They stand together, a trio of misfits, all 23 years old and appearing to have stepped out of a time machine that dialed back to 1965 London.

Introducing The Hysterians, one of the few rock and roll groups who play music for the sake of good music. Kevin Hamnaker is the loud and boisterous drummer. He’s a sharp contrast next to Will Finn, bassist for The Hysterians, who is quiet and sober. Tim Shanon, guitar player, stands beside his band mates with a beer in his hand. In their makeshift studio where we held our interview, Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger hang on the walls staring at us like rock and roll gods. A copy of “Cat’s Cradle”, which looked like an original edition, lay on a stack of LP’s. In the back corner of the room was a metallic glitter blue drum set, an original that was made in the 1960’s, which was a gift from a friend. Finn played a guitar that looked like Buddy Holly might have used its equal, and Shanon’s beard was shaggy without care. In their vintage rock and roll tight t-shirts, they couldn’t fit in this scene better.

The Hysterians are what rock music nowadays is hurting for: young idealists who play rock n’ roll for the sake of the music and not for the paycheck. The Hysterians agree, it’s more about keeping rock n’ roll alive and documenting their music rather than trying to be the next commercial success. The music is directly attached to their lifestyle, like a pair of broken-in jeans that fit perfectly. They walk the walk, talk the talk, and they do it with swagger rarely seen in newer rock groups.

Not only do they play their music, they dress it, and consider it a way of life. In that sense, the music has become a snapshot of the moment, a permanent etching in stone of the events of these young men’s lives.

They are among a world community that is dedicated to keeping classic rock music alive. Interestingly enough, they even have fans in France. Finn said a Frenchman contacted them and told them that he loved their music, and so he flew from France on his honeymoon to meet them in San Jose. He had pressed several 45’s of their music for them to keep and shook their hands. Finn said, “He was cool.”

The Hysterians cite generation-defining bands such as the The Kinks and The Rolling Stones as strong influences on their musical style. Still though, you can’t get around a strong element of punk rock in the musical chords.

Verses tend to sound like the Beatles, but on acid, and melodies transform to punk rock choruses. Hamnaker, the drummer, said the band’s music is mostly primitive and stripped down and they choose to incorporate no synthesizers or samplers. Absolutely no mastering of tracks is acceptable, only electrified guitars and amplifiers are their tools. In the small bedroom that the band was using as a studio, the music sounded like classic garage rock.

In contrast to the band’s belief in keeping it simple, they have had to turn to technology to make their music accessible to the wider public. The band members said that they particularly hate MySpace, but they choose to have one anyways because, as Finn said, MySpace is really the only means of getting music out to the public without a record deal or relying solely on concert sales.

The band plays around the Bay Area as much as possible, and will play two upcoming shows on November 28 and December 12 at the El Rio in San Francisco at 8 pm. On December 28 they will be performing at The Caravan in San Jose.

To hear a few choice tracks from the band, visit them on MySpace at www.myspace.com/thehysterians.