I was really only familiar with Frank (Just Frank) whose take on coldwave excited me last year. It felt good to hear some dark brooding synth music in a time when every band wanted to take us to the beach. Sometimes you just want to stay in the city, watch French crime films and listen to something which isn’t so painfully happy sunshine picnics and soda pop.

ARC was a slow atmospheric band who unfortunately didn’t do much. On the line up with spazzed out synth punk and moody coldwave, they just didn’t feel like they belonged. The music was good for what it was, I guess, but it just wasn’t my thing.

Frank (Just Frank) was great. They record as a duo, but had added a bassist and picked up a press corps as a friend of the band shot and shot and shot and shot. They were excellent live. When they played “Collapse” (my favorite of their songs) I got that little thrill in your heart when you hear something you enjoy so loudly.

Tearist reminded me of Duchess Says, in that it was formalist synth music played really fast with an aggressive, flailing female lead singer. Spazzy synth punk. I loved every minute of it!