The Karl Hendricks Trio

The moody, muscular indie-rock band dubbed the Karl Hendricks Trio formed in 1992 following the break-up of their nominal leader's previous band, Sludgehammer. Hendricks, a singer-guitarist born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1970, first began writing songs and releasing cassettes while in his teens; while working a day job in a record store, he formed the Trio with bassist Tim Parker and drummer Tom Hoffman. The group made its recording debut with 1992's Buick Elektra, followed in 1993 by Some Girls Like Cigarettes, a brooding, frankly neurotic collection of autobiographical songs. Later that same year -- at a time when Hendricks was also serving a tour of duty playing bass in Thee Speaking Canaries -- the group issued The Karl Hendricks Trio Sings About Misery and Women; a subsequent move to the Merge label prior to the release of 1995's A Gesture of Kindness resulted in the reissue of Some Girls Like Cigarettes, followed in 1996 by For a While, It Was Funny.