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Waves from the cavesThe Cynics stand tall over the
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Garage rock has come in and out of fashion over the years since its original glory days in the 1960s, with new generations constantly discovering its fuzz-drenched primal stomp. One of the best bands to come out of the early ’80s garage revival scene was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania band the Cynics, who released what many still consider to be the quintessential garage record of that time, their 1986 debut, Blue Train Station, which also marked the first release for the highly influential garage label Get Hip, owned by Cynics guitarist Gregg Kostelich. Although hardly a prolific band at their busiest, and with a five-year hiatus in the early ’90s, the Cynics proved the magic hadn’t been lost when they released their ninth record, Here We Are, in 2007. “When we finish any record, I usually hate them when they come out,” says singer Michael Kastelic. “I listen to the records now and the one thing I’m really proud of is the songwriting. I think the diversity of Gregg’s and my songwriting is what separates us from the one-hit wonders of a lot of so-called garage rock bands, and will be the thing that will still stand up long after I’m dead.” Since the band’s inception in 1983, Kastelic has seen firsthand the mainstream proclaiming a resurgence in garage rock, including the White Stripes and the Hives exploding five years ago, the popularity of Little Steven’s syndicated radio show Underground Garage, the popular Cavestomp festival and the proliferation of garage rock satellite radio stations and garage rock-oriented blogs. “It never really went away because it just has this primal beat that kids are always going to come back to. It’s like a caveman hitting a rock with a stick, and it’s completely different from these modern, pre-programmed beats that just sound like a computer game made by robots. At the same time, I’m kind of sick of waving a flag for garage rock or real rock ’n’ roll, because if you don’t get it, you probably never will get it—and I can’t teach you to become a caveman.” WITH THE UGLY BEATS AND |
