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, November 17-23, 2005