American singer/songwriter/inventor Thomas Truax is one of the most “out-there” artists working today, and he’s bringing his peculiar kind of magic (and “The Hornicator”) when he visits us in February.

The Hornicator? That’s just one of the instruments that Thomas Truax has invented over the years. A kind of Dr. Seuss like gramophone, it sits rather nicely alongside his motorized drum machine made of bike wheels (he calls that Mother Superior). Splendid magazine said of him: “One of the five or ten best singer/songwriters in the world you’ve never heard of – an exceptional talent, unique and resistant to comparison, yet fairly accessible even to casual listeners.” And that last point is pretty key here, because Truax is very accessible, penning stuff that falls somewhere between art-rock, post-punk and his own distinctive brand of surreal Americana. This one will be a real blast – make no mistake. JL

Thomas Truax, Sunday 19 February, Cobalt Studios, Newcastle, 7.30pm, £10. seetickets.com