Thomas Truax: Straight outta Wowtown via New York City, Thomas Truax (pronounced troo-aks) and his “band” of bizarre self-made instruments and mechanical contraptions (including the near-legendary ‘Hornicator’) make a welcome return to the UK this April for a limited run of live dates. More than just a vaudevillian inventor and entertainer, Truax crafts some potent songs, poetically evocative and rich with melancholy.

Ratatosk: One man producing effortlessly magnificent sonic landscapes, capturing a sad quasi-historical faux-dystopia in song with his distinctive layering of guitars, harmonium, saw, pedal steel, voice and whatever else is within reach. Ratatosk, named after a mischievous squirrel from Norse mythology, is the guise of Rhodri Viney from Bargoed, Wales. He has previously performed and released music under the names Teflon Monkey (Placid Casual, Super Furry Animals) and Broken Leaf, along with being a major player in bands such as Right Hand Left Hand and Vito.

More information at www.facebook.com/events/318245061636880 and www.modernartoxford.org.uk/whats-on/thomas-truax/about.