The Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty For Baby

One of the most ferociously original records to emerge from the Washington DC underground, Plays Pretty For Baby is the second and final full-length from Nation of Ulysses, and the record that cemented their reputation as one of the most important and genuinely dangerous bands of their era. Released on Dischord in 1992 and produced by Ian MacKaye, the album captures Ian Svenonius, Tim Green, Steve Kroner, Steve Gamboa, and James Canty at full, unhinged intensity. It is a collision of post-hardcore aggression, chaotic rhythm and blues, and a deep, restless obsession with jazz that sets them completely apart from their contemporaries.

The influence of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme haunts tracks like "The Sound of Jazz to Come" and "50,000 Watts of Goodwill," while "Maniac Dragstrip," "Shakedown," and "Perpetual Motion Machine" hit with the full force of a band who knew no setting other than maximum. Known for stage performances of legendary and sometimes physically dangerous intensity, Nation of Ulysses were a separatist proposition entirely their own, the first band to articulate intent through histrionics and ideology, refusing rock and roll's comfortable postures at every turn.

This re-cut 2009 reissue, including an MP3 download card with bonus tracks from their second 7", is the definitive way to own a cornerstone of the American underground.