Franz Nicolay

Franz Nicolay
Nicolay in 2009
Background information
Born	(1977-08-27) August 27, 1977
Origin	Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, United States
Genres	indie rock, punk rock
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	vocals, accordion, keyboards, piano, banjo, guitar, saw
Associated acts	The Hold Steady, The World/Inferno Friendship Society, Anti-Social Music, Guignol, Against Me!
Website	www.franznicolay.com

Franz Nicolay (born 1977) is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known for playing the accordion and the piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and playing keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010. He is also notable for founding Anti-Social Music, a composer/performer collective based in New York City, and for performing in the gypsy-klezmer troupe Guignol.

Beyond his long-term association with these groups, Nicolay has worked as a producer, arranger, session player, and collaborator with many other bands, including Mischief Brew, Leftöver Crack, The Dresden Dolls, The Loved Ones, and The Living End. He has performed or guested with bands including Frank Turner, Star Fucking Hipsters, and Against Me!.

Career

Early career

Nicolay grew up in Center Sandwich, New Hampshire,^[1] and graduated from New York University's music program.^[2]

World/Inferno Friendship Society

Nicolay joined the New York City anarcho-circus punk band the World/Inferno Friendship Society in late 2000. He recorded three full-length albums with the band and was a member of their longest continuous lineup 2000-2007.

Anti-Social Music

In 2001, Nicolay organized "An Afternoon of Anti-Social Chamber Music" at Columbia University, a program of new music from emerging New York-based composers. This concert led to the founding of Anti-Social Music, a non-profit new-music collective of composers and performers that presents concerts of premieres by emerging (primarily New York-based) composers. Since the first "Afternoon," the group has played over 75 shows, premiered 123 new works by 28 composers, and seen over 110 performers have played or recorded with them.^[3] Nicolay's compositions appear on their CDs "Greatest Hits…LIVE(ish)"^[4] and "Sings The Great American Songbook".^[5]

Guignol

Guignol, described by the Times of London as "a combination of punk, jazz, folk, tango, klezmer, cheap red wine, woolly pinstriped suits, newsboy caps and one waxed moustache," ^[6] is a quartet founded in 2002 by Nicolay and clarinetist Peter Hess (World/Inferno Friendship Society, Balkan Beat Box) to accompany performers from the Coney Island sideshow at a weekly show at CBGB. They became a part of the growing New York gypsy-punk scene^[7] and released a full-length, self-titled album in 2004 and the EP "Drink The Best Wine First" in 2005.^[8]

In 2005, Guignol made a guest appearance on the album "Smash The Windows," by the Philadelphia folk-punk band Mischief Brew. In 2009, they released a full-length collaboration called "Guignol & MIschief Brew Fight Dirty," which included six songs by each band, as well as covers of songs by Django Reinhardt and Iron Maiden.^[9][9][10]

The Hold Steady

After guesting on The Hold Steady's debut "Almost Killed Me," Nicolay joined the band in 2004: "World/Inferno played some shows with Lifter Puller in Chicago a long time ago, then when Craig moved to NewYork he was doing A&R for the now-defunct DCN live label and signed us up for the live record "Hallowmas at Northsix". Over the course of working on that, we'd go out drinking with him and Tad when the Hold Steady was kind of coming together as "this new band we're sort of working on". When it finally happened, they called and asked me and Peter to come play on the first record ("Almost Killed Me"), which led to me coming and playing those three songs on NY shows whenever it worked out, which led to "Hey, do you wanna get together and work on some songs for the new record?", which became "Well, do you want to join the band?"^[11]

During his time with the band, The Hold Steady earned almost universal praise by the press for their performances and records.^[12][13][14] In 2010, Nicolay announced he had left the Hold Steady after five years with the band.^[15]

Solo

In 2007, Nicolay released Black Rose Paladins, a set of solo demos. Only 50 hard copies were made, which were sold at his concerts.

On November 5, 2008, Nicolay announced he would be releasing a his first full-length solo album, titled Major General, with former World/Inferno bandmate Yula Beeri currently of Nanuchka, Brian Viglione of World/Inferno and The Dresden Dolls and Jared Scott of Demander. World/Inferno saxophonist Peter Hess also appears on the album. The album was released January 13, 2009 on Fistolo Records.^[16]

In fall 2009, Nicolay released the 10" EP "St. Sebastian of the Short Stage," with art by Nicholas Gazin and including a short story by Nicolay. The EP featured "The Ballad of Hollis Wadsworth Mason, Jr.," based on the character from Watchmen.^[17] He also published his first story collection, "Complicated Gardening Techniques," on Julius Singer Press.^[18]

In 2010, Nicolay released "Luck and Courage" on Team Science Records, and in 2012 "Do The Struggle" on Xtra Mile Records.

Recent activities

Nicolay produced the album The Birth and Death of Meaning and EP "Follow Me" by The Debutante Hour, as well as playing several instruments and providing guest vocals. He also co-produced the album "Killing The Darlings" by the New York trio Pearl and the Beard.^[19]

In summer 2010, Nicolay was a touring member of the Florida punk band Against Me!.^[20] In 2012, his third solo album, "Do The Struggle," appeared on Xtra Mile Recordings.

Miscellaneous

Nicolay appeared in the music video for the Star Fucking Hipsters' "Two Cups Of Tea."^[21]

He also appeared in the video book trailer for Salman Rushdie's Luka and the Fire of Life.^[22]

Discography

Solo

• Black Rose Paladins (2007) (collection of demos)
• All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash" (2008)
  • Tribute recording featuring Nicolay & The Dresden Dolls' "Ballad of a Teenage Queen"
• Major General (2009)
• St. Sebastian of the Short Stage 10" EP (2009)
• The Bushwick Book Club, Vol. 1: January–November 2009" (2010)
  • Compilation including three of Nicolay's songs
• Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute to Bob Dylan's 'Bringing It All Back Home'" (2010)
  • Compilation including Nicolay's "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding (feat. Sxip Shirey"
• Luck & Courage (2010)
• Live Free (Tour EP 2011) (2011)
• Do The Struggle (2012)

The Hold Steady

• Almost Killed Me (guest) (2004)
• eMusic Crisp Songs: Modesto Is Not That Sweet b/w "You Gotta Dance (guest) (2005)
• Separation Sunday (2005)
• Live at Lollapalooza 2006: The Hold Steady (2006)
• Live at Fingerprints (2007)
• I'm Not There (soundtrack) (2007) - "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" (Bob Dylan cover)
• "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" (for the Minnesota Twins)" (2007)
• Boys and Girls in America (2006)
• Stay Positive (2008)
• War Child Presents Heroes (2009) - "Atlantic City" (Bruce Springsteen cover)
• A Positive Rage DVD/LP (2009)

World/Inferno Friendship Society

• Just the Best Party - 2002
• Speak of Brave Men (EP) - 2004
• Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 - 2004
  • Compilation featuring the World/Inferno song "The Expatriate Act"
• Me v. Angry Mob (EP) - 2005
• Red-Eyed Soul - 2006
• Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century - 2007
• Vox Inferne (7") - 2010

Anti-Social Music

• "Greatest Hits…LIVE(ish)" (2005)
• "Sings the Great American Songbook" (2005)
• "Fracture: The Music of Pat Muchmore" (Innova Recordings 760, 2010)^[23]
• "Is The Future Of Everything" (producer) (2011)

Guignol

• "Guignol" (2004)
• "Drink The Best Wine First" EP (2005)
• "Mehanata New York Gypsy Mania" (2005)
  • Compilation featuring the Guignol tracks "All Or Nothing Machine" and "Agada"
• "Guignol & Mischief Brew Fight Dirty" (2009)
• "Guignol: Live on WUML 3/9/10" (2010)

Selected sessions and collaborations

• Mirah/Emilyn Brodsky/The Vibration 7" (guitars, keyboards, accordion, producer)
• Leftöver Crack "Fuck World Trade" (accordion, keyboards)
• Mischief Brew "Smash The Windows" (accordion)
• Nanuchka "A Carefully Planned Accident" (keyboards, accordion)
• The Sharp Things "A Moveable Feast" (accordion)
• The Loved Ones "Build & Burn" (piano, organ, accordion, harmonica, saw)
• The Max Levine Ensemble "OK Smartypants" (keyboards)
• The Living End "White Noise" (keyboards, string arrangements)
• Emilyn Brodsky "Greatest Tits" (keyboards, accordion)
• Star Fucking Hipsters "Until We're Dead" (accordion, keyboards)
• Jennifer O'Connor "Here With Me" (accordion, piano, organ)
• Voltaire "To The Bottom Of The Sea" (accordion)
• Mark Eitzel "Klamath" (accordion)
• Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley "Evelyn Evelyn" (vocals)
• The Debutante Hour "The Birth And Death Of Meaning" (Producer, additional engineering, guitars, glockenspiel, mandola, keys, baritone ukulele, ukulele, banjo, additional vox and percussion)
• Pearl And The Beard "Killing The Darlings" (producer, string arrangements, keys, additional vox and percussion)
• Frank Turner "England Keep My Bones" (accordion)

Bibliography

• "Complicated Gardening Techniques" (short story collection) - Julius Singer Press
• "It All Changed In An Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs" (contributor) - Harper Perennial
• "Work-Rest-Play-Die: Essays on Bob Dylan & The Subhumans" (chapbook)
• "Tour Diaries 2007-2009" (chapbook)
• "The Troubadour And The Patron: Music Writing 2007-2011" (chapbook)
• "The Road Most Traveled" compiled by Chuck Ragan (contributor) - Milner Crest Publishing

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franz Nicolay.

• Franz Nicolay's official website
• The World/Inferno Friendship Society
• The Hold Steady
• Anti-Social Music
• Guignol
• Stereokill Interview: February 2009
• A Story by Franz Nicolay, "Little Hobbes in the Big Woods"
• A Story by Franz Nicolay, "Complicated Garden Techniques"
• An Interview with Franz Nicolay and novelist Peter Bognanni
• Interview with Franz Nicolay by Buzzlegoose
• An essay by Franz Nicolay on performing
• Franz Nicolay is interviewed and performs on an episode of Radio Happy Hour