Canasta
Chicago, Illinois, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
"...fantastic full-length debut... they harness the chaos of collective creative sources into something incredibly tight and consistently good throughout 13 tracks of pop goodness... easily accessible but layered and interesting enough to be a fresh sound for indie pop." - OnMilwaukee.com (Milwaukee, WI)
"Out of nowhere come a band from Chicago that sound ready for primetime right out of the box. They're just about to release their full-length debut and it's quite impressive. A bit sprawling in a Wilco sort of way with touches of Arcade Fire, 'We Were Set Up' could sneak its way onto some year-end top ten lists." - Real Detroit Weekly (Detroit, MI)
"Canasta's broad sonic palette defies pat descriptions. Vocalist Matt Priest's delightfully askew songwriting recalls bands as diverse as Superchunk and the Decemberists." - INtake (Indianapolis, IN)
"...Chicago's Canasta was more than enough to bring me out of music writer retirement. And I wasn't disappointed. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable weeknights of music I've seen anywhere in some time...' The Fakeout The Tease and the Breather' is arguably my favorite album released so far this year. The remarkably well-crafted songs just plain make me happy, encouraging listen after listen... The whole set was spot on..." - HowWasTheShow? (Minneapolis, MN)
"...Chicago's Canasta was more than enough to bring me out of music writer retirement. And I wasn't disappointed. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable weeknights of music I've seen anywhere in some time... 'The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather' is arguably my favorite album released so far this year. The remarkably well-crafted songs just plain make me happy, encouraging listen after listen... The whole set was spot on..." - HowWasTheShow? (Minneapolis, MN)
"...stunning... 'The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather.' Their sophomore effort finds Canasta mastering their craft to create a sonically and emotionally compelling collection of new songs... the album leaps into group sing-alongs, triumphant epics, and tender lows... It took a while, but we're glad the band put the five years between albums to such great use." - Jim Kopeny, Chicagoist
"4 Stars - Canasta takes songwriting and composition to a whole new level with their latest release... the very definition of orchestral pop... just may produce shivers down a few spines... 'The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather' is an album with staying power. Sophisticated musicianship mixes with memorable melodies and insightful lyrics... It wouldn't be surprising if these guys (and girls) made it big(ger) this coming year." - The Badger Herald (Madison, WI)
"(3 1/2 Stars) The tone is set for an album of open-air chamber pop that sounds like it wants to go haywire (and become a mess) but has been expertly subdued and shaped and is thus sublime... Pop rarely sounds this warm and natural when it’s this intricately composed." - Thomas Conner, Chicago Sun-Times
"4 Stars... an accessible indie-pop sound that's familiar but enjoyable because of the band's enthusiasm and creativity... Canasta's sense of what makes for quality music is evident with just one listen." - The Pitt Times (Pittsburgh, PA)
"Fed by some seriously beautiful Chicago-inspired lyrics and a sweet horn section, not to mention the keyboard/organ ear sugar of Megan O'Connor, this band is one step away from blowing up... if you're a label rep, listen to this band, now." - Gapers Block
"...pop phenoms... The sextet's meticulous orchestrations of violin, guitar, trombone, keyboard, and even clarinet adorn lyrical, buoyant pop tunes, recalling the delicacy of Belle and Sebastian and the lush, upbeat melodies of the Shins." - Flavorpill
"Canasta does something seemingly simple, but deeply complex... comes on slowly and leaves you picking up your jaw in amazement... The capability of six instrumentalists to work with dynamics is easy to attain, but to do it in a way where as the sound isn't overwhelming or convoluted isn't quite the walk in the park it comes off as... Priest's striking voice complements the compositions with an unadulterated and crisp tone." - HEAVE Media
"...effortless, effervescent pop that doesn't call undue attention to its carefully constructed layers of intertwining melodies... the ork-pop genre has produced some of the best bands in the Chicago underground in the last decade... Canasta certainly deserves a place on this list..."
- Jim Derogatis, Vocalo.org
"...beautiful and complex and filled with subtle goodness... They really do pave their own path and the results are remarkable. 'The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather' is the album the band was always meant to make and they have made it look effortless." - The Deli
"...Canasta's strength has been mixing genres, ever so slightly, to keep it unpredictable... The band's impressive orchestral pop, which really could catch on at any moment in a big, big way, will not cease in its power – listening to 'We Were Set Up' again for the first time in a long while, I can’t believe I was able to put it down in the first place." - Tom Lynch, New City
"One of Chicago's most promising and hardest working bands... ''We Were Set Up' finds the band expanding on the chamber pop formula of 2003's 'Find the Time' EP by writing more mature and exciting arrangements... Hearing the best of Canasta's recorded repertoire in one setting makes me again believe this band has the potential to join the ranks of its heroes..." - Illinois Entertainer
"...'The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather' is one of the best Chicago albums of the year." - Metromix / RedEye
"Chicago's premier orchestral indie pop outfit... The lengthy break between this and their intriguing 2005 debut, 'We Were Set Up,' allowed the band’s already dynamic sound to blossom further... melody that soaks deep into your skin before you know what happened... strikingly gorgeous songs..." - IGN
"Imagine the prize musicians from six adjacent counties' high school orchestras growing up and coalescing to form a pop band inspired by Queen, Kraftwerk, and Nick Drake... a brisk sort of chamber-pop, with violins and clarinet swirling around Priest's clear-toned voice, which can be as percussive as it is melodic... Each song is a barrage of hooks and nuanced performances... Lindau's violin shines throughout the album, though everyone gets more than their share of standout moments... [Canasta's] value to the pop music scene continues to grow as it broadens both its geographical and musical reach." - PopMatters
"...this is not a case of local overhype... a band that loves grande, dramatic, orchestral pop without hesitating to pay their respects to their alt country influences, producing a detailed and sophisticated body of songs... you will be wondering just like me: How is it possible that these guys haven’t got a major contract yet?" - Pop+Rock (Greece)
"Canasta has been riding a giant (and much deserved) wave of hype... a formidable lineup of multi-instrumentalists and a pop sensibility that gave equal nod to both melody and texture... Rarely is new music categorized as being both immediately accessible and dizzyingly complex, but Priest and co-founder Elizabeth Lindau manage this feat so adroitly at times that it even makes [Arcade Fire's] Win Butler and Régine Chassagne look like rookies... manages to astound just as much on the first listen as it does on the fifth... restrained genius... everything they touch is handled with such a grace and elegance… the songwriting here is so sharp that Canasta makes it exceedingly difficult to give [the album] only one spin." - Adam Costa, Adequacy.net
"...the somewhat dreamy orchestral pop from the Chicago band Canasta on 'The Fakeout, the Tease and The Breather,' sounds so unbelievably good that no major label could improve it... This may seem like an exaggeration, but believe me, indiepop has seldom sounded so pretty as it does on this second album from Canasta..." - Heaven (The Netherlands)
"Canasta has slowly made a name for itself in recent years, thanks to its inventive arrangements... [the band] has separated itself by layering its sounds while retaining remarkable catchiness... Canasta looks primed for a considerable breakthrough." - NPR's World Cafe
"The orchestrated pop on this local sextet's new full-length, 'The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather,' is so perfect—every note falling into place with deeply satisfying craftsmanship—that you’ll swear you’ve heard it before. But you haven't... Bandleaders Matt Priest and Elizabeth Lindau are just tuned into some form of divine radio where all the best of indie pop, yacht rock, and sad troubadour folk present themselves in virgin form. The uncomfortably intimate 'Plan Your Escape,' the slinky 'Appreciation,' and the sweetly bitter 'Shortcut' set the tone for the revelation that this sad puppy has teeth." - Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader
"...Canasta can be called an indie-pop band for good enough reasons, but on their debut album 'We Were Set Up' they display both an ambition and a sense of range that any number of early 21st century American groups described in similar terms would be wise to follow... subtle... mesmerizing... stunning..."
- Ned Raggett, AllMusic
"Thanks to the success of bands like The Arcade Fire and The Decemberists, chamber-pop is the new indie rock, and in a musical climate primed for the sound, Chicago's Canasta could fare well. The sextet's new 'We Were Set Up,' released at this show, brims with bright, lush melodies, a suitably askew mix of instruments (clarinet, trombone, violin, etc.) and smartly constructed songs that balance traditional pop and indie-minded subversiveness. The band is self-releasing 'We Were Set Up,' but it begs for the attention of a big label."
- The Onion
"Whenever a band has more than four musicians, one's mind is flooded with the frightening specter of the Allman Brothers or Jethro Tull--bands whose sole purpose is to create an unintelligible wall of sound that drones on and on for days, weeks, months. Within the first minute of listening to 'We Were Set Up' any such fears are put to rest. Canasta brings together a myriad of instruments and plays them all with precision and purpose. Megan O'Connor's piano skills are the backbone for a number of tracks, including the raucous opener, 'Microphone Song.' The rest of the band meticulously layers varying amounts of violin, trombone, and clarinet on top. Matt Priest also offers a few surprises on vocals, at times channelling the nerd-pop of They Might Be Giants' John Linnell and other times Freddy Mercury. It all results in one of the most vibrant pop sounds to emerge from Chicago in years."
- UR Magazine
Discography
"THE FAKEOUT, THE TEASE AND THE BREATHER" (2010)
This is Canasta's long awaited sophomore full-length! Read more about it above.
"WE WERE MIXED UP" (2008)
While preparing demos for their follow-up full-length, Canasta invited friends of theirs to remix the songs from their full-length, resulting in "We Were Mixed Up." All in all, it's nearly 100 minutes of music, re-imagined by some of Chicago best and brightest, including members of OFFICE, The Hood Internet, Brighton MA, Allá, The Fake Fictions, Roommate and others. As a "thank you" to their fans, this digital-only release can be downloaded completely free of charge from the audio page of Canasta's website, www.canastamusic.com.
"WE WERE SET UP" (2006)
This is Canasta's first full-length album and included among the thirteen tracks are live favorites such as "Microphone Song," "Shadowcat," "An Apology" and "Sympathetic Vibrations," new songs like "Firenze," "Impostors" and "Heads Hurt Better," plus re-recorded versions of two classics from their EP, "Slow Down Chicago" and "Just a Star." The album features guest contributions from members of The Coctails, Poi Dog Pondering, Freakwater, Verbow and Archer Prewitt's band. The full album can be streamed at the band's website, www.canastamusic.com, and select songs are even available for download.
"FIND THE TIME" (2003, SOLD OUT)
This is Canasta's debut EP, which features four original tracks plus a unique arrangement of Kraftwerk's "The Model." The entire thing is now available as a FREE download from the audio page of Canasta's website, www.canastamusic.com.
"CROSSWALK: A CHICAGO BAND CATHOLIC HYMN COMPILATION TO BENEFIT VICTIMS OF PRIESTLY SEXUAL ABUSE" (2010)
The fine folks at Cherry Bomb, in an effort to raise money for S.N.A.P. (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), asked twenty-two Chicago artists to record heartfelt versions of popular Catholic hymns. Canasta contributed its take on "Praise to the Lord the Almighty," which manages to feel both swampy and spacey, simultaneously. The disc also features music by Office, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, The Aluminum Group, Danny Black, the Detholz!, Midstates, Nad Navillus and others.
"FREEZE-TAG: A COMPILATION BENEFITING CHICAGO'S TANGERINE ARTS GROUP AND RAINBOW HOUSE" (2002)
As the name implies, the proceeds from the sales of this compilation are used to help two deserving, nonprofit organizations based in Chicago. The winter/holiday-themed collection includes the first track Canasta ever recorded: a haunting waltz entitled "Rescue by Christmas." It also features music by Office, Midstates, The North Atlantic, Eric Ziegenhagen, La Makita Soma and fourteen other talented artists.
Photos
Bio
When Canasta throws around the term "long-awaited" to describe their upcoming album, "The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather," they aren’t just whistling Dixie. Considering the band has been a staple - perhaps even the unspoken centerpiece - of Chicago's orchestral pop contingent this millennium, it's hard to believe that this is just their second full-length. But Canasta doesn't profess to be any sort of lightning rod for the muses. As un-sexy as it sounds, the members are probably better described as pop craftsmen/women. Their composition process may take time, but it elicits serious pride in the end result.
Boasting a six-person line-up, Canasta has always augmented the standard rock set-up with piano, keyboard, violin and trombone. But despite an ever-changing roster that has included fifteen members (!), founders Matt Priest and Elizabeth Lindau continue to keep the orchestrations meticulous, the lyrics thoughtful, the melodies unforgettable and the sound uniquely "Chicagoan." But don’t get the impression they spend all their time cooped up in the studio and rehearsal space. Since forming, they've managed to live out one rock n' roll dream after another. They've toured the country - hitting CMJ and other festivals - and back at home, headlined the legendary Metro and held the prestigious Schubas residency. They've gigged with killer bands like Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Kaiser Chiefs, Devotchka, Sloan, Menomena, White Rabbits, The Lemonheads and The Delgados and even played a set for President Obama. Their songs have made their way into TV commercials, a movie trailer and NPR's programming and they’ve sold out pressings of both their debut EP, "Find the Time," and full-length, "We Were Set Up"...
...which brings us to the new album. It's a record that earns its lengthy gestation period and demonstrates a big step forward in songwriting. This album's louder moments are darker, denser and more dramatic than those found on past recordings, with harder-hitting drums, boomier bass and a swarm of buzzing synths. But conversely, its prettier moments are sparser and more heartbreaking, with vocals bordering on a whisper and the audible creaking and squeaking of piano pedals, guitar frets and violin strings. And along the way, the record flirts with elements new to the band, borrowing from the likes of disco, shoegaze, spaghetti western, gospel and blue-eyed soul. But in Canasta's hands, it never spirals out of control; it’s unquestionably still a pop record at heart. The album, the band's first for upstart label RWIM Chicago, was released late this Spring to grateful fans and glowing reviews. And despite the wait, now that folks have heard exactly what it was the band had been up to, it appears all has been forgiven and 2010 is emerging as THE YEAR OF THE FAKEOUT! (Typing that last part was every bit as fun as I'd hoped it would be.)
ARTSITS PLAYED WITH
Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Macy Gray, Kaiser Chiefs, Devotchka, Sloan, Menomena, White Rabbits, The Lemonheads, The Delgados, Lucero, Voxtrot, The Dears, The Posies, Jeremy Enigk, The Clientele, Crooked Fingers, American Music Club, Field Music, Longwave, Earlimart, Nebula, Imperial Teen, Califone, Annuals, The Cool Kids, Murder by Death, Pat Monahan (of Train), Third Eye Blind, Gin Blossoms, The New Amsterdams, Adam Green, Elf Power, Jill Sobule, Starlight Mints, Aqueduct, Natalia Lafourcade, Hello Seahorse!, Nicolai Dunger, The Rosebuds, The Acorn, The Ladybug Transistor, Eleventh Dream Day, The Earlies, Page France, Black Prairie, The Autumn Defense, Mucca Pazza and The Kingsbury Manx, among others
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Performed alongside Barack Obama at a fundraiser for his Democratic Primary Campaign at Chicago's Riviera Theater (capacity: 2,500) and later supplied music to a number of his online campaign videos
• Curated the esteemed "Practice Space" residency at Chicago's Schubas
• Headlined Chicago's legendary Metro, Double Door, Subterranean and The Hideout
• The song "Slow Down Chicago" appears in the trailer for the IFC feature film, "Diminished Capacity," starring Matthew Broderick and Alan Alda
• Appeared five times at the "CMJ Music Marathon" (NYC), as well as the "CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest" (Cleveland), "Midpoint Music Fest" (Cincinatti), "Broad Ripple Music Fest" (Indianapolis), "PLAY:stl Music Fest" (St. Louis), plus "Schubas' Tomorrow Never Knows Fest," "Wicker Park Summerfest," and "Guinness Oyster Fest" (all Chicago)
• Sold out initial pressings of "The Fakeout" (750+ copies), "We Were Set Up" (1,500+) and the "Find the Time" EP (750+), the latter two of which were self-released
• Heard on National Public Radio, major Chicago radio stations WXRT and WKQX (Q101), plus countless college and web frequencies throughout the country
• "Slow Down Chicago" was named one of the "Best Songs of the Year" by WXRT Radio
• Performed and recorded to benefit domestic-abuse, rape advocacy, sustainabl
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