To Us the Beautiful

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. Fourth solo record, released in 2015 on Xtra Mile Recordings and Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club. The title, and title track, is from a Ukrainian toast that goes, "To us, the beautiful-and to those who disagree, may their eyes fall out." the band is Ara Babajian (Leftover Crack, the Slackers) on drums, Andrew Seward (Against Me) on bass, and Yoni Gordon on guitar. J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines) produced.