The Cynics are an American

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

band from

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. The band, at the time consisting of guitarist Gregg Kostelich, drummer Bill Von Hagen, vocalist Michael Kastelic who joined in 1985, bass player Steve Magee, and keyboardist Becky Smith (later founder of New York City's Bellwether gallery), debuted with their first album, ''Blue Train Station'' in 1986. Many of their songs "carry the torch" for other favorite bands as cover songs or tributes. They underwent a number of lineup changes culminating in 1989's ''Rock and Roll'' album. They formed their own independent record label called Get Hip Records in 1986. They suffered an eight-year break up after the release of ''Get Our Way'' but returned in 2002 with the release of ''Living Is the Best Revenge''. The release of their 2007 album ''Here We Are'' was accompanied with a European tour. The band's sound is influenced by 1960s garage rock.

Members

* Gregg Kostelich -

Guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

(1983–1994; 2002–present) * Michael Kastelic -

Lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

(1985–1994; 2002–present) * Pablo González "Pibli" - Drums (2008–present) * Angel Kaplan -

Bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

(2008–present)

Past members

* Mark Keresmann -

(1983-1985) * Becky Smith - Keyboard (1986–1988) * Bill von Hagen - Drums (1983–1987, 1988) * Mike Kolesar - Drums (1987–1988, 1988–1989) * Mike Quinlan - Drums (1988, 1991) * Amy Mathesius - Bass (1985–1986) * Max Terasauro - Drums (1993–1994) * Pam Reyner - Bass (1983–1984) * Steve Magee - Bass (1986–1990) * Kris Kasperowski - Bass (1990–1992) * Mike Michalski - Bass (1992–1994) * Dave Vucenich - Bass, backing vocals (1993–1994) * Richard Schnapp - Guitar (1985) * Smith Hutchings -

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

(2002) * Thomas Hohn -

Drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

(1989–1991; 2002) * Jack "Jackie Robin" Schmitt - Drums (1991 European tour) (2004-2005)

Discography

Albums

* ''Blue Train Station'' (1986) * ''Twelve Flights Up'' (1988) - reissue as ''Sixteen Flights Up'' (2000) * ''Rock 'n' Roll'' (1989) * ''Learn to Lose'' (1993) * ''Get Our Way'' (1994) * ''Living is the Best Revenge'' (2002) * ''Here We Are'' (2007) * ''Spinning Wheel Motel'' (2011)

Singles

* Painted My Heart/Sweet Young Thing (1984) * No Place to Hide/Hard Times (1985) * Lying All The Time/Summer's Gone (1986) * '69/Friday Night (1986 - Fan Club) * No Way/Dancing On The Walls (1987) * I'm In Pittsburgh and It's Raining/Smoke Rings (1988 - Fan Club) * I Don't Need You/Girl, You're On My Mind (1990) * Buick Mackane/Born to Lose (1991) * Right Here With You/Learn to Lose (1992) * I Live Alone/Hand In Hand (1993)

Live

* ''No Siesta Tonight (Live in Madrid)'' (1994)

Reception

Scott Mervis of the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' said "''Here We Are'' might be best of the Cynics' seven records, and ''USA Today'' has already called it "one of the best neo-garage-rock albums in years." ''Entertainment Weekly'' called them "gnarly, sweaty, raucous, and brimming with snotty attitude". In reference to the band's first two albums, ''Blue Train Station'' and ''Twelve Flights Up'', Trouser Press said they were packed with "surefooted atmosphere and excitement".

Citations

References

2011 Michael K interview on Outsight Radio HoursPittsburgh Post-Gazette interview

External links

The Cynics -Pittsburgh Music History
* https://www.facebook.com/thecynics/ * http://www.gethip.com/site/artists/cynics/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Cynics, The Indie rock musical groups from Pennsylvania Musical groups from Pittsburgh