Artist description I'm a classical violinist with rock and roll in my tummy...

Music Style Alternative Pop Rock

Musical Influences Beatles, Tears for Fears, Sting, Paul McCartney, Living Colour, David Byrne, Duran Duran, Queen, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Bjork, Emiliana Torrini, Roland Orzabal, Radiohead, Michael Jackson, John Lennon

Similar Artists David Byrne, Tears for Fears, The Talking Heads, Paul McCartney, The Beatles

Artist History 1991 - WHERE IS MY HAIR Roland Hartwell - guitar and vocal Stefan Arnarson - bass Steef van Oosterhout - drums 1993 - SKOTLAPOP Roland Hartwell - guitar, violin, vocals Chris Sampson - guitar, bass, vocals Marc Thomas - lead guitar Matt Matson - drums 1996 - CYNIC GURU Roland Hartwell - guitar, violin, vocal Marc Thomas - lead guitar Mike Costantini - rhythm guitar Vince Varquez - bass Matt Matson - drums 2003 - CYNIC GURU (Icelandic line-up) Roland Hartwell - violin, guitar, vocal John Mono - keyboards, samples, vocals Ricki Korn - bass Einar Johanson - lead guitar Oli Holm - drums

Group Members The members all come and go...some longer than others....but the one member that always remains is Roland Hartwell

Instruments violins, violas, cellos, guitars, bass, percussion, drums, horns, and loops, loops, loops!!!

Press Reviews "One listen to the Cynic Guru track "Scab", and I was hooked. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that frontman Roland Hartwell Jr. knows his craft well, engineering his music with well-placed hooks that makes the listener think: I know this melody. Well, you don't actually know the melody; the song is just written so proficiently that every element of it makes sense. Hartwell's vocals are wonderfully smooth and dynamic. The songs cover a wide array of subjects, but in the case of Scab, the theme is "bad relationship", but instead of the you-did-me-wrong-self-pity anthem, Hartwell twists the situation to demonstrate a strong will - metaphorically equating the subject person to a scab. Wordplay rules here, with the ending line ‘Now you're a scab, and when I heal you're going to fall off. So, who is Roland Hartwell Jr.? Hartwell is a classical violinist who played in Iceland's symphony, returning to his home in California to complete college studies after two years. There, the seeds of what would become Cynic Guru were planted. The band has played most of the Hollywood club circuit, including Club Lingerie, Molly Malone's, Largo Café, The Whisky A Go Go, The Roxy, and The Coconut Teaszer. Currently, the band performs almost exclusively at The Coconut Teaszer in Hollywood." Dave Burlovich from www.indiesoundz.com

Additional Info You know, you really should check out CYNIC GURU'S evil twin SKANKY RANKY DOO (listed on the links section)

Location Los Angeles (and Iceland), CA - USA

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