News reports from past years: (for even older 'news' click here )

NOV '05:

New europe/UK dates are now posted on the live details page.

A new page has been added to the site for gathering Audio Addiction album reviews.

There's a brand new interview on get underground.com.

My dear friend and theremin player Meredith Yayanos pointed out that yesterday on the Dresden Dolls forum I was brought up as the perfect definition of a sub-genre called 'Steampunk'. Anyone who knows me knows I try to avoid labels and pigeonholes generally but though I'm not entirely sure what steampunk is I love the name! If they were to move my bin at the local Virgin store to the 'Steampunk' section who could fight that!?

Meanwhile it almost seems like hypocrisy to me but I've finally succumbed to the weight from all sides suggesting I'm really missing out not having a 'my space' site (obviously I can hardly keep my official site up to date so where will I find the time?) , but I've finally caved in and started one. There's not much up there yet but to all of you who encouraged me in this don't make me feel like I did as a little squirt back in those lonely alienated days at the orphanage, please come be my friend! http://www.myspace.com/thomastruax

Another radio interview is available to stream online, this was recorded during Tom Schulte's Outsight Radio hours broadcast back in july, and runs about 13 minutes: http://musicsojourn.com/AR/Alt/page/t/TruaxThomas.htm

For all you Ipod hooked audio addicts, both 'Audio Addiction' and 'Full Moon...' are now available for digital download via the apple/itunes site: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=74572162

OCT '05:

BBC1 live session along with several other notable one-man-band acts (Jawbone, Kid Karpet, Steveless, Duracell, et al) will broadcast tuesday the 25th October on Huw Stevens show (11pm-1am UK time) on BBC Radio 1

Halloween west coast dates now confirmed, see the live details page.

A recent live review in the Fly magazined likened one recent performance in Aberdeen to 'watching Jesus perform miracles'(!) Now that's just too much, too far beyond flattery, plain satanic actually, I can't put that on the reviews page can I? And how can I ever play in Aberdeen again without it being guaranteed to dissappoint?

AUGUST/SEPT '05:

SEPT 4: Splendid Magazine has posted an extensive interview. The interview was conducted by Jennifer Kelly and features photos by Justin Carl. It will remain online as feature interview of the week starting today at splendidmagazine.com

On the 12th of September (Mon) I've been invited back for a Live Performance on WFMU FM91.1(NYC and NJ) on Irene Trudel's show. It will also be streamed live worldwide on the internet. Irene's show runs 3-6 pm Eastern time (So in the UK tune in around 8pm).

Autumn UK tour is in the works for September 22 through October 22, see the live details page.

Instrumental will screen at the Woodstock Film festival in September and October as a featured documentary. The screening times are: Friday 9/30/2005, 4:30PM - Woodstock Town Hall - and Saturday 10/1/2005, 1:00PM - Upstate Films II Instrumental Details: http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/festival2005/details.php?id=13240

JULY '05:

Huge thanks to everyone who came out to any of the recent 32 shows in the UK! Sister Spinster didn't write a tour diary this time, but I did, atleast for some of the dates and part of it was published in July's Sandman Magazine. See the Press page.

I've also written some entries about the madness of playing Glastonbury Festival exclusively for this site.

• Recent nice Features/Interviews in NME, The Herald(Scotland/London), Sandman Magazine and others have now been posted on the site, again on the Press page. It's exciting to be featured in NME, however Sister Spinster was very offended and urges all to boycott as she was misnamed Sister Spinner.

  On Sunday the 10th of this month I'll be interviewed live on Outsight Radio Hours by Tom Schulte around 4pm. The interview will be archived soon after, we're told, at musicsojourn.com

Amongst several radio interviews I did on the recent tour one is available to hear online in mp3 format at Suck My Sound. Not sure how long this will stay posted.

We've just learned that 'Instrumental' is to screen at the Woodstock film festival this year. Director Gabe Shalom has a website devoted to his work: thegoblins.com

I'll be back in the UK for the Big Green Gathering festival in Cheddar Gorge (yes, that's where Cheddar Cheese is grown in caves!) on the 3rd and 4th of August and two preceeding shows: July 30 at the Tin Angel in Coventry and then August 1st back at the mighty little 12Bar Club in London. See Live Details page for, uh, details...

I'll be honored to be Hornicating at Lincoln Center (NYC) August 14th as part of a Homemade Instrument special program they're hosting.

I'm also honored to be working on a remix of the great J.G. 'Foetus' Thirlwell's 'Don't Want Me Anymore' from his new album 'Love' which is released this month on Birdman records.

and Here's a link to a nice live review from one of the recent UK gigs.

MAY, JUNE '05:

An early review of Audio Addiction has appeared on line, it's a good one for the most part, with a positive rating of 5 baby heads! Read it at Babysue.com .

The UK tour has now been extended until GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL which we're now playing (each night, between 1 and 3 in the morning in the Lost Vagueness Chapel, and at 6:30pm on Sunday on the Small World Solar Stage). Other dates have been added and some more may surface, current details on the live  page.

Audio Addiction, the new CD, is officially released in the UK and will be in stores, and available for ordering on line (try CDBaby.com ) mid June.  The Official UK launch party and show will be held on June 16 in London at Up All Night at Hoxton Square.

The official US release has been put back slightly because of the extended UK activity.

 

APRIL '05:

Excited to announce I'll be opening for the Dresden Dolls on Sunday the 24th in their home town of Boston before they hit the road opening for Nine Inch Nails. The show has already sold out.

On Thurs, April 28 at Bard College, NY - Avery Theater in the Avery Film Building: Premiere screening of a new film, 'Instrumental', from director Gabe Shalom, who has done several filmed interviews and live shows with me last year for this project, documents the lives of four artists who create (and perform with) their own instruments: Bart Hopkin (of Experimental Musical Instruments magazine and the great Elipses Arts cd compilations), Bradford Reed, Arthur Harrison and Your's Truly. The screening will begin at 9pm and a live concert featuring all the featured artists playing together and individually will follow. On Monday, May 2 in New York I open for the debut performance of REVUE NOIR featuring SAM ROSENTHAL (of Black Tape for a Blue Girl) and Projekt recording artist: NICKI JAINE. MEREDITH YAYANOS is also part of this.

A fairly extensive UK tour is scheduled/ being scheduled for May into early June.

Details for all these things are on the live or live history page, depending on when you read this.

The new album 'Audio Addiction' has, for reasons too complicated and mundane to explain here, been delayed again. However, we have heard from reliable sources that the shiny new disk with it's healthy doses of songs on butterflies, clones, pancakes, spit and dreams will be available over the counter and without a prescription very soon providing serious relief to self- medicating audio addicts everywhere.

Whatever happened to your WOWTOWN NEWS? Ever since Wowtown seceded from the US last November, local news agents have found themselves in a struggle to re-establish reliable communications with the now floating and perpetually re-locating island. We have heard from reliable sources, however, that a new edition documenting this difficult situation is rolling off the presses even as I write this...

MARCH '05:

The new album, "Audio Addiction" is scheduled to be released, finally, in May and June on Psycho Teddy(US) and Breakin' Beats (UK).

A notorious Rubulad party themed on the 80's film Forbidden Zone will take place on April 9 in Brooklyn featuring a live Truax performance along with all kinds of other strangeness, guaranteed. Lots of live activity recently all over the place, keep up with it on our live page.

FEBRUARY '05:

Rumor has it that a mysterious door to a dimension of madness was opened via my late set at the Winter Antifolk fest at Sidewalk last friday the 18th (possibly influenced by epileptic lighting effects? Those who were there know what I mean). Leaving the show someone apparently walked right through a pane of glass while leaving the venue and was taken off in an ambulance. Whoever you are, I hope you are alright. No explanation as to why the door also fell off the men's room at the same time.

The animated Cartoon Network show is called 'Robot Chicken', for which I did some stop-motion animating of William Shatner's toupee, Predator and Alien in a hot tub on a Blind Date, Michael Jackson with his hair on fire, and stuff like that. It's part of the Adult Swim programming which runs at night, and has it's debut the 20th of this month.

Tour plans are in the works for a short west coast stint in late March into April and then back to the U.K. and europe in May and June. Details coming soon...

JANUARY '05:

Sister Spinster has been kind enough to vounteer to post her personal tour diary from our most recent tour of the U.K. and Germany. It includes a lot of photos depicting her "Barstool Review", as when we're overseas she must find a different stand on which to perch herself at nearly every venue, resulting in a wide variety of seating arrangements. Check it out here. Meanwhile, this month sees me running off to sunny Hollywood, California to do some work for a new show that will air on Cartoon Network, returning mid february for some live shows in the northeast.

DECEMBER '04:

Sister Spinster, the Hornicator and I have now made it back alive and in passable condition through sixteen international flights! Happy Holidays everyone! It's been an amazing year, thanks for your support.

NOVEMBER '04:

(2004) 38 m. ****The Hornicator breaks out of Wowtown Rehab Center, kidnaps Sister Spinster, hops a plane, and is pursued by a yodelling Thomas through exotic locales in mainland Europe, somewhat predictably winding up in many of their favorite watering holes in the U.K. Great casting, inventive score, realistic sets. Not to be missed! Not rated.

Unfortunately Desc, for which I was supposed to have been the supporting act on a tour of Europe that was to fill most of this month, has cancelled their entire tour at the last minute. This dissappointingly means most of Germany, Belgium, Spain, etc. will not get Hornicated this time around. However there have been some salvaged dates in northwest Germany and hopefully a few in Belgium before the UK portion of the tour starts up on the 25th. As many details as possible of the rescheduling and juggling will be posted on our live page before we go, however it is always advisable to double check with the venues before you head out for shows and/or sign up for our new UK News email list which we've started specifically to be able to alert those of you in that neck of the global woods while on the road by sending a blank email with the word 'subscribe' in the subject field to this address: news-u.k.-request@thomastruax.com

OCTOBER '04:

Tour dates added to live page. Most of the european dates will be with Desc from Scotland. Many of the UK dates will be with Chris T-T . Several will also feature our good friend Sergeant Buzfuz .

SEPTEMBER '04:

Two recent CD compilations feature Truax songs: the Truck Seven comp. from Truck Records of Oxford, released in conjunction with the Truckfest of course, features a remix of 'Shooting Stars' among other excellent tracks, you can order it online here . And one from a while back that we thought might never see the light of day, 'Chicken Coop Cooper' appears on a great limited edition compilation of all star anti-folkish stuff on Smoking Gun Records with a decidedly western slant (not surpisingly a little more spaghetti western than country) 'The Wild West Most Wanted' is available online via Smoking Gun Records or through Rough Trade .

I have discovered, in an old box, needles for the Victrola which are made not of metal but of bamboo from a company called Hall and, even better, others from a company named Kacti made of actual Cactus needles! "Fashioned by hand". These seem to play the 78s with a certain wooden warmth, still clear but much less harsh than the metal needles. Not quite as loud either, but since the only usual control over volume on the old box is via how widely the small set of doors of the 'speaker' are opened, these will be especially great for the evenings when a subtler atmosphere is what's best. Understandably they are less likely to wear out the records too.

Meanwhile I've mounted a new mallet on Sister Spinster so she can approximate rolls on her snare a little easier. It was a laborious task and she has been very slow to get the beats down properly for songs we are working on for the new album, which is taking longer to complete than I'd hoped. It'll be finished soon though. We're well immersed in it and having as much fun as could be reasonably expected when crammed into an isolated and highly electronically charged tiny space as Wowtown's Moon Studio. I'm a little anxious about how it'll be received after such overwhelmingly positive responses to 'Full Moon' and the Homesleep single. In any case it is a pleasure to be in the studio again, so much of this past year having been devoted to the business side of things and distractions over the disastrous results of idiotic political decisions in this country.

This month marks the third year since my first 'solo' show back in '01. Just myself, a badly strummed guitar, a rickety Cadillac Beatspinner Wheel and a haphazardly slapped together set of half finished songs, wondering how the hell such a disaster was getting such an enthusiastic response. Especially following all my much more well rehearsed and carefully conceived band situations. Thanks to all of you who have supported and encouraged me in doing something a little different.

AUGUST '04

Back from the UK and back into the studio again to continue work on the new album. Was a great little tour, though only the new baby, the Backbeater, arrived back home unscathed. Sister Spinster made it through half the final show in Sheffield before losing her belt on stage during "One Piece at a Time", how embarrassing for her! Apologies to anyone who showed up for the Glasgow show at the Rockers club only to find that it had been canceled. It was as much a surprise to me when I arrived for sound check on the day of the show. Also, other sad news is that the email addresses collected in London at the sold out Buffalo Bar show have gone missing(!) so if you signed up on that night (again, apologies) and by some odd chance you are reading this now please use the online form on our home page to reenter your email address! Sporadic US touring dates are approaching during this and upcoming months, details will be posted here first. The Hornicator is back in rehab but will be released at least for these.

JUNE/JULY '04

I've been dividing my time between Wowtown and New York, recording and inventing. Lots of time in the laboratory. If all goes well, the overseas touring lineup will have expanded to include Sister Spinster's new baby brother, the BackBeater, when we next hit the UK. That will be for a limited number of dates including a return to the Truckfest in Steventon and the Edinburgh Fringe and Tiger fests in late July and early August. Look here for details as they unfold. A very limited edition tour-only CD EP is being assembled for the tour. It will include a version of 'The Fish' and some assorted live and studio tracks and will be called 'Hornicating With Sister Spinster'. Designed to be rare and hard to find even on it's initial release, though some will probably be made available for purchase on line because the tour itself will be covering only a limited amount of stops. Meanwhile, it was a pleasure to host our friends from Scotland, Desc, for a show at CB's gallery on the 28th of June. I managed to snag cello player Drunken Pete briefly to record some beautiful contributions to tracks that will most likely appear on the next album. They are now off touring in the south somewhere, discovering grits and rednecks no doubt. Some of them got tattoos on St. Marks Place while in NY.

MAY '04

RECORDING IN PROGRESS!...Please whisper if you must speak...

Site updates: some new pictures have been posted, you can find a very small brief video from a recent live show in Hull via the recordings page courtesy of Jason Karlson who also wrote a very nice review of the same show on the press pages.

APRIL '04

At the risk of sounding like a skipping record: The latest UK tour was a resounding success, each date full of it's peculiar delights and a wonderful always expanding combination of both new and familiar faces. Check the Press pages for some new features and reviews. The Hornicator took a little too fondly to that British staple: excessive drinking. On returning to Wowtown he committed himself to a brief retreat at groundhog Al's Extreme Hangover Recovery Center, after he got a little rough with the Customs agents again. (It's a good thing he's got that long spring attached which can be used as a leash in times of emergency). I'm sure he'll be fine in no time. Meanwhile I made it my own mission to finally string that hammock we picked up two years ago in Mexico diagonally across my living room. There is no better place for daydreaming and in a half consciousness the other day I found that transporting psychically between Wowtown and New York was never easier, so there should be some new Wowtown News very soon...

FEBRUARY/MARCH '04

A fifteen date UK tour will launch on March 22, schedule is posted on the live details page.

Our coveted HORNICATOR / SISTER SPINSTER T-SHIRTS are now available on line exclusively through our good friends at Olive Juice music.

Just had a very nice time playing this year's Winter Antifolk Fest at the Sidewalk in NYC, Meredith Yayanos's theremin blowing everyone away as it always does whenever I'm lucky enough to have her on board for a show, and a great experience having, for the first time, the talented Pete List chasing the Cadillac Beatspinner along with his masterful Djimbay pyrotechnics, wont be the last time either we hope! Mr. Wallfisch tickled the keys of the new upright with his inimitable finesse (his new Botanica CD is going to blow minds). The Cadillac may well have seen her last night on that particular stage now that it has been reduced(!) in size, and there is just not enough room to set her up beforehand. We had to cut songs after all the time it took to set up. But Sister Spinster loves the sidewalk, and the old Cadillac does need a lot of rest these days. On Thursday March 4 I'll be part of a 40 or so part orchestra put together and conducted by Moe! Staiano (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) at Sin-e (NYC).

 

JANUARY '04

Happy New Year! The new 3 song 'single' is released by Homesleep Records of Italy February 10. Already having received several shining reviews and named 'single of the week' on Claire Kember's Totally Wired radio show, it features popular new live number "Inside the Internet" as well as an all new version of "The Haunted Thrift Shop" featuring Sister Spinster, and "Sucked Inside" featuring, of course, the Hornicator. Though officially part of Homesleep's twelve edition subscribers 'singles club' it is also available separately on line or in stores through Shellshock distribution(UK)(try CD101.com), Cargo (Germany), Bang(Benelux), Everlasting (Spain), Sony (Italy), Penguin (Greece), Tuba (Scandinavia), Fusion (Canada) Darla (US), et al. or through email inquiry directly from Homesleep

This month I've been hibernating, working on a video for 'Prove It to My Daughter' that features a little stop motion animation. The Wowtown News radio program is also taking a break from the airwaves this month but don't worry, it will be back.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER '03

The tour with Schwervon! was a wonderful experience, a good time was had by all and europe got it's first ever Hornicating. There are already some nice things appearing in print and online which we've dutifully been trying to link up to and quote in our new press section which now even has it's very own button in the Navigation Bar on the left side of this window from which you are now reading (the radio tower with the bolts), so check it out.( If you are missing the Hornicator button of old well it's still on the site but you have to enter the newly refined 'instruments' section which is reached by what used to be the beatspinner button. Confused? Just run your cursor over the buttons, it all makes sense.) Anyway thanks to everyone who supported us at the shows and put us on the radio and let us sleep on their couches and floors and rare spare empty beds, etc. We couldn't have done it without you!

In Manchester a band called Beat Science handed me a cover version of "Prove It To My Daughter" they did which was extremely flattering and which I love. It's faithful and simple but it's also very different, reminding me a little of Kraftwerk, kind of dancey.

During an interview on Resonance FM while discussing the Wowtown News and Al Camus the Groundhog I was asked what exactly a groundhog is! It was brought to my attention that they don't have groundhogs, or prarie dogs over there. When I told this to Al he was quite upset, nonetheless I've been told that the WT News radio show is amassing quite a few fans. If you are in the UK and don't know what a groundhog looks like, there is a picture of Al for you on our pictures page.

OCTOBER '03

WOWTOWN NEWS AUDIO EPISODES RETURN TO THE AIR! Hear the hallucinatory effects of Aunt Bee Bonnet's purple honey! Witness the bold ballsy brashness of Groundhog Al's tuba playing and more in actual audio versions of The Wowtown News, as Resonance FM of London feeds it to the airwaves on 104.4 fm in London and everywhere else on the World Wide Web via this site: http://www.resonancefm.com The new episodes are scheduled to start airing Oct. 13th and play around 6pm during Richard Sanderson's Baggage Reclaim show which runs on Mondays between 5-6:30 pm (that's London time, so you may have to figure in a time difference if you're elsewhere. If you're in New York(EST) it'll be online between noon and 1:30, so the WTNews will run around 1). It will ALSO air on the Glass Shrimp show which runs wednesdays during the same time slot. Resonance FM is a fantastic freeform station, London's WFMU you might say, and all of us in Wowtown are very honored to be featured on both of these great shows.

Pieces are being assembled for a November tour of the UK and Europe on a double bill with my friends Major Matt Mason and Nan Turner together as Schwervon!, an electrifying and entertaining NYC drum and guitar duo. Check out http://www.shoeshine.co.uk/Schwervon.htm or the Olive Juice site for more on them.

A double-cd compilation featuring over forty New York antifolk performers has just been released in a very limited pressing by LuvALot records (NY). It's called 'A Luv A Lot Compilation' (what else?) and it's a great introduction to the highly varied styles of music makers that converge around the antifolk scene, and features your's truly doing a rendition of the first Hornicator song I ever wrote: 'John the Waiter '. Available soon through Antifolk.net

A couple of live New York shows are happening this month, including a salute to the late Johnny Cash and a CMJ showcase. Check the live details page for info.

SEPTEMBER '03

The recordings for the Homesleep single are now in the can, they are stripped down and downright spooky I'd have to say: "Inside the Internet", "The Haunted Thrift Shop", and "Sucked Inside". Will keep you updated on release details as they unfold. Also fresh from Wowtown Studio are four new episodes of the WT News radio show that will begin broadcasting from London's Resonance FM in October. Some live reviews from the last tour have begun to filter back this way so we're starting a new page to display those (coming soon) and some new photos by an excellent photographer Chris Saunders who shot me in Sheffield are up now on the pictures page.

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