Among downtown New York's solo singer/songwriter set, Thomas Truax is a mad scientist. His carefully crafted songs range from dark, romantic lullabies to lively rock melodramas, but what makes his act especially unusual is that he plays them against the backdrop of his Cadillac Beatspinner Wheel, a motorized mechanical sound sculpture that Truax (pronounced troo-aks) built himself.
Made up of junkyard bits and pieces including a bicycle wheel with collapsible mallets attached, the Beatspinner contraption spins, clicks, clacks, flashes and chimes at various tempos.
Though most often accompanying himself on electric or acoustic guitar and occasionally toy piano, Truax has recently spiced up his set with yet another invention, a Dr. Seussian instrument he calls the Hornicator.
Each Monday at the now legendary Antihoot open mic nights held at Sidewalk Cafe, to introduce Thomas's song set, master of ceremonies Lach reads aloud the latest issue of the Wowtown News, a story Thomas writes based on a town he invented years ago which he describes as "kind of like Lake Wobegon, but more surreal." The Wowtown News has also been published in AU Base zine
Thomas's debut full length CD, Full Moon Over Wowtown is due to be released in late 2002. He also has a history as a stop-motion animator on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch and as the leader of the rock noir trio Like Wow
