Franz Nicolay - Luck And Courage

I first saw Franz live, supporting Frank Turner, and when he came on stage carrying an accordion, I'll admit I was already prepared to go and hide in the bar before he even played a note! I decided to give him a chance, though, and I'm glad I did. It's rare to see someone hold a crowd like he did, with just an accordion and a banjo! The man's a born entertainer.

Franz used to be the keyboard player in the Hold Steady, and it shows on quite a few of the songs on this album, but there's also a punky, folky Gogol Bordello-ish edge to it. 'Have Mercy' in particular mixes banjos and strings with massive feedback-laden guitars to excellent effect.

In summary, you should DEFINATELY listen to this album, and you should certainly be excited that he's got a new one due out later this year!