The Karl Hendricks Trio is a rock band from Pittsburgh. In their more than decade of existence, they released seven albums, toured now and then, and saw a number of changes in the rhythm section (including two years as the Karl Hendricks Rock Band, a four-piece). Firmly a trio, the band's last album was 2003's The Jerks Win Again. The line-up includes Jake Leger on drums and Len Jarabeck-back for his second tour of duty-on bass. Hendricks, as he always has, played guitar, sang, and wrote the songs.

The band's sound and approach changed over the years. The early years presented a fervently confessional side of Hendricks, and the youthful heartbreak in the lyrics was embodied in the band's spirited performances. In later years, Hendricks' lyrics have become more outward-looking and his guitar playing has become more expansive. The band's performance, however, remained just as ardent, and, well, loud. Overall, the band seeks to always become better at what they do, and the mission of The Karl Hendricks Trio has been the same from the beginning: to write good rock songs and present them in a genuine, uncompromising fashion.

With Tom Hoffman on drums and Tim Parker on bass, the band played their first show on New Year's Eve 1991 and recorded their first album a couple of weeks later. Released on LP on Hendricks' own label, Buick Electra garnered national attention and sold out quickly. The Trio recorded two albums worth of material during the later months of 1992, and early in 1993, the mini-album Some Girls Like Cigarettes was released as a 10". A few months later, Misery and Women was released and the band toured for the first time.

In 1994, Buick Electra was reissued on CD. The Trio's next new album was 1995's A Gesture of Kindness, the first recorded by Brian Paulson, who would also work on the band's next two albums. A Gesture of Kindness was also the last one to feature the original rhythm section of Hoffman and Parker.

Later in 1995, Merge reissued Some Girls Like Cigarettes on CD. Len Jarabeck joined on bass and the band recorded their first completely new album for Merge, 1996's For a While, It Was Funny. The next album was 1998's Declare Your Weapons, the first to feature Kress on bass. Noah Leger also replaced Hoffman on drums.

From later in 1998 to 2000, the band expanded to a quartet, with Matt Jencik on second guitar and Chris Emerson on drums. This version of the band, except for one single, did not do much recording. In 2001, the band returned to a trio, with Jake Leger taking over on drums. In 2002, the band started recording their next album for Merge, The Jerks Win Again.

The band did a cross-country tour in 2003 in support of The Jerks Win Again. After the tour, Kress quit to pursue other things. In 2004, Len Jarabeck returned to the bass slot. Also, A Gesture of Kindness (long out-of-print) was reissued on CD by Spirit of Orr.

Among the bands they've toured with are Superchunk, Smog, Low, My Dad Is Dead, Butterglory, Kind of Like Spitting and Small 23. They also played shows with, among others, Silkworm, Don Caballero, The Mekons, The Spinanes, The Shipping News, New Bomb Turks, Labradford, Hayden, Joel R.L. Phelps, Magic Hour, Hurl and even, on one strange evening in Hoboken, Steve Earle.

Albums
Buick Electra (Peas Kor, 1992; reisssued by Grass,
1994)
Some Girls Like Cigarettes (Big Ten Rex, 1993; reissued by Merge, 1995)
Misery and Women (Fiasco, 1993)
A Gesture of Kindness (Fiasco/Peas Kor, 1995; reissued by Spirit of Orr, 2004)
For a While, It Was Funny (Merge, 1996)
Declare Your Weapons (Merge, 1998)
The Jerks Win Again (Merge, 2003)

Singles
I Hate This Party ep (Peas Kor, 1991)
"Baseball Cards" (Mind Cure, 1993)
"Checking You Out" (Mind Cure, 1994)
"Coming In September" (Peas Kor, 1995)
"What Everyone Else Calls Fun" (Merge, 1995)
"The Worst Coffee I've Ever Had, Pt. 2" (Merge, 1997)
"Thank God We Have Limes" (Surplus Anxiety, 2001)