The Lynnfield Pioneers
by Joshua Leeman in MAGNET #31

With only a trio of singles under their belt, the Lynnfield Pioneers have begun to attract a lot of attention--and with good reason. The New York band's first single, the Newport EP, was a revelation. Skewed, catchy, danceable songs revealed the influence of both hip hop and obscure noise bands on their music. "They sound like the Dead C suddenly decided to become a rap group," one friend quipped upon listening.

The contrasting elements of the Pioneers' sound are somehow melded into a style that's magically entertaining. Dan Cook and Mike Janson make a mess of noise on organs and guitars, while John Paul Jones keeps things organized on the drums. Usually one guitar riff is discernibly aligned with the drums, but the organ often frantically fritters away, along with various noisy guitar sounds.

Says Jones, "A lot of the things that Dan does when we're playing are a counter-rhythm to what I'm playing ... You know that feeling when you're playing with another person and you get into a pocket and it just grooves?" Live shows have been described as chaotic, but Jones says this isn't the case. "Nothing chaotic happens, nobody running around with their hair on fire. It's the collision of sounds that makes people think it's chaotic."

The Pioneers' ability to play cohesively while maintaining the illusion that their songs are about to fall apart is perhaps what makes them so intriguing. Cook, Janson and Jones are avowed record collectors, and their wide range of influences informs their music. "We all have really broad tastes ... punk rock, hip hop, jazz," says Cook. Although the sound of the Pioneers is somewhat difficult to pin down, the band members have come up with some witty descriptions. "Garage-noise-rap. Not necessarily in that order," says Cook. Janson counters this with "Kraut-rap. That catchy enough?"

Cook owns a record store that was the band's initial point of contact. "I would go shopping at his store," says Jones, "and he would notice the type of records I bought." Cook and Janson were recording on a Walkman with a friend at the time. "He gave me the tape," says Jones, "and it just blew me away."

And so the Lynnfield Pioneers officially formed, with the band name stolen from the football team of the Massachusetts high school that Cook and Janson attended. The first three singles have recently been released on CD by the band's own Lampshop label, and an album, Emerge, was just issued by Matador. If their humble beginnings are an indication of things to come, the Pioneers will create a new rock `n' roll faith. Start thumping your Bibles.

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