Twisted troubadour Robyn Hitchcock is opening his vaults slightly to fans, this week posting a streaming collection of a dozen covers — recorded both live and in the studio recently — of songs by David Bowie, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead and Nick Drake.

This week’s new CDs include a huge new box set from Orange Juice, plus reissues from XTC, Nine Inch Nails, Heaven 17, Robyn Hitchcock and The Fall, as well as the U.S. release of Killing Joke’s new album and a special U2 EP tied to Record Store Day.

The week’s new releases include a host of reissues from the likes of The Church (‘Of Skins and Heart,’ ‘The Blurred Crusade’), The Soft Boys (‘A Can of Bees,’ ‘Underwater Moonlight’), Dexys Midnight Runners (‘Searching for the Young Soul Rebels’), Gary Numan (‘Automatic’), The Wedding Present (‘Live 1989’) and Nick Heyward (‘North of a Miracle’).

The first two albums by Robyn Hitchcock’s late-’70s/early-’80s neo-psychedelic band The Soft Boys — 1979’s ‘A Can of Bees’ and 1980’s classic ‘Underwater Moonlight’ — will be reissued in stripped-down CD and audiophile vinyl editions that come with new download-only bonus tracks.

In the second installment of his new ‘Tram Watch’ web-video series, bent troubadour Robyn Hitchcock finds inspiration on a recent trip to Memphis, Tenn., and breaks out into Elvis Presley’s 1957 smash ‘All Shook Up’ while riding a street car — and then continues once he jump off.

Attention tapeheads: The ever-iconoclastic Robyn Hitchcock is releasing an ultra-limited run of his new album ‘Propellor Time’ — on which he’s backed by members of R.E.M. and The Smiths — on ‘hand-assembled’ cassette.

This week’s new releases include new albums from David Byrne & Fatboy Slim (‘Here Lies Love,’ about Imelda Marcos) and Robyn Hitchcock (‘Propellor Time’), plus expanded reissues from David Bowie, The Colourfield and Squeeze.

Record-nerd mecca Amoeba Music this week posted video of skewed singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock’s eight-song, 37-minute in-store performance at the indie chain’s Hollywood megastore, as well as a 10-minute interview segment with the musician.

Robyn Hitchcock has just released a new video for ‘Ordinary Millionaire,’ a song co-written with The Smiths’ Johnny Marr that serves as the first single off the 3-years-in-the-making ‘Propellor Time.’

Tweet Robyn Hitchcock this spring will release the 3-years-in-the-making Propellor Time, an album recorded with current back-up band The Venus 3 — R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, […]

Tweet Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, reissues and/or box sets. ARTIST: Pixies RELEASE: Minotaur BACKSTORY: Featuring newly created artwork, this, er, […]

Oddball troubadour Robyn Hitchcock will commemorate last year’s I Often Dream of Trains tour this fall by releasing a new live CD/DVD package devoted to […]

Record Rack: A weekly round-up of the pertinent new releases hitting stores this Tuesday: ARTIST: The Screaming Blue Messiahs RELEASES: Gun Shy, Bikini Red BACKSTORY: […]