Laughing Hyenas

$16.00

Laughing Hyenas is the saga of one of the most uncompromising quartets in post-punk’s artistically dubious history. It’s a legacy of hell-bent self-destruction in the name of making an unholy racket, a sound both original and traditional, fueled by a love of punk rock, blues and the endless highway. The Hyenas shared stages with indie rock royalty and crisscrossed the nation to deliver the gospel of the New Sounds.

The band's road to big things was blocked by heroin habits, along with the incumbent personality problems that go along with addiction. Based on new interviews and fresh source material, Laughing Hyenas intimately chronicles the history of one of the last outlaw rock ‘n’ roll bands of our era.

Laughing Hyenas is the saga of one of the most uncompromising quartets in post-punk’s artistically dubious history. It’s a legacy of hell-bent self-destruction in the name of making an unholy racket, a sound both original and traditional, fueled by a love of punk rock, blues and the endless highway. The Hyenas shared stages with indie rock royalty and crisscrossed the nation to deliver the gospel of the New Sounds.

The band's road to big things was blocked by heroin habits, along with the incumbent personality problems that go along with addiction. Based on new interviews and fresh source material, Laughing Hyenas intimately chronicles the history of one of the last outlaw rock ‘n’ roll bands of our era.

About the author

Steve Miller is a journalist and was a member of the early Touch and Go bands the Fix and Blight. He is the author of seven books, lives in Dallas, loves dogs, and travels the world.

Photo credit: Nicole Rico

  • Publication date: 7/29/25

    ISBN: 979-8-9917394-0-5

    Format(s): Paperback, ebook

    Pages: 164

    Size: 5x8

    Includes 22 B&W images

  • “Laughing Hyenas’ John Brannon and Larissa Strickland were Michigan’s own version of Sid and Nancy. Their ferocious mix of punk and the blues made them a true original. I don’t know if it was fate, bad luck, or the band’s self-destructive habits—possibly a combination of all three—but, as Steve Miller shows, Laughing Hyenas were never destined for stardom. But their legacy speaks for itself—and deserves to be listened to today.”

    —Butch Vig, producer

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