The Cynics are an American

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

band from

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. 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 Bellwether Gallery was a New York City art gallery based in Chelsea. Director and owner Becky Smith was recognized as an important promoter of emerging artists since the gallery's 1999 opening in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.Genocchio, ...

), 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 Get Hip Records is an independent Pittsburgh-based music label and distributor formed by Gregg Kostelich in 1986.Theiner, Manny (1999-06-02), "Still Hip After All These Years". ''Pittsburgh Newsweekly'' Kostelich used the label to release music b ...

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 fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

(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 t ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

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

Bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

(2008–present)

Past members

* Mark Keresmann -

(1983-1985) * Becky Smith -

Keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

(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 (2002) * Thomas Hohn -

Drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(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