TL;DR
- Post-metal icons Neurosis headlined Fire in the Mountains festival with vocalist Aaron Turner, their first show in seven years.
- Michael Stipe shared "Hum Desiderata" from his forthcoming solo album, his first project since R.E.M. ended.
- DIIV announced ZIRP!, a new album produced by A.G. Cook, arriving October 30 via Fantasy Records.
- Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol' Dirty Bastard was honored with a Brooklyn street renaming to ODB Jones Way.
Releases and charts
Stipe goes solo, DIIV charts new production territory
R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe entered his solo era while indie rockers DIIV partnered with PC Music's A.G. Cook on fresh material.
Michael Stipe debuts solo work. The R.E.M. frontman shared "Hum Desiderata," a spoken-word and instrumental track from his forthcoming debut solo album, co-produced with Andy Lemaster. Stipe recites Max Ehrmann's classic poem with layered strings, marking his first substantial solo project since R.E.M. disbanded. The album arrives at year's end (via Stereogum).
DIIV announces ZIRP! with A.G. Cook. Shoegaze band DIIV announced their new album ZIRP!, produced by A.G. Cook, arriving October 30 via Fantasy Records. The unconventional rollout included mysterious QR-code business cards and a presale link, with Cook bringing his PC Music ethos to the band's ethereal sound. No singles have leaked yet (via Stereogum).
Ella Langley holds No. 1 on Hot 100. The country crossover act's "Choosin' Texas" extended its reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 to a 14th week, as Taylor Swift at No. 2 and Stella Lefty's "Boston" entered the top 10 (via Billboard).
Artists and industry
New labels and publishing deals reshape the landscape
Veteran executives launched a Sony-backed label while Universal's publishing arm cemented its dominance in songwriter rights.
Greenwald and Lousada launch 26.2 label. Former Warner Music execs Julie Greenwald and Max Lousada, two of the industry's most powerful dealmakers, launched 26.2, a new record label in partnership with Sony Music. The venture merges their track record of breaking major acts with Sony's distribution and resources, signaling continued consolidation among elite operators (via Variety).
Universal Publishing cements songwriter dominance. Jody Gerson, head of Universal Music Publishing (the songwriting side, which earns mechanicals and performance royalties separate from recorded-music revenue), was profiled as the year's most influential music executive for signings including Kendrick Lamar. The publisher now controls a disproportionate share of blockbuster songwriting catalogs (via Variety).
Tours and live
Neurosis returns with new frontman, Roth exits tour
Post-metal giants staged their first show in seven years in Montana while the Van Halen frontman abruptly scuttled his revival run.
Neurosis headline Fire in the Mountains with Aaron Turner. Post-metal pioneers Neurosis performed their first show in seven years at Fire in the Mountains festival on July 26 at Red Eagle Campground in East Glacier Park, Montana, debuting new vocalist Aaron Turner from Sumac and Old Man Gloom. The 10-song set leaned heavily on their recent surprise album An Undying Love For A Burning World while dipping into deep cuts from across their 30-year career. The show was presented by Firekeeper Alliance, a youth suicide prevention nonprofit (via Stereogum).
David Lee Roth cancels remaining tour dates. The Van Halen frontman abruptly canceled all upcoming dates on his revival tour save one Sturgis festival appearance, blaming undisclosed reasons. Sammy Hagar swiftly extended an olive branch, inviting Roth to guest at his September Las Vegas residency (via Consequence).
J Mascis makes Opry debut. Dinosaur Jr. founder J Mascis appeared at the Grand Ole Opry on July 23 as a surprise guest with alt-country musician John R. Miller, performing "Steering Wheel Drums" from Miller's album The Great Unknowing, recorded at Leon Russell's Church Studio. The unlikely pairing showed the genre's expanding boundaries (via Stereogum).
Streaming and platforms
Apple raises prices as industry tightens AI labeling rules
Apple Music followed Spotify's lead with subscription hikes, while labels pushed platforms to flag AI-generated tracks.
Apple Music hikes prices citing licensing costs. Apple Music raised subscription rates on July 17, citing rising licensing fees. The Individual plan climbed to $10.99 from $9.99, Family to $17.99 from $14.99, and Student to $5.99 from $4.99. The move mirrored Spotify's price hikes earlier in 2026 and reflected streaming services' squeeze between rising artist payouts and a growth slowdown (via Music Business Worldwide).
RIAA pushes AI labeling across streaming. The record industry proposed tagging fully AI-generated tracks as "AI-generated" and tracks made partly with AI tools as "AI-assisted" across Spotify, Apple, YouTube Music and Amazon. The move follows Deezer's earlier tagging system and addresses a surge in machine-made music flooding platforms, which collectively garnered only 1 to 3 percent of streams despite making up half of daily uploads (via Music Business Worldwide).
$300M in radio royalties hangs in balance. Fifty-eight major artists led by Gene Simmons pushed Congress to pass the American Music Fairness Act, which would require U.S. radio to pay musicians directly for airplay, a practice common in Europe. A European court ruling temporarily forced radio to pay American acts, but the EU Commission moved to overturn it, putting roughly $300 million in annual payouts at risk (via Hypebot).
Scenes and genres
Oliver Tree memorial, ODB honored in Brooklyn
The music community paid respects to two figures whose boundary-pushing legacies shaped underground and hip-hop culture.
Oliver Tree celebrated in livestreamed memorial. A celebration of life for producer and performance artist Oliver Tree, who died in a helicopter collision in Brazil last month at 32, took place July 25-26 at UC Santa Cruz's Quarry Amphitheater. Logan Paul, Ethan Klein and Diplo appeared at the livestreamed event, featuring unreleased video content and character-themed caskets where fans could pay respects. The unconventional sendoff reflected Tree's absurdist approach to music and image (via Stereogum).
Brooklyn renames street for Ol' Dirty Bastard. Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood was officially renamed ODB Jones Way on July 26, honoring Wu-Tang Clan co-founder Ol' Dirty Bastard at the corner where his grandmother still lives. An official ceremony brought together friends, family and city officials to mark the late rapper's influence on hip-hop and Brooklyn culture. The block also features a mural of ODB's debut album cover, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (via Stereogum).