Each year the Concert of Colors transforms Detroit with sounds from across the globe.

This year the rhythm is beating strongly in Mexicantown, where the festival kicks off on Saturday with a special showcase of Tejano and Latin music. Tejano, or Tex-Mex music, is a soulful blend of borderland storytelling and rhythms rooted in Mexico, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Ray Lozano, executive director of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, joined The Metro to talk more about Concert of Colors, Tejano music and the importance of amplifying immigrant voices.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

An immaculately heavy does of new music, including a candidate for song of the summer from Hannah Cohen, plus fresh releases from Joviale, Hotline TNT, Turnstile, Joe Armon-Jones, Ganavya and a special spotlight on Wednesday, who will be in town at the Majestic Theatre in November (get your tickets now — they’ll only get more popular once their new album, “Bleeds,” comes out!).

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 25, 2025

• “Summer Sweat” – Hannah Cohen
• “HARK!” – Joviale
• “Morning Light feat. Andreya Triana (Extended Version)” – Andreya Triana & Quantic
• “Cebollas Verdes (feat. Quantic)” – Khruangbin
• “Mambo Sun” – T. Rex
• “Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)” – Wednesday
• “Break Right” – Hotline TNT
• “NEVER ENOUGH” – Turnstile
• “War Transmission” – Joe Armon-Jones
• “draw something beautiful” – Ganavya
• “Roygbiv” – Boards of Canada
• “Sun Track I (feat. Tiff Ortiz)” – musclecars
• “Believer” – Annahstasia
• “Sleep Dreams” – Surprise Chef
• “Plasty” – LL Burns
• “Chambacú” – Aurita Castillo y Su Conjunto
• “Con Altura” – Orquesta Akokán
• “I Believe To My Soul” – Farhad Mehrad
• “Vista” – Okonski
• “Get Me Back In The Game” – LL Burns
• “Soul On Fire” – LaVern Baker
• “54-46 (That’s My Number)” – Toots & The Maytals
• “Ann Wants to Dance” – Papooz
• “In My Craft (feat. Miryam Solomon)” – Huw Marc Bennett
• “How Can We Mend a Broken Heart” – Kahil El’Zabar
• “Listen2me” – Foxwarren
• “Love In Constant Spectacle” – Jane Weaver
• “Payroll” – Mock Orange
• “Right Hand On My Heart” – The Whigs
• “My Room” – Divorce
• “Elderberry Wine” – Wednesday
• “I Just Can’t Take The Risk” – Saint Saviour & Jadu Heart
• “Please Don’t Hold Me Hostage for Who I Am, for Who I Was” – Thanya Iyer
• “Transmuted Matter” – Stereolab
• “Pharaohs” – SBTRKT & Roses Gabor
• “This Charming Disco” – Spoek Mathambo
• “All Night” – Yuksek & M.I.L.K.
• “Back On 74 (Full Crate Remix)” – Jungle

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.

The year is flying by! This week, I’m featuring some of my favorite songs of the year released by metro area artists so far, as well as artists based all around the state — including Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo!

You’ll also get a chance to hear songs by artists who are currently on the ballot for 2025’s Sounds Like Detroit Musical Showcase, including Imani Bloom and Angela Davis!

There’s always so much new music being released by local artists, though, so don’t anticipate a full-on flashback-styled clip show: I also featured new and recently-released tracks by singer-songwriters like Ohly and Mark Whalen, along with new electronic sounds from the project known as Dirt Room.

Looking back at 2025 “so far,” I picked tracks from singer/songwriters like Danny VanZandt, Ryan Allen, and Taylor DeRousse, each of whom joined me in-studio earlier in the year for exclusive live interviews and song premieres. We’re also listening back to tracks from Grand Rapids-based indie-pop band Phabies who, yes, also joined me in-studio earlier this year!

Meanwhile, a reminder that you, dear listener, can vote now for our Sounds Like Detroit Musical Showcase, where you can help us select an artist for our upcoming concert at Batch Brewing on Aug. 14! Liz Warner (Alternate Take), Chris Campbell (The Progress Underground) and myself, host of MI Local, have each selected artists who are already set to perform at this event, but who else makes it to the stage is entirely up to YOU! Voting ends July 3. Click here for more info!

See the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

MI Local Playlist for June 24, 2025

• “Jesse” – Danny VanZandt
• “If I Go” – Ohly
• “Voyeur” – Dirt Room
• “UR WORLD” – LOCAL ORGANIC
• “Long Dirt Driveway” – Dick Texas
• “The Bloodletting” – Phabies
• “Collecting” – Spencer LaJoye
• “Drinking Again” – Angela Davis
• “Fader” – Imani Bloom
• “Garden Dweller” – Tariq Gardner
• “Lost In A Daze” – Ryan Allen
• “Don’t Take Me” – bRADFORd
• “On The Mend” – Mark Whalen
• “July Love” – Pretty Island
• “Chaos” – Taylor DeRousse

Loved playing new tracks from The Beths, Say She She, Joy Crookes, Vulfmon, Wet Leg, Bon Iver and many more. 

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 24, 2025

• “No Joy” – The Beths
• “Cut & Rewind” – Say She She
• “Collarbone” – Fujiya & Miyagi
• “Too Poor” – Σtella
• “Carmen” – Joy Crookes
• “Bennie and the Jets” – Elton John
• “Sweet Life” – Frank Ocean
• “Big Boy 4014” – Vulfmon & Harrison Whitford
• “CPR” – Wet Leg
• “Past” – Thandii
• “Insane” – Madison McFerrin
• “Origin” – Studio
• “Atatue Inu” – Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family
• “Africa Bossa (Live)” – The Drive
• “For Oumou Sangaré” – The Kyle Shepherd Trio
• “Tomorrow Never Knows” – Junior Parker
• “Puaj” – Salin
• “Time” – Mo Kolours
• “Mamasong” – Lawne
• “Found A Light (Beale Street)” – BADBADNOTGOOD & V.C.R
• “If Only I Could Wait (feat. Danielle Haim)” – Bon Iver
• “Flames shards goo” – ML Buch
• “Thank You” – Bonnie Raitt
• “All I Ever Am (Mura Masa Remix)” – The Cure
• “House of Mirrors (feat. Harry Stone) [Extended Mix]” – Riva Starr
• “Blue Ridge Mountains” – Fleet Foxes
• “draw something beautiful” – Ganavya
• “Bara To Yaju” – Haruomi Hosono & Cornelius
• “Contact High” – Metronomy, Faux Real & Miki
• “Paradise (feat. Thalma De Freitas)” – DJ Center & Sly5thAve
• “Maybe Your Baby” – Stevie Wonder
• “O Telefone Tocou Novamente” – Jorge Ben Jor
• “All of Your Life” – Shirley Nanette
• “Going Down” – Freddie King

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.

Exploring selections from LCD Soundsystem, Atjazz, new stuff from Hidden Spheres and the captivating voice of Allysha Joy.

Plus, Barry Can’t Swim, Caribou, Tierra Whack and more.

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, 2025

• “oh baby (lovefingers remix)” – LCD Soundsystem
• “See – Line Woman (Main Mix)” – Atjazz & Dominique Fils-Aimé
• “Trust the Feeling (feat. Joy Spheres Rees)” – Hidden Spheres, Allysha Joy & Finn Rees
• “Marombo” – Gerardo Frisina
• “Money (Kaidi Tatham Remix Extended Version)” – Cody Currie & Kaidi Tatham
• “So Nice (Summer Samba) [Azari & III Remix]” – Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley Trio
• “La Piña Madura (feat. Quantic)” – Abelardo Carbono
• “Weak” – Vintage Culture, Maverick Sabre & Tom Breu
• “Sonder” – Barry Can’t Swim
• “Can’t Do Without You” – Caribou
• “Olhos Coloridos” – Sandra de Sá
• “MOOVIES” – Tierra Whack
• “Peace” – T.Williams & Sio
• “Awa (Ralf Gum Vocal Mix Edit)” – Ralf GUM & Monica Blaire
• “In A Dream (Live)” – Misha Panfilov
• “No One’s Watching Me (feat. Olivia Dean)” – Ezra Collective
• “Mega Circuit” – Japanese Breakfast
• “Elderberry Wine” – Wednesday
• “Fire” – Waxahatchee
• “Omission” – Julian Lage
• “Staring At The Wall” – Norah Jones
• “Northern Shuffle” – Julian Lage
• “Skipping Like A Stone (feat. Beck)” – Chemical Brothers
• “The Look” – Metronomy
• “Eastern Market” – Yusef Lateef
• “Won’t Be Long” – Aretha Franklin
• “Collage (Greg Foat Remix)” – Lady Blackbird
• “Not Your Man (feat. Annahstasia)” – A Song For You
• “Villain” – Annahstasia
• “Pink Sky” – Loma
• “Aquí Te Cuido” – Reyna Tropical
• “Cigarettes out the Window” – TV Girl
• “Yesterday’s World” – TV Girl & George Clanton
• “Because I’m Me” – The Avalanches

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.

What a heavy dose of new music discovery for this new music Friday with a heavy lean towards future soul and R&B from an established queen like Erykah Badu and her partner-in-crime on this latest material The Alchemist, or the emerging voice of Yaya Bey and Malaya teaming up with Theo Croker.

And don’t forget Jamilah Barry and Lianne La Havas covering Radiohead! Won’t you take a listen?

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 20, 2025

• “Transporter” – Wu-Lu, Leif Maine & Jackson Mathod
• “Next To You” – Erykah Badu & The Alchemist
• “VIBRAÇĀO (Kaidi Tatham Remix)” – Alexander Flood
• “end of the world (feat. Nigel Hall & Butcher Brown)” – Yaya Bey
• “Other Side of the Game” – Erykah Badu
• “High Vibrations” – Theo Croker, Malaya & D’LEAU
• “Cry Everything” – Kindness
• “If The Love Goes” – Jamilah Barry
• “Weird Fishes” – Lianne La Havas
• “The Scene” – Hotline TNT
• “All I Ever Am (Mura Masa Remix)” – The Cure & Mura Masa
• “Song For My Father” – Tenderlonious
• “Running Away” – VANO 3000, BADBADNOTGOOD & Samuel T. Herring
• “Piña Colada (feat. Nubya Garcia & Richie Seivwright)” – Blue Lab Beats
• “Red Room (Ki Pharaoh Basement Edit)” – Hiatus Kaiyote
• “Crushxd” – Crumb
• “Lie In The Gutter” – Peel Dream Magazine
• “Talk Is Cheap” – Dr. Dog
• “No. 1 Fan” – Majesty Crush
• “Sound & Color” – Alabama Shakes
• “To Be Still” – Brittany Howard
• “Piano Joint” – Conor Albert
• “Connect” – Vampire Weekend
• “No Problems” – Ginger Root
• “Fool” – Adrianne Lenker
• “Bastard” – Joy Orbison & Joe James
• “Baby (Is It A Crime)” – Rema
• “5 Dollar Pony Rides” – Mac Miller
• “Chase The Sunrise (feat. Yaya Bey, lojii & Fatima)” – Goya Gumbani
• “LIE DOWN..” – Saya Gray
• “Laura” – Brijean
• “Soil Before the Rain (Talamh)” – Kevin Reynolds
• “Home (Tom Sharkett Edit)” – LCD Soundsystem
• “In The Lassa” – Juana Molina
• “Cosoco” – Juana Molina
• “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Live In Chicago, May 2005)” – Wilco

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.

A heavy-on-the-favorites mix from In The Groove’s brief history as your favorite show, plus new music from SOFT PLAY, Vulfmon and more.

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 19, 2025

• “Baby” – Brittany Howard
• “Baby No More” – Anjimile
• “Hush (Still Woozy Remix)” – The Marias
• “Sad Cowboy” – Goat Girl
• “Diving Woman” – Japanese Breakfast
• “Inner City Blues” – Zara McFarlane
• “Bad Bad News” – Leon Bridges
• “Beware The Stranger (Chris Seefried’s Ambient Excursion) [feat. Trombone Shorty] [Radio Edit]” – Lady Blackbird
• “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe / Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Edit)” – Sly5thAve, The ClubCasa Chamber Orchestra & Kendrick Lamar
• “Things It Would Have Been Helpful to Know Before the Revolution” – Father John Misty
• “Everything and Nothing” – SOFT PLAY
• “I Will Dare” – The Replacements
• “I Don’t Want To Get Over You” – Magnetic Fields
• “In Spite Of Me” – Morphine
• “BACK ON” – SBTRKT
• “Berlin (Godblesscomputers Remix)” – Alexander Flood
• “Song For You (Mansionair Remix)” – Rhye
• “Laura” – Brijean
• “Dominique” – Ela Minus
• “Under The Pressure” – War On Drugs
• “They Came In Peace” – Bass Tranquility
• “It Ain’t Easy” – Hidden Spheres
• “Got To Be Mine” – Vulfmon & Evangeline
• “Razzle-Dazzle (feat. Yazz Ahmed, Tamar Osborn, Enrico Terragnoli, Luca Tapino & Marco Frattini)” – Rosa Brunello
• “Just Listen” – Mark Guiliana
• “Gotta Get Up” – Harry Nilsson
• “Figs and Gorgonzola” – Papooz
• “Misread” – Kings of Convenience
• “For The Time Being” – Erlend Øye & La Comitiva
• “Aht Uh Mi Hed” – Shuggie Otis
• “Hey” – Nilüfer Yanya
• “Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)” – Mayer Hawthorne
• “Three” – Hello Mary
• “Snowman” – Blonde Redhead
• “Bonnie and Clyde” – Brigitte Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg
• “Dry The Rain” – Beta Band

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.

Our friends from the 4th annual Howdy Fest stop by to talk about the importance of carving out queer space in the country world and the awesome bands (and mechanical bull!) they’ll have this Saturday at the Old Miami. Plus, new music from Foxwarren, Ezra Furman, Four Tet, David Byrne, Madison McFerrin and more.

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 18, 2025

• “Strange” – Foxwarren
• “Alone (Four Tet Remix)” – The Cure
• “Into Dust (Still Falling)” – Four Tet
• “Power of the Moon” – Ezra Furman
• “Rock & Roll” – The Velvet Underground
• “Needles in the Camel’s Eye” – Brian Eno
• “Everybody Laughs” – David Byrne & Ghost Train Orchestra
• “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” – Talking Heads
• “Transmuted Matter” – Stereolab
• “One Pillow” – Theo Croker, Estelle & Kassa Overall
• “Ain’t It Nice” – Madison McFerrin
• “Mr. Man” – Air
• “Lovin’ You” – Johnny “Guitar” Watson
• “Save Their Souls” – Bohannon
• “Nobody New” – The Marias
• “Mi Swing Es Tropical” – Quantic, Nickodemus, Tempo & The Candela Allstars
• “Cumbia Espacial (feat. N. Hardem)” – El León Pardo
• “Una Mañana” – Caramelo Haze
• “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got (Live)” – Orgone
• “Peaceful Place” – Leon Bridges
• “Don’t Get Me Started” – The Smile
• “False Start Dub” – Kings Of High Speed & JKriv
• “Right Back to It (feat. MJ Lenderman)” – Waxahatchee
• “Elderberry Wine” – Wednesday
• “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other (Alternate Version)” – Willie Nelson
• “Sugar Man” – Rodriguez
• “Parade” – Kevin Morby
• “Dream Baby Dream” – Suicide
• “Everything Is Simple” – Widowspeak
• “Everybody’s Stalking” – Badly Drawn Boy
• “Thirty One” – Butcher Brown

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.

Each week on MI Local, you’ll hear me refer to admittedly cryptic-sounding sub-genres, like for example, “post-punk” and “shoegaze.” Well, it’s all done in an attempt to give you, dear listener, a few stylistic and influential reference points for a particular local artist that I’m featuring on the show, like, say, the four-piece “rock” group known as Zastava.

The entire band joined me in studio, seen above, counter-clockwise: Cam Frank (bass), Arman Bonislawski (guitar), Ollie Elkus (drums) and Mateja Matic (guitar, vocals). While we chatted, we also shared an exclusive premiere of a new song, “Fences,” off of their upcoming full-length album, Buildings, which comes out this week, capped off by a release party happening this Friday night at Third Man Records here in Detroit.

Zastava was started by Matic and Bonislawski a little more than four years ago, tapping into a guitar-heavy, slightly brooding, slightly drone-y kinda sound that weaves deceptively catchy melodies into a maelstrom of distortion and heavy-hitting rhythms. Matic even admitted that these sort of catch-phrases sub-genres — such as post-punk, shoegaze or noise-rock — can nevertheless be helpful in a sort of shorthand-evocative way for curious listeners. Then again, Matic said, with a flair, you might just say that they’re “really into Sonic Youth” as far as a reference point.

WDET listeners were given a sneak-preview of “Fences” on MI Local this week, with two previous singles like “Truth” having been premiered on our air waves earlier in the spring. Buildings follows up a few previous singles and an EP the band released, which you can find on Bandcamp. They described Buildings as their first proper statement as a cohesive band, or “a maturation of all of our tastes coming together,” as Bonislawski said.

Notably, and you’ll have to listen closely, but the band described this as “the baseball song.” Fittingly, we were all kinda checking our phones between on-air sessions, to keep track of the concurrent Tigers game. As we left the studio, Bonislawski said that he forgot to say the one thing he had initially pre-scripted as an answer: that if he had one hope for the music of Zastava, it would be that some professional baseball player might some day use one of their songs as a “walk-up” song, to be played over the sound-system as they stride to the plate.

Along with my chat with Zastava, I premiered new music from the alt/indie-folk realm, including a song from The Kate Hinote Trio‘s new full-length album, Stowaways, with the song, “Brake Lights.” You can see The Kate Hinote Trio live next Thursday, June 19, at Chelsea Sounds and Sights at 6:30 p.m. We also checked out the song “Big Ol’ City” from Ann Arbor-based singer-songwriter Maddy Ringo‘s brand new full-length album, People of the Earth and Sea.

On the indie-rock side of things, we heard a new song from Idle Ray featuring Fred Thomas, and a disarmingly soulful ballad from Garrett Gillis.

We also played some tracks by artists you can catch at live shows happening around the region, including Elephant Den (June 21 at Ziggy’s), James Linck (June 14 at the Lager House), and Ronny Tibbs, who has a multi-faceted, multi-media music and film event happening at the Crofoot Ballroom on Saturday.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

MI Local Playlist for May 13, 2025

• “Brake Lights” – The Kate Hinote Trio
• “Big Ol’ City” – Maddy Ringo
• “Hit The Ground Running” – Garrett Gillis
• “Quiet Cab” – Idle Ray
• “Catamaran” – Bear Vs. Shark
• “Apple” – Elephant Den
• “Pre” – James Linck
• “Love Is (Just) A Cruel Game” – Ronny Tibbs
• “Everywhere But Beside You” – Frontier Ruckus (live in WDET Studios, August 2024)
• “Pix” – Phased Out
• “Fences” – Zastava
• “Truth” – Zastava

I’m continuing my fill-in duties as host of In the Groove this week, with new music from Cameron Winter, Julien Baker & TORRES.

Plus, a ranging mix of classic cuts from the likes of Kate Bush, Bill Evans, and Thelonius Monk, to name but a few. 

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

In The Groove (with guest host Adam Fox) playlist for June 5, 2025

• “Cold Heart” – Nilüfer Yanya
• “Can You Get To That” – Funkadelic
• “Rill Rill” – Sleigh Bells
• “Uncanny Tales (The Score)” – Dabrye
• “Linear Motion” – Rebecca Goldberg
• “I Have the Touch” – Peter Gabriel
• “Sama Gàmmu” – Youssou N’Dour
• “One Hundred Years from Now” – The Byrds
• “Sugar in the Tank” – Julien Baker & TORRES
• “I Am Goodbye” – Bonnie “Prince” Billy
• “Horsehead” – DIIV
• “Rave Down” – Swervedriver
• “Cloudbusting” – Kate Bush
• “Headlock” – Imogen Heap
• “Magic Sam’s Boogie (Live)” – Magic Sam & Shakey Jake
• “Ride Like Hell” – Big Sugar
• “It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking)” – Jack White
• “Love Takes Miles” – Cameron Winter
• “Tomorrow is Perfect” – mark william lewis
• “Tango” – Ryuichi Sakamoto
• “Love Is a Stranger” – Eurythmics
• “Eminence Front” – The Who
• “Down On the Street” – The Stooges
• “Corpse Pose” – Unwound “Starburster” – Fontaines D.C.
• “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” – Marianne Faithfull
• “Monk’s Dream (Take 8)” – Thelonious Monk
• “Waltz for Debby (Take 2)” – Bill Evans Trio
• “Atlantic High” – John Fahey
• “Stomping Gamay” – Karriem Riggins, Madlib & Jahari Massamba Unit
• “Star Roving” – Slowdive
• “The Concept” – Teenage Fanclub “Spastik” – Plastikman

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.

Identity and self-empowerment imbued with fast punk-tempos and ferocious guitars: it’s “Zeros & Ones,” the brand new single from Detroit-based singer-songwriter Jon Mikal-Bartee, who leads the long-running genre-defying-yet-rock-adjacent project know as The Idiot Kids. That song is officially out this Friday, but WDET listeners got a sneak preview this week during MI Local.

Bartee joined me in studio to talk about the inspiration for the new single and why the conversation it strives to inspire around/about gender binarism was specifically planned for the start of Pride Month. Bartee also revealed that the band is in a period of transition; it’s been in existence for more than 12 years and inevitably band members’ lives change or new responsibilities crop up, thus Bartee is moving forward with writing and recording (he actually mixed the group’s 2nd full-length album, 2023’s Chapels, by himself).

You can see the Idiot Kids perform live, with a round up of talented local musicians backing up Bartee, including this Saturday over in Kalamazoo at Bell’s Brewery — for their Pride After Party — and then closer to home, at the Lager House in Detroit on Friday, June 20, with SeaHag.

Bartee co-founded the group in the early 2010s with high school friends, Nick and Ryan, drawing on a blend of punk, glam, and seminal rock ‘n’ roll, with a focus on cathartic crescendos, intricate solos, and high-energy live performances.

In late 2023, the Idiot Kids performed live, on-air, right here in WDET Studios. Along with “Zeros & Ones,” Bartee performed the title track from “Chapels” live, right here in-studio with me during this week’s MI Local, and we also re-spun one of the Idiot Kids live recordings from 2023, which you can find here.

Another highlight, this week, was the song “California” by the Ethan Marc Band, from that group’s debut album, “Bad Days,” which is out this week, with vinyl sales benefiting mental health nonprofit Common Ground. That fundraising intention is deepened by the lyrics of the Detroit-based singer-songwriter, Ethan Marc, with his candid reflections on his own battle with mental health and how making music helped him find clarity, strength and hope-threaded, as you’ll hear, over a rich mixture of indie-rock and pop influences. The Ethan Marc Band perform an album release party for “Bad Days“ on July 11 at El Club; you can also see them next Saturday, June 14, at Motor City Sound Board.

This week also featured exclusive premieres of local indie-rock groups like Ricochet the Kid, with a summer ballad titled “June.” The dynamic sister-duo of Jackamo also released new music, a poignant Americana-folk ballad titled “Second Best.”

As always, we get a rundown of can’t-miss shows happening around the region, in tandem with further premieres of new local music, including hip-hop artist Jah Connery, who you can catch next Saturday at Trixie’s in Hamtramck. 

Connery, aka Joshua Davis, released a new album this week titled “The Delicate Art of Love.” This week’s playlist also featured songs from Chirp (performing at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti next Friday), Sonic Smut (performing at Outer Limits Lounge this Friday), and Ladyship Warship, who just released a brand new single ahead of their upcoming show at the Lager House, this Saturday.

See the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.

MI Local Playlist for June 3, 2025

• “June” – Ricochet The Kid
• “Second Best” – Jackamo
• “Renalien” – Grief
• “California” – Ethan Marc Band
• “Potters Wheel” – Ananda Murari
• “Tapiola II: Lord of the Forest” – Elyvilon
• “Clams” – Jah Connery ft. Pseudo Slang
• “Move” – Chirp
• “Mark the spot” – Ladyship Warship
• “Earache My Eye” – Sonic Smut
• “Zeros & Ones” – The Idiot Kids
• “Chapels” – Jon-Mikal Bartee (live on MI Local)
• “Nothing” – The Idiot Kids (live in WDET Studios, 2023)

Ryan Patrick Hooper is taking a well-earned vacation, which means I (WDET Program Director Adam Fox) get to play radio host for the rest of the week — I promise to take care of the Good Ship “ITG” in his stead!

We kicked off the fill-in shows with style today — new stuff from Marie Davidson, Stereolab and Luster, as well as some music that gets better with age from Taj Mahal, Sonny Rollins, Cate Le Bon and much more!

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

In The Groove (with guest host Adam Fox) playlist for June 3, 2025

• “Kiko and the Lavender Moon” – Los Lobos
• “Gratiot” – Detroit Escalator Company
• “Three Drums” – Four Tet
• “Close My Eyes” – Luster
• “Lorelei” – Cocteau Twins
• “Love Has Got Me Crying Again” – Denise James
• “The Department of Ghosts” – Outrageous Cherry
• “My City Was Gone” – Pretenders
• “Love Is Overtaking Me” – Arthur Russell
• “Monkey Gone to Heaven” – Pixies
• “Trailer Trash” – Modest Mouse
• “Most of the Time” – Bob Dylan
• “Lotta Love to Give” – Daniel Lanois
• “Are You With Me Now?” – Cate Le Bon
• “Respectable Street” – XTC
• “Bonnet of Pins” – Matt Berninger
• “Dan’s Boogie” – Destroyer
• “Same Old Song” – Four Tops
• “Leaving Trunk” – Taj Mahal
• “St. Thomas” – Sonny Rollins
• “Wu Punk” – Georgia Anne Muldrow
• “Sodajerk” – Buffalo Tom
• “Flag With No Pole” – World News
• “Demolition” – Marie Davidson
• “Washing Machine Heart” – Mitski
• “Policy of Truth” – Depeche Mode
• “Come On Let’s Go” – Broadcast
• “Transmutated Matter” – Stereolab
• “Le temps de l’amour” – Françoise Hardy
• “You Can Make It If You Try” – Sly and the Family Stone
• “You’re Welcome (Stop on By)” – Bobby Womack
• “Fusion Swirl” – Jeff Parker
• “Yekermo Sew” – Mulatu Astatke
• “Black Sand” – Glass Beams

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.

Now that Movement weekend is behind us, there’s room to explore Detroit’s talents beyond Hart Plaza. This week, we’ve got film screenings, collaborative art exhibits and record release parties that highlight local legends — past and present. Read on to learn more.

Experience Detroit history

On Friday, May 30, the Detroit Historical Museum is premiering the fourth and final episode of their “Tales from the D” series, featuring WDET’s own Don Was (co-host of The Don Was Motor City Playlist Fridays at 8 p.m.). The episode outlines Was’ journey from Detroit to becoming a globally-acclaimed musician and producer. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with host Tino G., producer Tony D’Annunzio and Don Was himself, as well as a live performance from Detroit blues legend Billy Davis. Tickets are $35 for the general public or $20 for Detroit Historical Society members, and the event goes from 6–9 p.m. For more information, visit detroithistorical.org.

On Saturday, May 31, there will be a screening of “The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit” at Aretha’s Jazz Café in Music Hall. Inspired by Mark Stryker’s award-winning book, “Jazz from Detroit,” the documentary explores the extraordinary jazz legacy that came out of Detroit, from Ron Carter to Rodney Whitaker. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with filmmakers Daniel Loewenthal, Roberta Friedman and Mark Stryker. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the screening starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Shop local

The Palmer Park Art Fair returns to Detroit on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, featuring 97 juried artists. There will also be art workshops, book readings and live musical performances across two stages. Food trucks and a beer tent will be available on site and parking is free. Admission is also free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit palmerparkartfair.com.

Eastern Market kicks off their 2025 Sunday Market season this weekend on June 1. The market runs weekly from June through September and features locally-made foods, clothes, home goods and more for sale in Shed 5. Vendors are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit easternmarket.org.

Alongside the first Sunday Market of the summer, the 24th Annual Spring VegFest is also taking place at Eastern Market this Sunday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be free samples of plant-based food from nearly 100 vendors, sustainable shopping, cooking demonstrations and more in celebration of all things vegan. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit vegmichigan.org.

See a show

A new two-person exhibition from sculptor LaKela Brown and painter Mario Moore opens this weekend at Library Street Collective in Detroit. “Beneath Our Feet” examines the symbolic intersections of land, economic agency and narrative authorship. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 31 from 6–8 p.m., after which the exhibition will be on display through July 30. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit lscgallery.com.

On Saturday, May 31, Detroit-based indie-pop duo Crossword Smiles is having a release party for their new record, “Consequences & Detours” at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia. Nick Piunti will kick things off with a solo acoustic set at 8 p.m. and tickets are $20. For more information, visit their Facebook event page.

Also on Saturday, May 31, Detroit-based alt-country duo Neu Blume is having a release party for their debut album, “Let It Win” at UFO Bar in Detroit. The supporting acts are natural music ensemble Bonny Doon and mid-fi slow country artist Conor Lynch. Doors open at 8 p.m. and music starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the door. For more information, visit ra.co.

On Sunday, June 1, local artist Audra Kubat and Marbrisa are hosting a “Queens of the Song Age” showcase at the Detroit House of Music. There will be in-the-round performances from songwriter Libby DeCamp and Kresge fellow poet Jassmine Parks. Tickets are $25 and the event is BYOB. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and seats can be reserved by Venmoing @audra-kubat with the message, “queens.” For more information, visit @queensofthesongage on Instagram.

On Thursday, June 5, soul singer-songwriter Phillip Michael Scales brings his “Good To Be Here” tour to The Ark in Ann Arbor. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24–$35. For more information, visit theark.org.