This week, I had two in-studio guests for MI Local, starting with a brief visit from Detroit-based soul/R&B balladeer Drey Skonie, leader of the Klouds band. The group treated WDET listeners to an exclusive preview of their new single, out this Friday, “Like A Train,” which you can hear about five minutes in to the show! 

We got started with brand new tracks from Tiffadelic and Fizzy Fresh, and then segued into an interview with the aforementioned Drey Skonie.

The aforementioned Tiffadelic, with her signature blend of darkwave, synth and goth-electronica, will be  having a release party for her album “Retrosynthesis Vol. 1 at The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale on September 26.

Fizzy Fresh are a new electro-pop duo that you can catch next weekend, at the D.I.Y. Street Fair in Ferndale, Sunday, September 21, at 4:00 pm, on Troy St. at Woodward Ave., next to the W.A.B.

Speaking of plans for live music, my second in-studio guest was the accomplished pianist and local music collective facilitator Justin Snyder from New Music Detroit, discussing this weekend’s Strange Beautiful Music 18.

Snyder’s bonafides include two master’s degrees in Collaborative Piano, one from the University of Michigan and one from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

New Music Detroit is a collective of musicians dedicated to performing groundbreaking musical works from the late-20th century to the present day.

They’re behind the annual multi-day new music marathon concert Strange Beautiful Music which runs the gamut of new music – from contemporary classical and world music to experimental “out” jazz, free improvisation, techno, electronica, neo-soul, ambient, and music that defies genre! Find info and tickets here.

Along with my conversations with Justin Snyder (NMD) and Drey Skonie and the Klouds, I also featured new music from indie-rockers MAS, who have an album release party on September 20 at the Lexington, along with a new song by Mountain Club (MTN. Club) ahead their album release party at the Lager House this Friday!

Two guests in one hour, plus a handful of local music premieres… what a night! 

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

• “I Try” – Tiffadelic
• “Missing Piece” – Fizzy Fresh
• “Like A Train” – Drey Skonie & the Klouds
• “Beisbol Cats” – Mountain Club
• “This Is Over!” – MAS!
• “Ex-Lion Tamer” – Ryan Allen
• “Paranoid” – Idiot Kids
• “Beautiful ((Spaced Out))” – La Cecille (supercoolwicked)
• “San Trou Ni Fin” – Joo Won Park
• “Forest Clearing” – Alex Koi & Kirin McElwain
• “The Middle” – Na Bonsai 

This week, we’ve got several free concerts around the city to check out. Plus, looking ahead to this year’s Concert of Colors. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

On Friday, July 11, the City of Detroit’s Summer Music Series continues with Soul in the Parks. This free concert features a live performance by WDET’s Sounds Like Detroit 2024 winners, Drey Skonie & The Klouds, as well as food trucks, bounce houses and more in North Rosedale Park. The concert goes from 5–8 p.m., and free parking is available in the surrounding areas. For more information, visit Detroit Parks & Recreation on Facebook.

On Saturday, July 12, the Ferndale upcycled fashion boutique Not Sorry Goods is throwing a closing party to mark the end of operations for their brick-and-mortar storefront. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be live DJs, drinks and deep discounts on the entire store. For more information, visit notsorrygoods.com.

Detroit’s annual diversity festival, the Concert of Colors returns for its 34th year on Wednesday, July 16 through Sunday, July 20. Highlights from this year’s lineup include soul legend Mavis Staples, Afrobeat pioneer Femi Kuti and Detroit’s Queen of the Blues Thornetta Davis. WDET will have special programming throughout the festival, including a live broadcast of The Don Was Motor City Playlist on Friday, July 18, a live broadcast of Essential Music on Saturday, July 19, and live DJ sets by Alternate Take’s Liz Warner and The New Music Show’s Shigeto on Sunday, July 20. All events are free and open to the public. To see the full lineup and learn more, visit our events page.

On Thursday, July 17, the Detroit Parks Coalition presents the second concert in saxophonist Marcus Elliot’s “Sounds From The Park” series. The series features original compositions inspired by different Detroit parks, as performed by Elliot and his ensemble. This month’s concert takes place in Clark Park and centers the theme of “Family & Resilience,” celebrating the culture and unity of Southwest Detroit. The concert goes from 6–9 p.m. For more information, visit detroitparkscoalition.com.