The Cynics are an American garage rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band, 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), who debuted with their first album, Blue Train Station in 1986. She wrote one of the four extra tracks included on the expanded reissue of Twelve Flights Up, entitled Sixteen Flights Up. 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 1990'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.