Eight Bells: U Jam?

In the ’70s, Pink Floyd was one of the handful of major “networks” on awesome music’s “broadcast television.” Their impact was huge thanks not just to excellence, but also to clustered, captive viewership. In 2016, three hundred channels beam out dozens of derivatives and integrals of Pink Floyd (for e.g.) — plus re-runs of actual Pink Floyd. Each of these new bands represents the iconic band of another time and dimension; in the case of the very special band Eight Bells, that dimension is one where Ulver and Ihsahn are PF’s precedents, where lyrics can trade mind-travels for centuries-ago suffering (think Wuthering Heights), and where no large amount of luck or power is required for figurative and literal prosperity.

Their riveting sophomore album is called Landless and it spies Floyd distantly in its rearview mirror (like the albums of 8B’s soon-to-be tourmates Voivod), but processes four more decades of strategic and artistic information. Its drummer is from Immortal Bird (another sign of awesomeness) and its producer is Billy Anderson (another still), but its star is Melynda Jackson (from that weird defunct band Subarachnoid Space), whose guitars and vocals seem to trade support and headline duties at any time. Below crank “Hold My Breath” (via Invisible Oranges) and “Hating.” U jam??

Landless by Eight Bells is out February 12 via Battleground. Pre-order here and here. The Voivod, Vektor, and Eight Bells tour starts in a couple weeks; dates here.