Both British Music Press and a lot of UK artists namecheck Detroit as shorthand -- mentioning Detroit means you know your history, you're 'down,' you have some 'soul,' or at least you appreciate it. It goes back to pre-Acid House times, with the Northern Soul movement.
On the one hand, soul is soul, and Detroit has a lot of it, and it has worldwide appeal. On the other hand, anyone can mumble "Detroit innit" and take credit for being more down 1than they deserve. I'm a tourist in Detroit, but I've had my car window bashed in downtown in Detroit while I was at a Planet E party, so that has to count for something ;-)
