Thank you so much for the feedback and support @Sweelinck. This really means a lot.
You bring up a great point about the sense of place coming through in our music, whether intentionally or not. Our musical heroes are just a small part of what influences our artistry, and as much as I love the music of Berlin, Manchester, NYC, or Rio de Janeiro, I will only be able to authentically express what it sounds like to be in this Midwestern place. There are two pioneering Ohio electronic/synth-punk bands (Devo and Brainiac) that I always thought sounded so out of place for the landscape and culture of Ohio, but I realize as I'm getting older that they are exactly what Ohio sounds like.
Again, thanks for taking the time to listen and respond. Hopefully, the next time I share something I will have my ideas fleshed out a bit more. I really love this idea of capturing the local environment and "zeitgeist". :)