Defiance, Ohio announced their latest full-length, Midwestern Minutes, a few weeks ago. Var from No Idea Records posted the details on a message board. There will be eleven songs, including all four from the Songs for the Icarus Project EP. I’m not sure if these are the same versions or new recordings, but I’m hoping for that latter. No Idea also posted an mp3 of “Hair Pool,” the final, electric version of a song that first appeared on If You Make It’s Pink Couch Sessions. As with past Defiance, Ohio releases, the song has already become my new favorite. The same happened with “The List” and “Oh, Susquehanna!,” from 2007’s The Fear, the Fear, the Fear and 2006’s The Great Depression, respectively. Yes, it appears that the band is not only fond of commas, but capable of topping themselves creatively on a consistent basis.
“Hair Pool,” for instance, is simply a masterpiece. At just under four and a half minutes (though the acoustic version is several seconds longer), it encompasses everything that makes the band special, while still pushing new musical boundaries. Will’s sincere songwriting actually leaves me with this sudden desire to live in a small town, in a place absent of the stress that arises from urban geography. Then again, there are numerous Defiance, Ohio songs that evoke the same feelings.
I wonder how they feel when they visit New York City. Honestly, I can’t think of a place that’s more crowded, hectic, and intimidating. I imagine it represents the complete antithesis of their ideals. Skyscrapers, enormous billboards spanning the length of apartment buildings, busses and taxis functioning as moving advertisements... depressing sights indeed. Hell, the city itself is like one revolving product placement. There’s no avoiding it. It consumes the consumers. Maybe that’s why I have yet to see “Oh, Susquehanna!” live. Maybe we don’t deserve it.
Not to imply that I have any kind of special connection to New York City (outside of concerts and a record store, of course). Nope. Driving through that place is like holding your breath. Relentless anxiety stems from severe claustrophobia. For the most part, it’ll stick with me until I cross back over that bridge. I couldn’t imagine having to sleep there at night. How do people drown out the noise of honking horns?
I went to the mall today with my sister and her friend. We don’t usually go with the intent to purchase anything, as the drive itself is mostly just an escape from boredom. Still, the mall increasingly gives me the same feeling as New York. It’s the go-to center of consumerism, where a single flannel shirt costs twenty-five dollars. I’m sorry, but I don’t want any part of that. Not for me, thanks.
I know that I’m far from perfect. I’m wearing Hot Topic skinny jeans, after all. Still, I’d like to seek a new alternative: the thrift store. I’ll admit, the record selection could be improved, but it should be sufficient for other needs. Two-dollar flannel shirts should be flying off the racks soon.
“Fuck this city, and fuck this filthy air. Let’s build a-frames in the woods and just live there. We’ll all eat berries and build fires every night, and forget this mistake we call modern life.”
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