Members
Gregg Kostelich - Guitar (1983–1994; 2002–present)
Michael Kastelic - Lead vocals, percussion (1985–1994; 2002–present)
Pablo González "Pibli" - Drums (2008–present)
Angel Kaplan - Bass guitar (2008–present)
Past members
Mark Keresmann - Lead vocals (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) (November 13, 1966 - February 5, 2017)
Richard Schnapp - Guitar (1985)
Smith Hutchings - Bass (2002)
Thomas Hohn - Drums (1989–1991; 2002)
Jack "JACKIE ROBIN" Schmitt- Drums (1991 European tour) (2004-2005)
Discography
Albums
Blue Train Station (1987)
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[edit]
No Siesta Tonight (Live in Madrid) (1994)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania guitarist/producer/record company head Gregg Kostelich is the frenetic force behind THE CYNICS. He managed to keep the band afloat in the wake of constant personnel changes, he recorded some of the finest garage tracks ever, and also launched one of the best independent record labels of the 1980s. THE CYNICS’ style has been clear since their 1983 inception: fuzzed ultra-distorted guitar, screaming, moaning vocals, with a straight-ahead no frills rhythm section. The influences are extreme ‘60s Punk, R&B, and other loud, frantic trash. Gregg has occasionally steered the band into flirtations with folk-rock and little pop, but it’s the grunged-out punkers that have created THE CYNICS’ reputation. Their first two 45s were released by the Californian Dionysus label, but soon after Gregg had established his own Pittsburgh-based GET HIP RECORDS. This new indy label would release all of THE CYNICS subsequent discs, as well as those by several dozen other cool groups around the globe.
Though Gregg’s guitar is the backbone of the band, vocalist Michael Kastelic’s contribution to THE CYNICS sound cannot be underestimated. In concert (and on record) he screeches, wails, and moans with great abandon, while his frail, thin body shakes throughout the room. Michael is a truly possessed frontman. On and off bassist Steve Magee should also be noted for his fine artwork for both THE CYNICS and many of the GET HIP releases. The initial line-up featured the talents and 60’s looks of keyboard player Becky Smith. After she left the band in the late 80’s they stayed with the simple but strong guitar/singer/bass/drums that they currently display.
Each and every CYNICS release is a passage into the depths of simple, heartfelt punk rock. It should be noted that their live perfomances can be just as effective as their vinyl. A bit “harder rock” sound began to creep into band’s style as the ‘90s dawned. But with their last album “Get Our Way” they proved they haven’t forgotten any of their influences and once again you hear incursions into Garage, Punk, Folk-Rock and even Psych (with surprising farfisa and theremin parts in a couple songs).
In an interview on March 21, 1986, Gregg Kostelich said “I was maybe 4 or 5 when I started collecting Garage records, and I’ve been listening to that type of music ever since. And I was lucky enough to see a couple of shows I was a little kid…my parents would bring to see bands like THE SONICS and THE BLUE MAGOOS and THE WHO, when I was about 7 or 8! I didn’t know what was going on really, but it was really exciting. I was kinda embarrassed in a way because I was with my parents.” When I mentioned that this early exposure to garage music explained THE CYNICS style, Gregg responded “Yeah, maybe I got brain damage from all the noise!”
-Tim Gassen
from www.thecynics.ws
Bells and Trains
The Cynics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went from funny to sad very quickly
I've been off the rails
In bars and in jails
Bells & Train
Bells & Train
Bells & Trains
While children are stretching and yawning
The day came to soon
I'm drunk before noon
Bells & Train
Bells & Train
Bells & Trains
Bells and trains always take me
To sleep then they wake me
They never forsake me
Like everyone has
Night train shakes the hill every evening
Don't know if it's coming or leaving
It goes very fast
Forward into the past
Bells & Train
Bells & Train
Bells & Trains...
The Cynics's song Bells and Trains is a poignant reflection on a life that has gone off the rails. The songwriter describes feeling pale and sickly, transitioning quickly from a funny persona to a sad one. The reference to being in bars and jails is a clear indication of addiction and the difficulty of staying on the straight and narrow. The recurring motif of bells and trains signifies the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The bells that peel every morning remind the singer of the days passing too fast while they drown their sorrows in alcohol, even before noon.
The night train that shakes the hill every evening is a symbol of the singer's journey through life. They are uncertain whether the train is coming or going, paralleling their own feelings of confusion and uncertainty. The train represents a force that continuously moves forward, carrying the singer along whether they want it to or not. The recurring refrain of "Bells & Trains" underscores the idea that, no matter what happens, life goes on, the world continues to spin, and time marches forward. The phrase "Forward into the past" encapsulates this idea: no matter where we are headed, we can never escape our past, and it is always with us, like the bells and the trains.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh brother I'm Pale and I'm sickly
I am unwell and my appearance has turned pale due to my situation
I went from funny to sad very quickly
My emotions have taken a sharp turn and I am now feeling depressed
I've been off the rails
I have been behaving recklessly and uncontrollably
In bars and in jails
My behavior has led me to frequent bars and become incarcerated
Bells & Train
Bells & Train
Bells & Trains
Repetition of the refrain representing the recurring sounds of bells and trains in the artist's life
Bells peel on the hill every morning
Bells toll early in the morning near the hills
While children are stretching and yawning
The sound of bells coincides with the awakening of children
The day came to soon
The day started earlier than expected due to the sound of bells
I'm drunk before noon
The artist turned to alcohol early in the day
Bells and trains always take me
The artist associates these sounds with their life
To sleep then they wake me
The sounds have a cyclical effect on the singer's state of consciousness
They never forsake me
Like everyone has
The sounds remain a constant in the artist's life despite others leaving them
Night train shakes the hill every evening
Another train sound in the night near the hills
Don't know if it's coming or leaving
The singer is unsure of the train's direction and represents the uncertainty in their life
It goes very fast
Forward into the past
The train moves quickly and represents how time flies by, but also the idea of moving forward into the future while looking back into the past
Bells & Train
Bells & Train
Bells & Trains...
Repetition of the refrain and continuation of the cyclical nature of the sounds in the artist's life
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
sullenday
cool little folk song.
Victory Mansions
Music!!!!!!!