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Browse our archives of past newsletters to see what we’ve been up to, or to catch up on something you may have missed. The most recent newsletters are listed below, followed by links to past newsletters organized by year.

• (03-05-2010) CANASTA - HEAR TRACK #2: "MEXICO CITY"! + 2 SCHUB...
• (02-26-2010) CANASTA - HEAR NEW MUSIC! + RECORD RELEASE: SAT. ...
• (12-28-2009) CANASTA - Huge Update: Album Title! + Free Simon'...

[2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006] [2007] [2008] [2009] [2010]

We Were Mixed Up
FREE DOWNLOAD!

“…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)
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“Straddling the line between hooky pop and orchestral quality has put Canasta on the forefront of a rapidly growing genre dubbed ‘orch pop’… We Were Set Up rewards replays by revealing new layers of sound each time… each replay of the album means a different song catches one’s attention and becomes easier to appreciate. It’s reminiscent of reading an excellent and complex novel; there’s always something new that reveals itself in the same lines.”
— South Bend Tribune
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“…joined the ranks of other notable orchestral–pop bands such as Yum–Yum, the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, the 1900s and Head of Femur that have had a notable impact on Chicago’s underground music scene.”
— The Herald-Palladium
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“If it were up to us, we’d have put these lovely, local melodic popsters somewhere around dusk, when their piano plinks could blend nicely into the setting sun.”
— Chicago Tribune
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“…[Canasta’s] sound is far more fleshed out and melodic [than that of White Rabbits’], with violin, piano, and even trombone making appearances. Lead singer Matt Priest has a nearly pitch-perfect voice that’s somewhat reminiscent of They Might Be Giants, and the band’s songs were some of the more lush and intricate of the evening.”
— 77 Square (Madison, WI)
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“…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…”
— Chicago Sun-Times
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“…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…”
— AllMusic
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“…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.”
— New City
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“Chicago’s Canasta play a rich and usually satisfyingly lush brand of orchestral pop… impressively diverse… rapturous…”
— PopMatters
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“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”
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