I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: THE SALTEENS-“Frequency” (2010).

I immediately enjoyed the poppy sensibilities of The Salteens. And I knew I’d want to listen to them on CBC Radio 3 again.  There are quite a few tracks available online there.

This one comes from their new EP, Moths.  A little research shows that they’ve actually been around for quite awhile and even appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba! (early 21st century’s badge of coolness).  It is very poppy, features male/female duet vocals and is immensely catchy.

It’s so catchy, in fact that I played their CBC radio songs over and over.  While I liked some better than others (I wasn’t too keen on “Sunnyside Street”), their twee pop was so joyful that I found myself singing along.  They are definitely twee, but not treacly, and in that respect that are very indie sounding (like a less bummed out Death Cab for Cutie or an early Cardigans).

Their arrangements are always pretty simple, but they range from guitars to keyboard to horns (“Nice Day” is almost all drums with the simplest piano and occasional horns).  And it contains the humorous couplet: “I know you think that I’m gay, but I just play the part”

[READ: July 5, 2010] “Lenny Hearts Eunice”

I’ve really enjoyed Shteyngart’s novels, so I was pleased to see him included in 20 Under 40.  This short story is set in another of his future dystopia, complete with a shlubby main character.

It opens with the obvious (yet very satisfying in this case) technique of a diary entry.  This works really well because the narrator is so strong (not physically) and quirky.  Lenny begins this diary because he is in love with Eunice Park, a young Korean woman with whom he shared a moment (and later an intimacy).  And he intends to win her over.

Lenny is a Research Coordinator of the Post-Human Services Division of the Staatling-Wapachung Corporation, a corporation bent on making everyone (especially its employees) immortal.  Of course, since Lenny is an older, out of shape nebbish, who has just spent a year in Rome gorging on carbs, his future looks bleak.  Rome is where he met Eunice by the way.I love the way Eunice’s letter to her friend Grillbitch (sent via the GlobalTeen network) opens with awesome, hilarious misdirection.  I also enjoyed that Eunice is self serving, and yet is able to give Lenny pleasure (in a weird way).

There’s a lot of Shteyngart’s humor in the story: the office where he works displays everyone’s name and mood on a large train station board (that clacks as it changes).  And, everyone is constantly speaking to each other on their äppärät (I HAD to include that word).  Finally, Lenny is considered very weird and possibly disturbed because he reads books.  Like for fun.  (He had to spray his old books with perfume so they wouldn’t smell like old books).

The story ends in a weird place, but it is satisfying nonetheless.  This feels like it could be a much longer work, and I rather hope he develops it further.

His Q&A (with the hilarious answer to the question What was the inspiration for the piece included in the “20 Under 40” series?) is here.