Lose 15 pounds.
Cut back on those nasty cigarettes.
Find out his name before you sleep with him.
New year's resolutions: we all make them. We can't seem to escape the illusion of rebirth that comes with the dawn of a new era, compelled by some inexplicable force to proclaim with starry-eyed optimism, the moment the clock chimes twelve, "This will be the year I [insert insanely unrealistic goal here]..." Pouring over self-help books, chanting personal mantras and charging along the treadmill at an ungodly hour, the first weeks of January are spent basking in the possibilities of self-improvement.
And then the inevitable happens....
Motivation wanes and suddenly good intention loses out to a What Not To Wear marathon on TLC. Before you know it, that new pair of cross trainers and everything else you invested in for the sake of "personal betterment" is shoved under your bed, relegated to the shadows for at least for another eleven months.
Selecting the inaugural music pick of 2009 was rather like deciding on a new year's resolution -- and this time around, I wanted to choose something with actual staying power. It was clear that a slinky, upbeat party number wouldn't do; I needed a song that would transcend the seasons and retain its poignancy months down the road, like "Living This Life Makes It Hard" by the Dutchess and the Duke.
While a dreary ballad heavy with heartache and excruciating sorrow might seem like a strange choice to usher in the next 12 months, take one listen to the gripping lyricism of Jesse Lortz and his bandmate Kimberly Morrison and you'll be convinced of its merit.
Currently only available via Myspace, "Living This Life Makes It Hard" is a perfect addition to the faux-rustic outfit's growing repertoire as it draws on the same delicate interplay of guitars, sweeping boy-girl harmonies and steady tambourine we heard on the act's remarkable debut, She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke out on Hardly Art Records.
Of all the things you resolve to do in 2009, may I suggest that you make listening to this downbeat duo one of them.
Related Tyee stories:
- Sustainable Music and Soul Food
Melissa Endean's tunes are simple, nourishing and grown locally. - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
For fans of the Flaming Lips, Christmas comes early. - Chad VanGaalen's Real Unassuming Genius
Soft Airplane one of the best albums of 2008.
Read more: Music
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