Choice Cuts For Robyn

For the first time in its long history of licensing and releasing reissues (cf Clear Light's eponymous and only album) Collectors' Choice has launched a new label which they've assigned the attractive name of Noble Rot. The first releases under the new banner include two of Robyn's albums set for initial (re)release on June 26, 2007. Here's the blurb on both :

" Jewels For Sophia "

From his days with the Soft Boys through his wildly inventive solo work, Robyn Hitchcock has captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic with a bewildering blend of psyche-pop and warped lyrical whimsy. Jewels For Sophia found Hitchcock delivering a dozen slices of his surreal songcraft, with help from a sprawling support cast that featured his old Soft Boys bandmate Kimberley Rew, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, and members of the High Llamas, Grant Lee Buffalo, the Fastbacks and the Young Fresh Fellows.

" Storefront Hitchcock "

Hitchcock's public profile received a boost in 1998 when noted fimmaker and longtime fan Jonathan Demme paid tribute to the artist with the feature-length performance film Storefront Hitchcock. The project also included a companion album which features a spare live performance of 11 Hitchcock originals along with a twisted cover of Jimi Hendrix's " The Wind Cries Mary ". Allmusic.com called Storefront Hitchcock a "dictionary definition, jaw-dropping live singer/songwriter album".