The Dismemberment Plan is kicking your ass, and you've never even heard it.

On its second album, the Washington, D.C. quartet deconstructs punk, pop and any number of sub-genres at breakneck speed, dispensing lyrical wit and off-beat rock power in as potent a combo as any this decade. The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified is one of the rare gems that proves intelligence can still be a driving force behind rock music, and it is inspiring in its refusal to conform to any expectations - those of mainstream rock radio or of the hardcore/punk scene in which the Plan was spawned. It awakens your senses, stimulates your mind and invigorates your dancing feet.

This album secured the band a major-label record deal, only to see them unceremoniously dropped before the release of its follow-up. It's a shame of today's music business that this album isn't in every record store, but it's a classic regardless of distribution.