NTS aired an episode dedicated to the music of Laughing Hyenas on 19 November 2020. Laughing Hyenas has been played on NTS over 10 times, featured on 6 episodes and was first played on 20 July 2015.

Laughing Hyenas was an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, active from 1985 to 1995. According to AllMusic, "At first, the band specialized in dirges overlaid with the tortuous, throat-shredding vocals of frontman John Brannon. As time passed, their blues connections became more and more explicit." All of their records were released on independent label Touch and Go. Vocalist John Bannon had previously fronted the Detroit hardcore punk band Negative Approach, which reformed in 2006. Guitarist Larissa Strickland had previously fronted Detroit post-punk band L-Seven; she died (aged 46) of a drug overdose on October 9, 2006.

Discography: Come Down to the Merry Go Round EP (1987) You Can't Pray a Lie (1989) Life of Crime (1990) Crawl (EP) (1992) Hard Times (1995)

Members: John Brannon – vocals (1985–1995) Larissa Strickland – guitar (1985–1995) Jim Kimball – drums (1985–1990) Kevin Strickland – bass (1985–1990) Todd Swalla – drums (1990–1995) Kevin Ries – bass (1990–1994) Ron Sakowski – bass (1994–1995)