Artstravaganza [LP/CD]

An album and collection of musical apps, Chicks on Speed's Artstravaganza lives up to its name. Melissa Logan and Alex Murray-Leslie have always touched on the increasingly blurry lines between pop culture, the avant-garde, and everyday life, but they've never done it with as much ambition as on this set of songs. Their list of collaborators is impressive in its own right, headlined by Yoko Ono (who appears on the opening highlight "Utopia") and Julian Assange (who makes a cameo on "God"). Along with the duo's provocative pop, Chicks on Speed also explore more expansive sounds, some of which are aimed at the dancefloor and some that aim for higher levels of consciousness. Throughout the album, they remain as cheeky and thought-provoking as ever. ~ Heather Phares