Rong / DFA Records to Release Two 12 inch Singles by Free Blood

Free Blood is a marriage of opposing ends of a spectrum.  The group came to fruition when former !!! member John Pugh and fashion designer Madeline Davy found common ground  and much inspiration in a goal of uniting the divergent settings that host New York’s dance and indie music: the Manhattan club scene (or an idealized version of what once was a scene) and  the energized, anything-goes Brooklyn warehouse parties that have played host to many of their live sweat-soaked gigs.


NYC and Brooklyn equally embody the spirit of the group – their music is rooted in the leftfield enough to keep the Brooklyn kids quite enthused, while the songs, with John and Madeline’s shared vocal duties, are undeniable sing-along pop songs at heart, driven by rhythms that have the sonic thump of the best new disco and modern R&B.  You could boil it all down to an electronic rock act, but that tag misses the point completely.  For a band that is somewhat hard to classify, Free Blood has a remarkably unique and cohesive sound.  They have just completed a tour of the United States with Hot Chip and have managed to make it overseas to perform live several times in the UK and while there performed on Radiohead / Beck producer Nigel Godrich’s internet TV program “From The Basement”.

The debut single (and the first for the joint Rong / DFA Records imprint) is entitled “Never Hear Surf Music Again” (due out May 27 on 12” vinyl and digital download).  The single includes a head turning remix by Barfly (Rong’s own Ben Cook) that further emphasizes the avant garde pop leanings of the band and at times calls to mind the Flying Lizards, another band that helped bridge similar opposing worlds. The single also features a second original new song -  “Quick and Painful.”

The “Royal Family” single (July 15) comes with a second original “Grumpy” and both tracks get stunning remix treatments – Free Blood producers The Brothers remix their own production work on “Royal Family” into a main room 4/4 floor filler, and disco edit legend Greg Wilson twists some dark magic into “Grumpy”.  Davy and Pugh continue their unique use of combined vocals that erupt into manic call-and-response shouts like a pair of punk rock cheerleaders that leave you rooting for more, or at least racing to hear these tracks again.

Fortunately you can get your fix when all four originals will be included with new material and all remixes on the band’s first CD– out Fall 2008 on Rong / DFA Records.