Rain

Featuring key members of Washington, DC’s thriving punk community in the ’80s, Rain possessed an edgy melodicism shared by other bands forging new musical paths in the post-punk era. Ian MacKaye produced La Vache Qui Rit in 1987 and the six songs here represent the band’s final statement. Rain were bred by the emerging political activism in DC in 1986 and featured future Girls Against Boys members Eli Janney and Scott McCloud. While "That Time of Year” almost resembles some combination of Mission of Burma and early R.E.M., by and large Rain share many characteristics with supposedly "emo” bands like Rites of Spring. There’s a poppy element to the guttural, frantic elements of "Snakeout” and a faith in organic textures on "Around this Axis” that are admirably honest. Peterbilt released this EP in 1990 as a six-song twelve-inch. Out of print until now, La Vache Qui Rit is both aesthetically and historically valuable.