The John Sally Ride: Stranded After Touring Stranded

Power-pop band The John Sally Ride have unveiled Stranded After Touring Stranded, another track from their forthcoming new album For Sal, a tribute to their their bass player Sal Maida, who died in 2025.

He was on board for the Roxy Music tour to promote the release of their second album Stranded in 1973 after he was thanked for his service. His former Roxy bandmate Phil Manzanera pitched in with a subtle guitar part. Could have done with little less wordplay, but it works as a snaphot of a shortlived dream job.

Things We Built: Looks Like You

Melbourne-based adventurous pop band Things We Built are not an optimistic lot. If anything they could be labelled as realists who are still dreaming, but a better or different future is not in the cards. Their Looks Like You EP deals with trying to get away (One Horse Town) and lamenting missed opportunities and still being jealous many years after the fact (The Boy Who Kissed You First).

Only in Daddy's Gone Disco a character pops up who can regain his freedom for a short while, when he goes all out on the dance floor. Hell, he might not even come back to the grind. While it be sort of depressing to realise that being stuck is what it is (We Cannot Change), they have an outlet for their frustrations through their music. Combined with a sense of humour they created a safe space for themselves and for anyone who might be feeling the same way.

Steven Wilson: "The Same River Twice" (The Village Hall Sessions) video

Steven Wilson has shared a video for The Same River Twice, played live (sort of) in the studio with Randy McStine. It is an introspective ballad, urging the listener to calm down and take off his shoes.

» stevenwilsonhq.com
» requiemforavillage.com

The Open Flames: Change Your Mind

London based indie rock quartet The Open Flames are trying with the extremely evasive Clementine on their Change Your Mind single. It is a good-natured garage rocker about not being able to connect by way of distorted guitars and a cheesy but highly keyboard that sounds like it has been gathering dust in a charity shop for decades.

Clifford Jordan: "Let It Ring: Live at the Jazz Showcase" Black Friday Release

Jazz saxophone player Clifford Jordan performed two back-to-back shows with his quartet at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase in Chicago in 1976. Let It Ring: Live at the Jazz Showcase captures the band - Al Haig (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums) - in full flight and will be released as a 2LP for Black Friday (November 27). 1500 copies worldwide. A less expensive 2CD will be available as well.