A special spotlight on Courtney Barnett, her new single “Stay In Your Lane” plus some of my favorites from her back catalog… plus new music from Butcher Brown, Jeff Tweedy, Foxwarren 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 October 27, 2025

• “Stay In Your Lane” – Courtney Barnett
• “Before You Gotta Go” – Courtney Barnett
• “Avant Gardener” – Courtney Barnett
• “Otis” – Durutti Column
• “Water Underground” – Real Estate
• “Fall Into You” – Soulstice
• “It Will Never Be The Same” – Dropout Orchestra
• “Close Your Eyes” – Miguel Migs, Meshell Ndegecello
• “Downtown” – Destroyer
• “Dominoes” – Donald Byrd
• “You Wish” – Nightmares On Wax
• “Ibiza” – Butcher Brown
• “Sealion” – Feist
• “30th Century Man” – Scott Walker
• “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” – The Kinks
• “Are You With Me Now?” – Cate Le Bon
• “Drinkin’ On A Tuesday” – Sarah Mary Chadwick
• “Heart Is A Drum” – Beck
• “Sleeping Lessons” – The Shins
• “Nu Tones” – Nomo
• “War On War” – Wilco
• “Enough” – Jeff Tweedy
• “Can You Get To That?” – Funkadelic
• “Le temps de l’amour (Fox Medium)” – Françoise Hardy
• “Call Me The Breeze” – J.J. Cale
• “I Love You And Buddha Too” – Mason Jennings
• “Gravity Rides Everything” – Modest Mouse
• “Gooey” – Glass Animals
• “Everybody Knows” – SBTRKT
• “The Tower” – Wye Oak
• “Born Too Late” – Dent May
• “Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin)” – Paul McCartney
• “Pelota (Cut A Rug Remix)” – Khruangbin, Quantic
• “Say That” – Toro Y Moi
• “Odessa” – Caribou
• “Listen2me” – Foxwarren
• “Overlander” – Budos Band
• “Cigarettes Out The Window” – TV Girl
• “Since I Left You” – 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.”

Sample every genre under the sun, all from homegrown Michigan artists, on MI Local!

This week, we had two in-studio guests from two perceivably disparate genres and creating music in two distinct styles, giving WDET listeners a bridged perspective from danceable electro-pop to poetic, heartfelt acoustic folk.

Early on, you’ll hear an interview with singer-songwriter and award-winning published poet and essayist Cal Freeman, who writes, records and performs with the Celtic-folk ensemble The Codgers. The Dearborn-based poet recently released his new book of poems and essays, “The Weather of Our Names,” as part of Cornerstone Press’ Portage Poetry Series.

During our interview, Freeman talked about the upcoming release party and live reading at Book Suey in Hamtramck on October 17. We wrapped up with Freeman by treating WDET listeners to a live acoustic performance of “Song For Joe,” inspired by the Codger’s late friend Joe Michnuk’s time working clubhouse security for the Tigers in the early to mid-80s.

At the start of the show, we heard brand new music from Marissa and the Starter Packs, and Issac Burgess. Then, after Freeman, we spun a new single by singer-songwriter Anthony Retka, the title track from his new full-length album, “The In Between,” which is celebrated with a release show this Saturday night at the Anton Art Center. While we stayed in that indie-folk lane, we heard Ypsi-based artist Chris DuPont, spinning with a revamped re-release of his song “Holding It Together,” marking the 10th anniversary of his breakout album, “Outliers.”

We welcomed Mara Wanna to the studio, a multifaceted electro-pop singer-songwriter-musician, who recently released a new single, “Everything That I Love.” Mara has been making music for a while, but released a handful of songs in 2023, along with “The Gag Order” EP. Mara Wanna also released a single in the early summer, “The Beginning,” which we premiered here on WDET.

During our interview, we talked about Mara Wanna’s songwriting and production process, as well as her past endeavors curating live local music showcases in Hamtramck known as Mutual Slay. After that, Mara Wanna performed live, in-studio, treating listeners to an acoustic version of “Everything That I Love.”

Stream the whole show up top for two weeks after it airs, and find the full playlist below!

• “Let Her Go” – Issac Burgess
• “Nevermind” – Marissa & the Starter Packs
• “A Song for Joe” – John Freeman, live in WDET Studios
• “The In Between” – Anthony Retka
• “Holding It Together” – Chris DuPont
• “Madeline” – Payton & Annabelle
• “Everything That I Love” – Mara Wanna, live in WDET Studios
• “The Beginning” – Mara Wanna

I always get hung up on genres! I can’t help it—it’s just that they’re such an effective cue to describe, or at least set expectations, as to what a band sounds like, what their style is, etc. It’s kind of like the music journalist cheat-code. Anyway, I’m really stoked to introduce WDET listeners to MRKT this week on MI Local, a band that I attempted to describe as prog-punk-space-jazz-fusion. 

MRKT is comprised of Ben Van Camp on vocals and drums (and occasionally other instruments,) Nolan Tillis on Moog bass, electric piano, synthesizers, and Lowrey organ), and their newest member, Ben Green on an electric wind instrument, which is, basely-put, a synth that you play like a saxophone.

Now, when it comes to the experience of seeing MRKT live, we won’t mince words: it’s intense! It’s intense to behold them, as performers, and it’s quite a trip for your ears and your mind! But it’s also captivating, because in that sensibility of jazz, the trio seems to have an almost telepathic connection amidst furiously fast tempos, breakneck time-signature changeups, and detours into improvisational jams.

Tune in to the show this week to hear the band discuss their process, as well as premiere their brand new single, “Monotropia.” We also talk about just what genre, exactly, this band might fit into, if any at all!

You can see MRKT live this Saturday at Third Man Records.

We also heard new music from:

• Soul-pop singer/songwriter JonPaul Wallace, with “In Your Head,” a new single from his forthcoming EP, Lemon Days, with collaborator/producer Bryan Iglesias.
• New dreamy electro vibes from the super-melodic bedroom-pop songwriter known as Street Pattern, with “Sunshower.”
• The premiere of a new subdued ballad of heart-heavy confessionals from the pop-rock ensemble, The Ethan Marc Band, with “Familiar Hell.”
• A rocking cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” from Detroit-based rock trio The Pandys, off their new EP.
• A stellar prog-rock track from the newly re-energized Detroit-based group known as Art In America, with “Running By.”
• We also double-dipped into the Marquette music scene, with experimental indie-sounds from Liquid Mike and adrenaline-pulsing pop-rock from Addicus.

Stream the show above, where you’ll hear my interview with MRKT, and find the full playlist below!

• “Sunshower” – Street Pattern
• “In My Head” – JonPaul Wallace
• “Everybody Knows” – The Pandys
• “Familiar Hell” – The Ethan Marc Band
• “A Better Day” – Tim Kish
• “Reach Me” – RAWHIDE GIRL FIGHT
• “Seeing Double” – C.A.D. & the Peacetime Consumers
• “Sorry! I Forgot Again” – Addicus
• “Crop Circles” – Liquid Mike
• “Running By” – Art in America
• “Monotropia” – MRKT
• “Ring Round with the Yellow Page” – MRKT
• “As the Matchsticks Fall” – MRKT