NICKEL EYE The Time Of Assassins (2009 UK 11-track CD album - Nickel Eye is the solo project of The Strokes' bassist Nikolai Fraiture. When The Strokes' hiatus began taking longer than expected, Nikolai reached into an old shoebox of poems and rants written years ago. With his free time, he began adapting them to music. Enlisting the help of UK band South, Nickel Eye was born and started recording in Hackney, London. With guest appearances by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Regina Spektor, 'The Time of The Assassins' was completed a few months later in New York City. It is musically influenced by some of Nikolai's favourite artists, such as Neil Young, Frank Black, Leonard Cohen and The Kinks. The lyrics and theme for 'The Time of The Assassins' found their impetus during a road trip across the United States of America when Nikolai was nineteen.)