly, airy affair that feels like being stoned in middle school and just walking around the park. In this case, Vile is a bit stoned and casually behind the wheel.

Jump in my whip (Yeah), my engine whines, yeah
Zigzag my way down Lincoln Drive, yeah
Puck on my lip, feel I can fly
For a while

This isn’t groundbreaking stuff lyrically, but damn it feels good! You can feel Vile’s bite of bliss oozing through the sparkers. It’s infectious. Because even when things outside of Vile’s pretty Philadelphia may not be the greatest, he’s grateful for what he’s got.

World’s been meltin’ in front of my eyes, yeah
My baby girls, they keep me high, yeah
Ain’t on no trips though, no LSD
True love is the pure drug for me

Vile isn’t breaking new musical ground here. That’s not the point; it’s truly something I don’t want from him. He’s sitting down inside of his sound, perfecting it bit by bit, album by albu … and these dollops of tunes from his latest effort show me that he’s the sharpest he’s ever been at being himself – blissed out and buzzed with nowhere in particular to be.

This story was originally posted on Midbrow.

New music from Lola Young, Kurt Vile, she’s green, Westside Cowboy, Lovespells, and Courtney Barnett. Plus, selections from The Avalanches, Romare, Pino Palladino & Blake Mills, Molly Burch, and Tara Clerkin Trio. 

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above. 

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for July 28, 2026 

• “Shadows From Nowhere” – Blue Gas 

• “Blue Shadows (feat. Karen O)” – The Avalanches 

• “Keep It To Yourself” – Love Spells 

• “Star Blanket River Child” – Brightblack Morning Light  

• “Computer Love” – Romare 

• “In Loving Memory” – Gabriels 

• “Carry Me Higher (Demo)” – The Blessed Madonna, Joy Anonymous & Danielle Ponder 

• “That’s All I Ask (HAAi Remix / Edit)” – Nina Simone & HAAi 

• “Silently” – Tara Clerkin Trio 

• “Save It for Later (Live)” – Pete Townshend 

• “Summer Girl (Bonus Track)” – HAIM 

• “Please Be Mine” – Molly Burch 

• “I’LL BE YOUR FRIEND” – Ruti 

• “22° Halo” – pôt-pot 

• “mettle” – she’s green 

• “SPIDERS” – Lola Young 

• “Heaven’s on Fire” – The Radio Dept. 

• “Quick Canal (with Laetitia Sadier) [feat. Laetitia Sadier]” – Atlas Sound 

• “7/4 (Shoreline)” – Broken Social Scene 

• “Just A Western” – Nilüfer Yanya 

• “Need to Run” – Matthew Herbert & Momoko Gill  

• “Eco do Futuro (feat. Céline Dessberg)” – Tiago Caetano 

• “Just Wrong” – Pino Palladino & Blake Mills 

• “Come Again” – Jim James 

• “Chance to Bleed” – Kurt Vile 

• “Fall On Me” – R.E.M. 

• “Train on the Island” – Aldous Harding 

• “Kick Stones (The Boys)” – Westside Cowboy 

• “One Thing At A Time” – Courtney Barnett 

Listen to In the Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org. 

Rest in rhythm to the avant garde blues-funk guitarist James Blood Ulmer, plus new music from Kurt Vile ahead of his show on Thursday at St. Andrew’s Hall and fresh selections from the wonderful voice of Sabina McCalla.

Check the playlist below and listen to the episode for two weeks after it airs using the player above.

In The Groove with Ryan Patrick Hooper playlist for June 23, 2026

• Are You Glad to Be In America? – James Blood Ulmer
• Zoom 97 – Kurt Vile
• Wild – Molly Burch
• Summer Girl (Bonus Track) – HAIM
• Meu Amor – Julio Secchin & Maria Luiza Jobim
• Bye Bye Papaye (Lexx Mix) – Antena
• Pata Pata (Stereo Version) – Miriam Makeba
• Home to You – Cate Le Bon
• That’s Us/Wild Combination – Arthur Russell
• Strange Overtones – David Byrne & Brian Eno
• Sunshine Kisses – Sabine McCalla
• First World Problem – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• I Wanna Know If It’s Good To You – Funkadelic
• Nabed Nade Ei Piny Ka (Rework) – Owiny Sigoma Band
• Dirty Money – Antibalas
• Ouroboros – Goat
• St. James Infirmary – Allen Toussaint
• Evening Breeze – Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru
• Family – Brenda
• Girl You Need a Change of Mind – Eddie Kendricks
• Tell Me – Clive From Accounts
• Tart Tart (The Reflex Revision) – Happy Mondays
• Train In Vain – The Clash
• Hit the North, Pt. 1 – The Fall
• Let Forever Be – The Chemical Brothers
• Dos Gardenias – Buena Vista Social Club
• Me Gustas Tú – Manu Chao
• Where I’m From (Tom Misch Remix) – Kiko Bun
• Love and Happiness – Monty Alexander
• African Skies – Lars Bartkuhn 

Listen to In The Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon-3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org.