Austinist Show Preview & Giveaway: The Laughing EP Release Show @ Club de Ville

The Laughing first came into prominence early last year upon the release of the Tiger Cry EP. Chock-full of danceable ditties combining new wave synth-pop with a multitude of instrumentation (such as the glockenspiel and saxophone), the debut EP earmarked the local outfit as one to watch. A year and half later, and now apparently sans their once trademark vests, and Sven, their lovable tiger mascot, the band welcomes us to the Jungle.

Recorded and produced by the combination of Erik Wofford, Danny Reish, and Martin Crane (Cacophony Recorders), Jungle leads off with the appropriately titled “[ENTER]” and less than a minute later, “Canopy” kicks in. Maintained by droning saxophone and accentuated by chirping keys, “Canopy” is one of the highlights of the EP and brings to fore Logan Middleton’s vocal chops. “Danger!” is an enticing smorgasbord of sounds with a distinct exotic feel. The band mellows out a tad during “[EXIT]” (which is, a bit oddly, not the last track on the record) before the sizzling “Paradise” closes out Jungle, a stellar EP that may just be one more foot rung on The Laughing’s ladder to further success.

You can purchase Jungle (Artifact Workshop) at the official “CD Release Party” this Friday at Club de Ville. Local artist and Misprint Magazine editor Bryan Keplesky will paint an 8 x 8 foot canvas (comprised of blank CD sleeve size segments) live during the course of the evening, depicting the album cover designed by Keplesky himself. Physical copies of Jungle will feature a segment from the canvas along with an outlined stamp of the seemingly wild (but cute!) feline seen on the EP cover.

Follow the jump for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show (and to view an image of the aforementioned EP cover design)!