Max Subar / Minor moon

Chicago's Max Subar writes earthy, poetic songs rooted in folk and indie rock. The singer/songwriter had already released a handful of solo EPs before finding greater exposure as guitarist for the alt-country outfit Case Oats. Following that band’s 2025 debut for Merge Records, Subar inked his own deal with the label, which released his debut full-length, Anything Could Be, in July 2026. Among his crew of collaborators were Case Oats bandmates Spencer Tweedy, Jason Ashworth and Scott Daniel as well as his brother Sam Subar. Anything Could Be is a mesmerizing, open-hearted debut that Stereogum calls “gentle, beautiful stuff.” A struck match burns quickly, life passes in a blink of the universe’s eye, but, held by Subar’s awe-hushed vocals, those moments feel boundless and profound, “a steady reminder that possibility continues to exist even when certainty doesn’t” (Newcity). "You'll want to adopt Subar and his tender wisdom as your new best friend" (MOJO).

Minor Moon, is the songwriting moniker and collaborative musical vehicle of Chicago-based musician Sam Cantor. The Light Up Waltz, released via Ruination Record Co. in April 2024 is Cantor’s fourth full length album. With nods to cosmic songwriters like JJ Cale, Gillian Welch, Judee Sill, Gram Parsons and Wilco, the album takes a big-hearted, kaleidoscopic lens to apocalyptic themes with an other-worldy twang. The resulting vision is "deeply adventurous ... [with] a sharp, reflective eye on the rearview mirror” (Pop Matters) and shot through with "soothing, sure-footed tenderness ... [and] an undeniable buoyancy" (Chicago Reader).