Julia Jacklin is a big deal back home in Australia.

Some of that fervor is starting to spread to the states now, too, thanks to her signing to the big-time credibility label 4AD and her gorgeous new single “The Hardest Thing.”

Jacklin’s singing is layered over well-produced indie rock that sounds like it was pulled straight from the flannel-coated ’90s. It’s best described as music stylized out of the Liz Phair-assiance, which is essentially a lineage of mainly women musicians following in the footsteps of Phair’s indie rock masterpiece “Exile in Guyville.”

This is a different generation, however, with different perspectives and voices.

The lyrics are vulnerable but the guitars are crunchy. That stays the same. But while the musical arrangements and style certainty ain’t groundbreaking or reinventing the mold, Jacklin’s songwriting stands out and speaks to her strength as an artist.

The hardest thing to do / is believe it when you say, “I love you”
The hardest thing to do / is stick around trying to convince you

As with any great songwriter, it’s in Jacklin’s delivery where you buy into every word she’s singing. There’s a vulnerability there that brings you in as a listener and into her world.

It’s the third single as a part of “The Gem,” released Sept. 25.

Can’t wait to step inside this whole world of a record after a taste of “The Hardest Thing.”

This story was originally published on Midbrow.

The show kicked off with a run of fresh October 2026 releases, including Takuya Nakamura’s collaboration with Greentea Peng, new electronic sounds from Elkka and Resavoir teaming up with Knox Fortune, alongside new tracks from Sparklmami and Spoek Mathambo. Other standouts included Mei Semones’ “Howl,” Michael Kiwanuka’s “Summer Clothes,” Daniele Luppi’s collaboration with Orion Sun and Kiwanuka, and a new Meshell Ndegeocello and Cat Power recording

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 12, 2026

• “Shape The Future (feat. Greentea Peng)” — Takuya Nakamura
• “She Makes Me Better” — Elkka
• “In Motion” — Resavoir & Knox Fortune
• “si” — Sparklmami
• “Avant l’aube” — Spoek Mathambo
• “Feminina” — Joyce
• “Howl” — Mei Semones
• “Aquarela Do Brasil (LP Version)” — João Gilberto
• “Para Los Papines (Momoko Gill Remix)” — New Regency Orchestra
• “Motor City Madness” — Waajeed
• “Summer Clothes” — Michael Kiwanuka
• “You Could Be The Sun, I Could Be The Moon (feat. Orion Sun & Michael Kiwanuka)” — Daniele Luppi
• “Chant” — Donald Byrd
• “Flowers” — Gotts Street Park & Pip Millett
• “I Just Wanna Be Your Girl” — The Tiffanys
• “Coming Home Baby” — Marian McPartland
• “Falling In Love With Love” — Les McCann Ltd.
• “Heaven (feat. Andreya Triana)” — The Vision & Prince Fatty
• “Don’t You Want Me” — Meshell Ndegeocello & Cat Power
• “Police & Thieves” — Zara McFarlane
• “Black Magic” — Jarvis Cocker
• “Only You Know” — Dion
• “World on a String” — Jessica Pratt
• “That Summer Feeling” — Jonathan Richman
• “American Music” — Violent Femmes
• “Strange Powers” — The Magnetic Fields
• “Are You Glad to Be In America?” — James Blood Ulmer
• “The Book I Read (LP Version)” — Talking Heads
• “Sycamore” — Bill Callahan
• “Swingin Party” — The Replacements
• “Sunny Afternoon” — The Kinks
• “Care of Cell 44” — The Zombies

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.

On this episode of Visions, I play music from almost every decade between the 1960s and now.

You’ll hear classics from Roy Hargrove, Geri Allen, John Scofield, Monnette Sudler, Pharoah Sanders, Lee Konitz, and Art Blakey.

I have more recent releases from Fay Victor & Herbie Nichols SUNG, the Kenny Barron & Dave Holland Trio, Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom, and Lauren Sevian. Plus music that was released just this year from Sullivan Fortner, María Grand, and Santiago Lamisovski.

Happy listening!

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

Visions Playlist for October 12, 2026

• “Easy Walker” – Monnette Sudler
• “Just Knock On My Door” – Art Blakey
• “Number 3” – Sullivan Fortner
• “Tonight” – Fay Victor & Herbie Nichols SUNG
• “Glitter Wolf” – Allison Miller
• “Easy To Remember” – Roy Hargrove
• “Fuera de Programa” – Santiago Lamisovski
• “Rocio Y Rio / Inutil Paisagem (feat. Emmanuel Michael, Rashaan Carter, Shakoor Hakeem & Miguel Russell)” – María Grand
• “Speed Trap (feat. Johnathan Blake)” – Kenny Barron & Dave Holland Trio
• “Our Blues” – Cindy Blackman
• “Skin” – Geri Allen*
• “Evergreen (feat. Robert Rodriguez, Christian McBride & E.J. Strickland)” – Lauren Sevian
• “The Beatles” – John Scofield
• “Heart to Heart” – Pharoah Sanders
• “Kary’s Trance” – Lee Konitz

* indicates Detroit artist

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café,  Margaret Glaspy joins us in the studio to play songs from, and discuss, her 4th album called “I Am Both.” Margaret worked on the record with Detroit’s own Joe Henry!

Also, in-studio archives from Devon Gilfillian, The War & Treaty and the duo behind Squeeze (Difford & Tilbrook).

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

Acoustic Café Playlist for October 11, 2026

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Creepin’ In” – Norah Jones & Dolly Parton
• “Bound To Ride” – The First Ladies Of Bluegrass
• “Story Of My So Called Life” – Molly Tuttle
• “Paint The Picture” – Aaron Frazer
• “Hold On (Hourglass)” – Devon Gilfillian (2026 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Ordinary World” – Vitamin String Quartet + A Girl Called Tom
• “Michigan” – Margaret Glaspy (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guest)
• “That Rose” – Margaret Glaspy (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guest)
• “Bleed” – Beck
• “Spark” – Beabadoobee
• “Broken And Blessed” – Wynonna
• “Blind” – SZA
• “Trying To Love You” – Sierra Ferrell
• “Don’t You Cry In Lonesomeness” – This Is Lorelei
• “Light The Way” – Billy Strings
• “Hi Ho” – The War & Treaty (2017 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Coming Up” – MT Jones
• “Wish In Vain” – Rhiannon Giddens
• “Fragile, Too” – Tiny Habits
• “Cradle To The Grave” – Squeeze (2015 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “I Thought She Was A Song” – Margaret Glaspy (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guest)
• “Martin Luther King, Jr.” – Margaret Glaspy (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guest)

Listen to Acoustic Café with host Rob Reinhart every Sunday from 1-3 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, John Prine would have turned 80 today, so we’ll hear some Prine tunes, including a couple from the Acoustic Cafe archives.

Also, new tunes from Detroit’s Dames Brown, Kylee Phillips and Empty Houses… plus a single from Kevin Morby, a cool cover from Meshell Ndegeocello, another 1976 outtake from Stevie Wonder and more!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for October 10, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “Take Me As I Am” – Dames Brown
• “Never Can Tell” – Jake Bugg
• “PBJ” – Kevin Morby
• “Don’t You Want Me” – Meshell Ndegeocello
• “What Living’s Like” – Kylee Phillips
• “Bad Luck Hideaway” – The Rolling Stones
• “Who’s That” – Brother Wallace
• “Show You Love” – The Altons
• “Like A Ship” – Leon Bridges
• “Situation” – Johnny Blue Skies
• “That’s The Way That The World Goes ‘Round” – John Prine
• “Paradise” – John Prine (Acoustic Café in-studio performance, 1995)

HOUR TWO:

• “Summer Clothes” – Michael Kiwanuka
• “One And Only” – MT Jones
• “My Life Story Of Love” – Stevie Wonder
• “Tears Dry (demo)” – Amy Winehouse
• “Gravity” – Empty Houses
• “Used Copy of Monster” – Ryan Allen
• “What’s The Frequency Kenneth” – R.E.M.
• “Portland, Oregon” – Loretta Lynn & Jack White
• “Rated X ” – The White Stripes
• “Have You Ever Loved Somebody” – Freddie Jackson
• “I Ain’t Hurtin’ Nobody” – John Prine (Acoustic Café in-studio performance, 1995)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

New music from Michael Kiwanuka, who recently unveiled that he suffered a stroke and has been in recovery. This music is the first taste of his upcoming album “Fudge,” which is due out later this October via Polydor. We close out the show with a trip-hop ocused atmospheric and moody set with Massive Attack, Portishead, Blonde Redhead, Sneaker Pimps and Ghostpoet.

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 6, 2026

• “Symphonie Pacifique” — Greg Foat
• “Summer Clothes” — Michael Kiwanuka
• “Ulla Dulla” — Traffik Island
• “The Girl from Ipanema” — Charlie Byrd
• “Sun And Moon” — Brittany Davis
• “Afro Golden Line” — Amir Bresler
• “Spellbinder” — Gabor Szabo
• “Right Down Here” — Asha Puthli
• “Alger la blanche” — Nicolas Godin
• “Train on the Island” — Aldous Harding
• “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” — Sufjan Stevens
• “Burnin’ and Lootin'” — The Wailers
• “Straight to Hell (Extended Unedited Version [Remastered])” — The Clash
• “Try a Little Tenderness” — Otis Redding
• “Zero Sun” — Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto
• “Dripping Sun” — Kikagaku Moyo
• “Love and Hate in a Different Time (Original)” — Gabriels
• “The House of the Rising Sun” — Nina Simone
• “100 Yard Dash (Nicky D Remix)” — DeRobert & The Half-Truths
• “1969” — The Stooges
• “Here’s The Thing” — Fontaines D.C.
• “Covet” — Basement
• “Give Me Back My Man” — The B-52’s
• “See Out Loud” — Interpol
• “This Mirror Weighs a Ton” — Interpol
• “Mind’s a Lie” — High Vis
• “Unfinished Sympathy (feat. Shara Nelson) [2012 Mix/Master]” — Massive Attack
• “The Rip” — Portishead
• “23” — Blonde Redhead
• “6 Underground” — Sneaker Pimps
• “Drinking in L.A.” — Bran Van 3000
• “Survive It” — Ghostpoet

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 gentle show (at least in the first hour), with selections from Bill Frisell, Willie Nelson and Tara Clerkin Trio (who will be in town in January performing at Moondog Cafe), plus new music from Mei Semones (originally from Ann Arbor and back for a hometown show next March at the tiny-but-mighty Ark). 

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 5, 2026

• “Moon River” — Bill Frisell
• “Do You Realize??” — Willie Nelson
• “The Turning Ground” — Tara Clerkin Trio
• “Yellow and Green” — Slow Pulp
• “Love Hurts” — Julian Lage
• “Blackbird” — Biréli Lagrène & Sylvain Luc
• “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” — Dolly Parton
• “Tenderly” — Luiz Bonfa
• “Dumb Feeling” — Mei Semones
• “Howl” — Mei Semones
• “It Never Entered My Mind” — Miles Davis
• “October” — Okonski
• “Linus and Lucy” — Vince Guaraldi Trio
• “Maplefunk Diptych [ii]” — Kiln
• “Goldfish” — Michael Andrews
• “Paper Bag” — Fiona Apple
• “Spinning” — Julia Holter
• “The Runner” — Patrick Cowley
• “Mind Your Own Business” — Delta 5
• “Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks” — The Rapture
• “Ceci n’est pas un cliché” — Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul
• “Takahashi Timing” — Yin Yin
• “Guess I’m Fallin In Love” — Spoon
• “Do you wanna” — Astrid Sonne
• “Come On Let’s Go” — Broadcast
• “Tired of Waiting for You” — The Kinks
• “The Rat” — The Walkmen
• “The Book Lovers” — Broadcast
• “Cherry Sunshine” — Somesurprises
• “Strange Powers” — The Magnetic Fields
• “The Chills” — Peter Bjorn and John
• “Just Like Honey” — The Jesus and Mary Chain
• “All I Wanna Do” — The Beach Boys
• “Play the Game” — Beach House
• “Mumma Don’t Tell” — Leifur James
• “Bad Kingdom (DJ Koze Remix)” — Moderat

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 whole bunch of new and old for throwback Thursday including new music from Allison de Groot and Rich Ruth and their standout adventurous blend of banjo-driven folk and big prog rock guitars on “Nervion,” plus classics from Emitt Rhodes (the one man Beatles!), the Zombies, Led Zeppelin 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 8, 2026

• “I Believe In Love” — Tyler Ballgame
• “Somebody Made for Me” — Emitt Rhodes
• “This Will Be Our Year” — The Zombies
• “Draggin'” — Hannah Cohen
• “Going to California” — Led Zeppelin
• “Goodbye Mr. Blue” — Father John Misty
• “Words” — Big Thief
• “Knife” — Grizzly Bear
• “Quick Canal (feat. Laetitia Sadier)” — Atlas Sound
• “In a Dream” — Misha Panfilov Sound Combo
• “Northern Sky” — Nick Drake
• “Don’t Be Cruel” — Billy Swan
• “Save It for Later (Live)” — Pete Townshend
• “Summer Girl (Bonus Track)” — HAIM
• “Water Me Down” — Vagabon
• “Please Be Mine” — Molly Burch
• “Nervion” — Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth
• “Fire” — Waxahatchee
• “The Joke” — Brandi Carlile
• “When I Was Younger” — Bonny Light Horseman
• “Cello Song” — The Books
• “Fake Palindromes” — Andrew Bird
• “Hold on, Hold On” — Neko Case
• “Pretty Pimpin” — Kurt Vile
• “Macho” — Jaakko Eino Kalevi
• “TOY NO” — MUGRE
• “The Quarterdrawing of the Dog” — Siouxsie & The Banshees
• “Love Like Blood” — Killing Joke
• “It’s No Reason (Remastered)” — The Church
• “Spangle (Non-LP Version)” — Jimmy Eat World
• “Diving Woman” — Japanese Breakfast
• “Hot Scene” — pôt-pot
• “Oh! Sweet Nuthin'” — The Velvet Underground
• “Willin'” — Little Feat

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.”

“You can do the thing that you’re watching…” 

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Chris Bathgate provided some inspirational words on this week’s MI Local, as we got into a bit of a TED Talk-ish tear about the importance of participating in your community.

In this sense, we spun a ramble on watching YouTube clips instead of actually getting out there and actually doing the thing, yourself! But to a larger extent, we were talking about making sure that you’re showing up to support local music, and especially local music venues. 

Bathgate, who recently released his sixth full-length album (The Significance of Peaches), came to the studio to specifically talk about other musicians, particularly singer/songwriter Cash Harrison, whose new single, “Dog Year,” we premiered at the top of the show.

Bathgate and Harrison are both performing this weekend (Friday, Oct. 10) at The Ghost Light in Hamtramck, with The Go Rounds. 

Along with a brief interview, where we touched on the beauty of Harrison’s new song, as well as an update on Bathgate’s own new writing projects, we were treated to a live performance of the song “In The City,” from Bathgate’s 2011 album Salt Year. 

After that, Ann Arbor-based singer/songwriter and genre-defier Kat Steih, who leads the four-piece rock group known as The Ferals, sat in for an interview and a couple of live performances. Steih is a musician, singer, composer, and educator who has lived abroad for much of her life but always called Michigan home–she’s also continually experimented with her sound and describes, in compelling detail, what motivates her adventurous spirit as a creator. 

Kat Steih and the Ferals are releasing a new album on Nov. 5, Feral Geometry, and we spoke about that, as well as the details around the release party.

Along with a brief interview, we also heard two live performances and the lead single from their new album. You’ll hear guitarist Alex Anest contributing, while drummer Bob Zammit focused on photographic documentation. 

Also on tonight’s show, some premieres of new music from Detroit-based artists Moon Date (indie-pop/new-wave revivalism), Carley Lusk (alt-folk/indie-pop), and a new electronic project from the talented singer/songwriter Annie Bacon, known as Ma Reilly.

Bacon premiered a new single, “Give It Grace,” under the new Ma Reilly moniker, ahead of the Dec. 3 release of that project’s debut album, Exile to Neptune. 

It’s one of the most well-known and beloved sets of hand-painted signs in Eastern Market. 

With a new development of the building at 1401 Gratiot Avenue set to start this fall, however, a major question lingers:

Who will save the bees?

The cartoon bees on the former Busy Bee Hardware building are all that’s left of a century-old business that closed its doors in 2017. They were painted by Martin Hirchak as “MPH Signs,” although it’s unclear how long they’ve been there.

Today, despite being weathered and fading away, they’re still greeting folks heading to Eastern Market at one of the main entry points at Gratiot and Russell.

They’re also under threat. 

Changing habitat

Earlier this summer, Crain’s Detroit Business reported the former Busy Bee Hardware property is undergoing a $12.5 million redevelopment that’ll turn the main gateway into Eastern Market into 17 apartments and more than 6,000 square feet of retail space. It’s being spearheaded by developer Roger Basmajian. Construction is expected to start this fall.

Even in their current condition (and maybe because of their current state), the bee murals feel and look like the character of the market even as it evolves.

Old-school businesses have closed. Developers like Basmajian and others have moved in. The Eastern Market Corporation itself rides the line between embracing new development and maintaining the foundational meat and produce businesses that act as a backbone to one of the largest outdoor public markets in the country.

American folk art like these hand-painted signs are one of Detroit’s defining hallmarks. It’s been well documented in photographer David Clements’ excellent book “Talking Shops: Detroit Commercial Folk Art” from 2004. More recently, photographer Andrew Anderson built an online database of signs painted by Ron Miller (a.k.a. Ron Signs), known for his signature chrome-style hand-painted signs on myriad Detroit businesses.

You could make the argument that signs like these around the city and the Busy Bee Hardware bees themselves were in part the inspiration for Murals in the Market, the longtime mural festival in Eastern Market that brought large-scale murals into the neighborhood between 2015 and 2025. Detroit artist Kobie Solomon even painted a giant beehive on the back of the Busy Bee Hardware building as part of the mural festival, honoring the original bees.

In the same Crain’s article, developer Basmajian told the paper that he was going “restore the building back to its original glory,” adding that “all the artists that put murals on the building, once we do the tuck-pointing, we are going to ask them to come back and touch them up, if we can locate them.”

In a rendering featured in Crain’s, however, the murals — including the busy bees — are nowhere to be found.

Is that an oversight by the architectural firm helping to redevelop the property, or is it simply developer smooth-talk to promise on preserving this piece of Eastern Market’s character and failing to deliver?

As Eastern Market grows and changes, it’s inevitable that things will change. No one is against seeing the market expand and flourish in new ways.

There’s great artistic character to Martin Hirchak’s bees at 1401 Gratiot. It’s small tangible pieces of art like these and countless other hand-painted signs and murals around the neighborhood, however, that help make something a landmark and add to the cultural memory of thousands of patrons flocking to Eastern Market over the years.

Art like that is also what ends up attracting developers to a neighborhood like this to begin with.

Here’s hoping a new development can honor the character of Eastern Market when construction is scheduled to wrap up in 2028.

 This article was originally published in Midbrow. 

New music from Leon Bridges, who clearly wants to make you dance on new single “Watch You Dance,” produced by the folks behind Jungle. Plus, Matthew Dear’s “New Drug” is as addictive as ever. We also explore new releases from War on Drugs, Sierra Ferrell, S.G. Goodman, Twisted Teens 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 7, 2026

• “Watch You Dance” — Leon Bridges
• “Special” — Babe Rainbow
• “New Drug (Original)” — Matthew Dear
• “Queen” — Perfume Genius
• “New York” — Cat Power
• “Let Me Get There (feat. Kurt Vile)” — Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
• “End of the World” — Sharon Van Etten
• “Jesus, Etc.” — Wilco
• “Stay High” — Brittany Howard
• “Ride Lonesome” — Beck & Sierra Ferrell
• “Highway Anxiety” — William Tyler
• “Don’t Let Go” — Johnny Blue Skies
• “Who’s That” — The War on Drugs
• “Mint Tea” — Johnny Blue Skies & Sturgill Simpson
• “Shine” — Dolly Parton
• “Trying to Love You” — Sierra Ferrell
• “I Dig Love (2014 Remaster)” — George Harrison
• “Out In the Woods (Remastered 95)” — Leon Russell
• “Pepper” — S.G. Goodman
• “When We First Met” — Twisted Teens
• “Stabilise” — Nilüfer Yanya
• “Mirror Test” — Pigeon
• “Nome de Deus” — Sessa
• “Lady Day & John Coltrane (feat. Rahsaan Patterson) [12″ Version]” — Brian Jackson & Masters At Work
• “Low Rider” — Quando Quango
• “Toco madera” — Jorge Drexler
• “Puaj” — Salin
• “22° Halo” — pôt-pot
• “West Side” — Studio
• “There Goes the Fear” — Doves
• “oh baby (lovefingers remix)” — LCD Soundsystem

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.

On this episode of Visions, I play a mix of classics, recent cuts, and music made by musicians from Detroit.

I have classics from Eddie Gomez, Patrice Rushen, Leon Thomas, Thelonious Monk, Gloria Coleman, Luis Gasca, and Ed Blackwell. I play cuts from Detroit artists Kenny Garrett, Robert Hurst, Yusef Lateef, Pepper Adams and Donald Byrd.

I have a brand new single from saxophonist Tomoki Sanders featuring Mélanie Charles and Nicholas Payton, and two of the many artists you can hear at this week’s Edgefest in Ann Arbor: Hannah Marks and Junk Jazz. 

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

Visions Playlist for October 5, 2026

• “Jazz Is Just A Game (feat. Nicholas Payton & Mélanie Charles)” – Tomoki Sanders
• “Thumbs Up” – Ed Blackwell
• “Twelve Tone Blues (Live At Pep’s Lounge, Philadelphia / 1964)” – Yusef Lateef*
• “I Am” – Leon Thomas
• “Hackensack” – Thelonious Monk
• “Unconditional Love” – Hannah Marks
• “Down Stretch” – Eddie Gomez
• “La Raza” – Luis Gasca
• “3 for Lawrence (feat. Bennie Maupin* & Marcus Belgrave*)” – Robert Hurst*
• “My Lady’s Waltz (feat. Pola Roberts)” – Gloria Coleman Quartet
• “I Wanted To Talk About Jazz” – JUNK JAZZ*
• “Curro’s” – Pepper Adams* & Donald Byrd* Quintet
• “Vashkar” – Carla Bley
• “Puttered Bopcorn” – Patrice Rushen
• “Mack the Knife” – Kenny Garrett*

* indicates Detroit artist

Tonight, Big Sonic Heaven featured some great new shoegaze from Encarta 98, out of Bogotá, Colombia. They were handpicked by Robert Smith to open for The Cure and Slowdive in 2023. From New York, we heard the latest single from Aerial Love Feed, described as apocalyptic shoegaze. Plus, new music from Johnny Marr, and lots more. 

We also gave away an advanced copy of the book, “Still in a Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers, and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-1994,” written by journalist Simon Reynolds, who covered shoegaze while it was exploding! And as always, I mixed in some of your favorite shoegaze, dreampop, and post-punk classics!

Big Sonic Heaven playlist for Oct. 4, 2026

• “Black Sun” – Dead Can Dance
• “Kisses” – Slowdive
• “Can’t Be Sold” – Echo & The Bunnymen
• “Already Yesterday” – The Church
• “Strange Land” – The Tear Garden
• “Paradise” – New Order
• “Like Me” – MØAA
• “That Feeling” – Johnny Marr
• “Terrified” – trentemøller
• “We Raise Our Hearts” – Postiljonen
• “Tomorrow” – Ladytron
• “Glass Castles” – &Tilly
• “Painted Bird” – Siouxsie & The Banshees
• “Blush” – The Secret French Postcards
• “Will it Break” – Silverdeer
• “Closedown” – The Cure
• “Ice Pick (Walk Away)” – Boy Harsher
• “Spanish Heart (feat. Bernard Sumner)” – 808 State
• “A New Goodbye” – Nation of Language
• “Nada va a cambiar” – Encarta 98′
• “Cocoon” – Morphine
• “Happiness Is Easy” – Talk Talk
• “I’ll Be (2026 Remaster)” – Sing-Sing
• “Who Sees You” – My Bloody Valentine
• “Pale Trembles a Gale” – The Autumns
• “The Drift” – deary
• “Blood on the Leaves” – The Wolfgang Press
• “REM (feat. Lili Hall)” – Now Always Fades
• “Deus” – Sugarcubes
• “The Big Shake” – The Mary Onettes
• “We Prayed In the Dark” – Echo & The Bunnymen
• “Someone New” – Aerial Love Feed
• “Thursday” – Asobi Seksu
• “Memories Fade” – Tears For Fears
• “Stare Into Light” – Velour 100

On this week’s episode of Acoustic Café,  the Indiana band Houndmouth, now 15 years on, have released their 5th album called “Lordy.” Songwriter Matt Meyers takes us through the (difficult) process and the band runs through some of the new tunes!

Also, in-studio archives from Fitz & The Tantrums, Bruce Cockburn and the legendary Richard Thompson (coming to the A2 Folk Fest in January).

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

Acoustic Café Playlist for October 4, 2026

• “Million Dollar Intro” – Ani DiFranco
• “Godspeed” – Mavis Staples
• “Liberty Tree” – Phoebe Bridgers
• “I Am Your Season” – The Womack Sisters
• “Changes Like The Weather” – MT Jones
• “Don’t Gotta Work It Out” – Fitz & The Tantrums (2011 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Jesus, Etc.” – Margaret Glaspy ft. Norah Jones
• “Heavy Eyes” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)
• “Lordy” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)
• “Remember To Cry” – Billy Strings
• “Bound To Rain” – Ken Pomeroy
• “Yellow Dog Blues” – Bruce Cockburn
• “Pacing The Cage” – Bruce Cockburn (1997 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Fiddler’s Green” – The Tragically Hip
• “Nitro/Hey Sarah It’s Gonna Rain Forever” – This Is Lorelei
• “Prayer For The People” – Farayi ft. The Steeldrivers
• “My Whole World” – Kings Of Leon
• “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” – Richard Thompson (1996 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “All The Beauty” – Pete Yorn
• “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers” – Rhiannon Giddens
• “Solid Gold Country” – Todd Snider
• “Long Haired Country Boy” – Todd Snider (1996 Acoustic Cafe performance)
• “Tiger Blood” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)
• “Never Gonna Die” – Houndmouth (Acoustic Cafe in-studio guests)

Listen to Acoustic Café with host Rob Reinhart every Sunday from 1-3 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

This week on Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, tickets for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival are on sale early this year as A2 is celebrating their 50th Folk Fest. In today’s show, we’ll check out some of the artists on the bill.

Also, new tunes from Michigander, new albums from Beck, Beabadoobee and some on the way from Sylvan Esso, Joy Oladokun as well as a couple leftover “guilty pleasure” songs from the fall fundraiser shows!

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

Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music Playlist for September 26, 2026

HOUR ONE:

• “I’m Into Livin'” – Stevie Wonder
• “Our Year” – Tegan & Sara
• “The Way It Goes” – Leon Bridges
• “Have A Great Day” – Us3
• “10th Floor” – Apropos
• “Rock & Roll Never Forgets” – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Oct 1976)
• “Tears Dry On Their Own” – Amy Winehouse (Oct 2006)
• “Naked Eye” – Lucious Jackson (Oct 1996)
• “Silencio” – U2
• “Reflection” – Jungle
• “MADitation” – Rodrigo y Gabriela
• “One And The Same” – Thee Sacred Souls
• “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” – Wang Chung (Oct 1986)

HOUR TWO:

• “It’s Easier” – Stevie Wonder
• “Ebony Eyes” – Stevie Wonder
• “X-panded Universe” – Father John Misty
• “Every Sorrow” – Nick Piunti
• “Grass” – XTC (Oct 1986)
• “All That I Got Is You” – Ghostface Killah (Oct 1996)
• “So Fine” – Electric Light Orchestra (Oct 1976)
• “Unconquered” – Tom Morello ft. KNEECAP
• “My Baby Loves Me” – Pokey LaFarge
• “Laughter & Tears ” – The Womack Sisters
• “Can You Get To That” – Funkadelic (new 2026 remastered)
• “The Monkees” – The Monkees (Oct 1966)
• “Love Rollercoaster” – Ohio Players (Oct 1976)

Listen to Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music every Saturday from 2-4 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand at wdet.org

In Detroit’s Woodbridge neighborhood, front steps turn into mini concert venues. Think dozens of short sets, and neighbors wandering from stoop to stoop.

The sixth annual Woodbridge Porch Concerts returns with the same goal, connecting in real life.

The porch series is organized by Woodbridge Neighborhood Development. The nonprofit is working to keep the neighborhood eclectic and affordable. They want people to be connected, not just housed.

Jai Singletary is the executive director of the organization.  He says preserving a neighborhood’s sense of place means making room for both homes and harmony. Jason Rho is a musician who’s played every year at the porch concerts since their inception. 

Both join The Metro to talk more about the Woodbridge community and why its important to simply talk to you neighbor.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts

More stories from The Metro

We’ve living in a time where quiet, contemplative music is making a big impact on listeners.

I call it the “Khruangbin effect,” where the Texas (mainly) instrumental trio blend dub, reggae, ’60s psych rock, Thai pop, and other global influences and bring it together in a way that has allowed them to reach millions of streams, millions of fans, and sell out massive theaters around the world. 

What if that slick laidback song playing in the background at just the right level at that fancy restaurant you like was also your favorite band? They’re cool yet also fully adopted by Phish fans. It’s a stunning development.

I can’t think of another band that presents mostly instrumental tracks but has had such a glow up, although Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela comes to mind.

That means Khruangbin (and others) have opened doors for others doing instrumental music. One of the first that comes to mind is Hermanos Gutiérrez, the insanely attractive Swiss-Ecuadorian sibling duo Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez. Their album ‘Los Ojos Del Cóndor’ released Sept. 25, 2026 via Easy Eye Sound (the label of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, who might be a better A&R guy than anything else).

Their single, “Los Andes,” is a great example of this wave of instrumental music making an impact in pop culture. With the interplay of guitar and lap steel, it’s cinematic and vast (much like the mountain range it’s named after). It’s capable of grabbing your full attention even without lyrics.

While I doubt this would make waves on commercial radio, it’s popular on public radio throughout the country and starting to infiltrate major swaths of music fans — many of whom likely listen to Khruangbin and Phish.

That’s right — I’m talking about Jack Johnson fans. Johnson recently collaborated with Hermanos Gutiérrez and took them on tour. It’s actually an endlessly sweet full circle story, with the brothers growing up idealizing Johnson and finally getting to collab with their hero.

With the door wide open for instrumental bands to find footing with new audiences, Hermanos Gutiérrez is by far one of the most captivating entries into this bubbling up genre. They’re great storytellers… even without uttering a word.

This story was originally published on Midbrow. 

The fall song-a-thon on In The Groove rolls on with so many excellent selections from you. Thank you again for all the great messages and songs—this is by far the most listener-picked songs we’ve ever played on this show! 50+ and counting…

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 September 25, 2026

• “Golden Brown” – The Stranglers (fall song picked by you!)
• “Boy With a Coin” – Iron & Wine (fall song picked by you!)
• “Out on the Weekend” – Neil Young (fall song picked by you!)
• “First Glimmer” – Paul Westerberg (fall song picked by you!)
• “October (Love Song)” – Chris & Cosey (fall song picked by you!)
• “Pass This On” – The Knife (fall song picked by you!)
• “Sunset” – Thornetta Davis (fall song picked by you!)
• “Your Song” – Elton John (fall song picked by you!)
• “Nervion” – Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth 
• “Last Train Home” – Pat Metheny Group (fall song picked by you!)
• “You Know You Know (with John McLaughlin)” – Mahavishnu Orchestra (fall song picked by you!)
• “Across the Universe” – Fiona Apple 
• “Ask Me Anything” – The Strokes 
• “Alberto Balsalm (Aquarium Drunkard’s Lagniappe Session)” – Dungen 
• “Fallen (feat. Momoko Gill)” – Matthew Herbert 
• “Train Song (Columbia Single, 1966)” – Vashti Bunyan 
• “My Love Mine All Mine” – Mitski 
• “All Mirrors” – Angel Olsen 
• “Transmission” – Joy Division 
• “It’s No Reason (Remastered)” – The Church (fall song picked by you!)
• “The Rip” – Portishead 
• “La Femme d’argent” – Air 
• “Repetitioner” – THUS LOVE 
• “Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts Mix)” – Alex Kassian 
• “Across That Fine Line” – Nation of Language 
• “Untitled” – Interpol 
• “Plainsong” – Seefeel 
• “Pink Sky” – Loma 
• “words fell out” – Goat Girl 
• “I Don’t Know You” – Mannequin Pussy 
• “only tomorrow” – my bloody valentine 
• “ “Heroes” (2017 Remaster)” – David Bowie 

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.”

New music from she’s green, Kurt Vile, Aldous Harding, Courtney Barnett and more of your fall songs (Death Cab For Cutie, Donovan, Big Thief), plus the wonderful Detroit singer-songwriter Stef Chura stops by the show to preview her new album, “Dancing Alone on the Concrete,” due out this Friday via Saddle Creek.

You’ll be the first to hear tracks “Leadweight” and “Babydoll,” plus we chat with Stef about the influences into her new album (the first in 7 years!) and lots more. You can hear the full segment with Stef Chura starting at the 2:06 mark—enjoy!

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 September 29, 2026

• “Paradis” — Donna Blue
• “Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)” — Pixies
• “Silver” — Say She She
• “Africa” — Bill Laurance & Michael League
• “Baltimore” — Nina Simone
• “Hey Now (When I Give You All My Lovin’)” — Romare
• “Amor Inteiro” — Bruno Berle
• “Road to Nowhere” — Rogê
• “Chance to Bleed” — Kurt Vile
• “Fall On Me” — R.E.M.
• “Train on the Island” — Aldous Harding
• “One Thing At A Time” — Courtney Barnett
• “The Payback” — James Brown
• “Protection” — Massive Attack
• “Drive” — Deftones
• “mettle” — she’s green
• “When You Sleep” — My Bloody Valentine (fall song picked by you!)
• “Long Division” — Death Cab for Cutie (fall song picked by you!)
• “Hurdy Gurdy Man” — Donovan (fall song picked by you!)
• “Velvet Ring” — Big Thief (fall song picked by you!)
• “A Fond Farewell” — Elliott Smith
• “There She Goes” — The La’s (fall song picked by you!)
• “1979 (Remastered 2012)” — The Smashing Pumpkins

Interview with Stef Chura

• “Leadweight” — Stef Chura
• “The Concrete” — Stef Chura
• “Danny” — Stef Chura
• “Babydoll” — Stef Chura

The rest of the show!

• “Maybe I Got It Wrong” — Ruti
• “Last Forever (feat. Wyatt Waddell)” — Patchwork Inc.
• “Nancy from Now On” — Father John Misty
• “Let ‘Em In” — Wings
• “Clover” — Billie Marten
• “Guns of Brixton (feat. Camille)” — Nouvelle Vague
• “Paper Tiger” — Spoon

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.