Review: Franz Nicolay - "Major General"
If you've ever seen Franz Nicolay perform with any of the handful of bands he’s a part of, chances are you’ve fallen in love with his delightful mustachioed smile, voluptuous sideburns, skilled musicianship, or the way his free hand flails in the air when singing backup vocals. Well, now there’s a new reason to love Franz Nicolay: his songwriting. Even whilst hopping around the globe with international superstars like the Hold Steady, cult cabaret-punk favorites World/Inferno Friendship Society, moonlighting in punk mainstays like Leftover Crack, the Living End and upstarts like Star Fucking Hipsters, Nicolay squeezed in time to write and record his 2007 demo disc The Black Rose Paladins before his debut solo full-length, Major General . Those already familiar with Nicolay’s various aforementioned contributions will not be surprised by the skillful and proficient musicianship present on Major General , as the multi-instrumentalist demonstrates a mastery of his craft upon a varied