Leor Galil

Max Subar Singer-songwriter Max Subar got a feel for the local scene by gigging at house shows and playing open mikes at Uncommon Ground and the Elbo Room. In 2017, he made his recorded debut by self-releasing a rough-hewn folk EP called In a Dream. By the time he finished his third EP, an eponymous 2020 release, he’d fallen in with a collection of musicians who became his close collaborators. Many of them contribute to his debut album, Anything Could Be, due via Merge Records on Friday, July 17.

Aerial view of Gracie Abrams in 2025 A single musician can’t usually define whatever passes for the monoculture these days, not for longer than maybe a week. But in summer 2024, Charli XCX managed to do it with Brat. (Remember “Kamala is brat?”) On Friday, July 24, Atlantic will issue her big follow-up, Music, Fashion, Film. A week later, she’ll headline the second day of Lollapalooza to kick off her big promotional tour, which also includes headlining sets on both Fridays of Austin City Limits.

Dice Fest bands, clockwise from left: Loveletters, Juneau, Tit for Tat Last year, Chicago microlabel Black Dice Records started releasing small-run CDs by fringe screamo bands. The label has branched out into cassettes too, including with the March reissue of Considerations 3, a mathy, metalcore-influenced 2025 album by New York City group Silverdollar.