10 Most Underrated 90s Indie Bands You Need To Listen To
2. The Karl Hendricks Trio
Pittsburgh, PA’s The Karl Hendricks Trio is perhaps the most prolific act on this list because they released roughly half a dozen studio albums over roughly the same amount of years. With a revolving line-up supporting their namesake singer/songwriter/guitarist, their music always felt fresh, too.
Honestly, all of their ‘90s collections (from 1992’s Buick Electra to 1998’s Declare Your Weapons) were perfect products of their time. Evoking the alternative rock raucousness and/or meditativeness of Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Din Pedals, the Pixies, and Smashing Pumpkins, they had a charming DIY quality that was at once grimy and encouraging.
Lyrically, there was a clear and curious shift from boyish confessionalism to external observations, too, that somewhat mirrored Ben Folds’ songwriting evolution from the 1990s to the 2000s and beyond. While they were never really household names, they did manage to tour with a few bigger artists (like Neutral Milk Hotel, Superchunk, and Steve Earle).
Tragically, Hendricks (who grew up digging Def Leppard and Hüsker Dü, and who also ran a music store called Sound Cat) lost his three-year battle with oral cancer in 2017. Therefore, he—like Scott Miller—is an underacknowledged voice in the indie/alternative rock movement.