iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I wrote two new songs—”Ladder” and “Walking A Thin Line“—for the somewhat unexpected record from Just The Best Party (ex-World/Inferno), out today on Bandcamp and streaming shortly. justthebestparty.bandcamp.com/track/walkin...

justthebestparty.bandcamp.com

Walking A Thin Line, by Just The Best Party

from the album After This The Abyss

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Tonight! I’ll be in conversation with @jamie-fisher.bsky.social about her new Elliot Smith biography, plus a lot of great music.

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Today I learned Jackie Robinson took Schoenberg’s class at UCLA

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In your late forties, they let you into the chamber that contains not distance glasses, not reading glasses, but a secret third thing (computer glasses)

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Most unexpected tidbit in the Elliott Smith bio is that his roommate in rehab was Rick James

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

It’s almost bathrobe-and-beanie season

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Jacob Siefring @jsief.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

one must imagine Marat with a rubber duckie

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Juni @juni.pet · 04/09/2026

One of my friends in college had this on vinyl and i remember laying around the dorm room listening to it and Addicted To Bad ideas on a record player I bought from goodwill. It made me love listening to albums as a whole and an activity vs putting on playlists in the bg of something else.

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originalchull.bsky.social @originalchull.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I was like wow was I 6 when I bought this? Then I remembered I am not 26 the record is. Still, one of my favourite albums. All bangers no skips as close to perfect as I think albums get.

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Ernest Jenning Record Co. @ejrc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

World/Inferno Friendship Society's Red-Eyed Soul back in print after 20 years and @savakband.bsky.social collection of untouchable hits from the last decade both up and running now for bandcamp friday: ejrc.bandcamp.com

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Liz @rationalfish.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The clearest sign that I should introduce the toddler to World/Inferno, today.

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Guy ruining Steely Dan for everyone else @artbrovera.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

One of my desert island records. The PINNACLE of any of the cabaret punk scene going on in the 00s. Sharp, witty, historical, fierce and fun. If that scene had a Pet Sounds, like so many people like to discuss, this is it.

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Dan Warnken @danziginthedark.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

One of the greatest records ever made and it’s been out of print forever, grab yourself a copy!!!

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

FWIW the test pressing for this sounded INSANELY good; might have converted me to the idea of 45rpm LPs

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roBOOtron 🏁🎃 @robotron.blog · 04/09/2026

Hell yes

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)))))) @ec6o.ooo · 04/09/2026

adore this band adore this record ❤️

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

20th anniversary 45-rpm double-LP of The World/Inferno Friendship Society's "Red-Eyed Soul"!! Some of the best music I've ever been involved with, for the first time on vinyl since the 2006 release, from @ejrc.bsky.social. Pre-order at Bandcamp: worldinferno.bandcamp.com/album/red-ey...

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Carnage in the dispensary parking lot

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Tonight there was a Dolly dance party in my village & the kids to my surprise got really emotional & I realized that for them, she was like a mythical fairy who the adults loved & who sent them presents every month for years & that it was a little like losing Santa Claus or Mr Rogers. Quite a life

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

My kids loved getting books in the mail from Dolly

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

“It’s a total clown show” scarcely fair to the efficiency of clowns, have you seen how many of them fit in a car?

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

While I’m recommending shit, how about Lieber/Stoller deep cuts presented as cabaret art song? youtu.be/i-gbtysXAf4?...

youtu.be

Morris & Bolcom: Other Songs by Leiber and Stoller

YouTube video by Music Lover

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I was sitting on the tarmac for the entire thing

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Somehow both a diagnosis from my doctor and a review of my piano playing

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Franklin Bruno @humanfranklin.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Franz Nicolay, Band People: Life and Work in Popular Music. Pro keyboardist's interview-based acct of sidepersons like himself. It takes related skills to write such a well-organized, theory-informed 3rd-person book instead of a memoir. Gave me insight into my own "career"; can recommend. #readin26

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Jamie Fisher @jamie-fisher.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

And finally: reminder that I’m organizing benefit concerts in the cities Elliott called home, featuring artists who knew him and artists inspired by him! First one is in Brooklyn this fall dice.fm/event/2wq2wo... All proceeds go to the SIMS Foundation and WIN, q&a by @franznicolay.bsky.social !

Nobody broke your heart: an Elliott Smith benefit concert

7 pm Public Records
NYC September 28

With Half Waif, Greg Mendez, Ida, Jenny Toomey, and Bill Santen

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Classic Seattle-to-SLC routing, no problem

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Interested to see some of my books pop up in the academic-journal world recently: "The Humorless Ladies" is a subject of “Ukraine in Travel Writing 1994–2024,” alongside books by Anne Applebaum & 2 others, in the "Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights." www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

Ukraine in travel writing (1994–2024)

This article analyses representations of Ukraine and Ukrainians in four travelogues spanning 1994–2024: Applebaum’s Between East and West (1994), Nico…

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

My daughter's soccer friends came over to watch and let me just say that some enterprising network should offer an alt-cast commentated by some ruthless 13yo girls because that was some High Quality Entertainment

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

New career goal: non-zero box 11

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Impossible to plan on recording in the summer when you never know when the neighbor is going to fire up the yard work

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I wrote about the carnivalesque history of the Wurlitzer company, which spanned the rise & fall of America as a hustling manufacturing nation / the parallel development of mechanized music from the calliope to the drum machine (walk-ons by Mark Twain) pianofighter.substack.com/p/wurlitzer-...

pianofighter.substack.com

Wurlitzer of Cincinnati

The carnivalesque story of one American music company

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I played on this and used the proceeds to buy my Wurlitzer so for that I give it a hell yeah (I also give it a hell yeah for all the usual reasons)

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

People sometimes ask "what is to be done" about the cascading problems in the music industry. One thing you could do is contact your representative(s) and encourage them to support/co-sponsor Rep. Ross' recently reintroduced "Protect Working Musicians Act" (1/2) ross.house.gov/2026/5/news-...

ross.house.gov

Ross Introduces Legislation to Support Independent Musicians and Ensure Fair Negotiations with Streaming Platforms and AI Developers

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Almost nothing is a quicker buy for me in a used book store than a volume of arcane reference materials. Where else but in a highly specialized technical manual can you find poetry like this:

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Franz Nicolay @franznicolay.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

“Finger Piece” b/w “Finisher Factory”

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