Recorded between 1997 and 1999 and first released in 2001, the debut album by Toronto’s Fembots was aimed directly at the art rock hoi polloi — and with good reason. Revealing touches of alt country, the fractured melodies of Brian Poirier and Dave MacKinnon find companionship with television news excerpts, toy xylophones and a broken megaphone. “John & Irene” hides Lennon-esque vocals and a plucked banjo in a mix of slumbering sonics, “Ice Cream” drips with acoustic blues guitar, and “No One Fucks With Goon Ramerez” is little more than odd dialogue that might find a home in any Quentin Tarantino film — replete with acoustic guitar plucking as accompaniment. It all adds up to an entertaining album loaded with unique sounds that is equally ideal for a long commute or a late night with a twelve-pack. – John D. Luerssen