For his third LP "Do The Struggle", Franz Nicolay worked with producer oktopus, of the innovative New Jersey industrial/hip-hop group dalek, to move beyond the singer-songwriter soundworld to create a dark, explosive, and cinematic opus of personal and political anger, and about balancing the impulse to run away from trouble and the reality that it is the terrible things that happen to us that shape our personalities. Franz Nicolay is that multi-instrumentalist and man-about-town peddling a modern vaudeville with fullthroated songs and stories shamelessly strident, stentorian and more than a little sentimental. Hes been a member of cabaret-punk circus World/Inferno Friendship Society, worlds best bar band the Hold Steady, Balkan-jazz carnies Guignol, founded the outlaw orchestra Anti-Social Music, was a touring member of agit-punks Against Me!; and recorded or performed with everyone from Leftover Crack to Bruce Springsteen.