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Biography

Rain Parade officially disbanded in 1987, leaving behind a brief but influential legacy that would inspire countless alternative rock bands throughout the following decades. Their final album, "Crashing Dream," released that same year, served as both a swan song and a crystallization of their evolving sound, featuring more polished production while maintaining the psychedelic undertones that had defined their earlier work. The band's dissolution came at a time when the underground music scene they had helped nurture was beginning to break into mainstream consciousness, making their departure all the more poignant for fans who had followed their journey from the clubs of Los Angeles to the college radio stations of America.

The seeds of Rain Parade's demise were perhaps planted during the recording of their second full-length album, "Beyond the Sunset," in 1985. While the record showcased the band's growth as songwriters and musicians, internal tensions were beginning to surface as members pulled in different creative directions. Matt Piucci's guitar work had become increasingly sophisticated, incorporating elements of folk rock and jangle pop that sometimes clashed with the band's more experimental impulses. Meanwhile, David Roback's vision for the group was becoming more atmospheric and dreamy, foreshadowing the sound he would later perfect with Mazzy Star alongside Hope Sandoval.

Their breakthrough moment had come with the 1983 album "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip," a masterpiece of paisley underground music that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the early 1980s alternative scene. The album's standout track, "What She's Done to Your Mind," became an underground anthem, receiving significant airplay on college radio stations and establishing Rain Parade as one of the leading lights of the Paisley Underground movement alongside bands like The Dream Syndicate, The Long Ryders, and The Bangles. The record's swirling guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and psychedelic production created a sound that was both nostalgic and forward-thinking, drawing from 1960s psychedelia while pushing into uncharted sonic territory.

The band's musical style was a unique amalgamation of influences that set them apart from their contemporaries. They seamlessly blended the jangly guitar sounds of early R.E.M. with the experimental edge of Velvet Underground, all while incorporating the reverb-drenched aesthetics of 1960s garage rock. Their sound was characterized by Piucci's melodic guitar lines weaving in and out of Roback's more textural approach, creating layers of sound that could be both ethereal and driving. The rhythm section, anchored by Steven Roback on drums and Will Glenn on bass, provided a solid foundation that allowed the guitarists to explore their sonic landscapes while maintaining the songs' pop sensibilities.

Rain Parade emerged from the fertile Los Angeles music scene of the early 1980s, formed by brothers David and Steven Roback along with guitarist Matt Piucci. The band's origins can be traced back to David Roback's earlier group, The Unconscious, and his desire to create music that bridged the gap between the punk energy that was dominating LA's underground scene and the more melodic, psychedelic sounds of the past. When Piucci joined the fold, bringing his own musical vision and guitar skills, the chemistry was immediate, and Rain Parade began to develop their distinctive sound through countless hours of rehearsal and experimentation in various LA rehearsal spaces and clubs.

The band's influence on the alternative rock movement cannot be overstated. Their approach to guitar layering and atmospheric songwriting would later be heard in the work of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and countless other shoegaze and alternative rock acts. David Roback's subsequent success with Mazzy Star, particularly their hit "Fade Into You," demonstrated the lasting appeal of the dreamy, psychedelic aesthetic that Rain Parade had pioneered. Meanwhile, Matt Piucci continued to make music, carrying forward the melodic sensibilities that had made Rain Parade's songs so memorable.

Today, Rain Parade is remembered as one of the most important bands of the Paisley Underground movement, their brief but brilliant career serving as a bridge between the punk and new wave movements of the late 1970s and the alternative rock explosion of the 1990s. Their albums continue to find new audiences through reissues and streaming platforms, with "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip" frequently appearing on lists of essential 1980s alternative rock albums. For those who experienced their music in real-time, Rain Parade represents a moment when underground rock music was pure possibility, before genres became codified and scenes became marketing