The time has come, my friends, for us to resurrect the single. And, moreover, to claim it as our own.

With a nod to this idea of putting novel twists on the old ways, I introduce a new project. It is called the Hipster-Free Singles Club, and it is, just as the title implies, an ongoing collection of virtual singles from new and upcoming albums released across various (geeky) musical strata. But unlike the earliest singles, those tiny slips of vinyl that still enchant me so, the HFSC will not serve to simply promote a solitary artist or project. Instead it will spotlight exemplary work from a number of acts.

Consider it a split, double a-side single that highlights new work from some of the best musicians our meta-community has to offer. Plus an exclusive remix – the b-side – from a talented producer that blends the two together. All wrapped up in a charming package provided by a gifted visual artist.

Oh, and available for free!

This first volume splotlights Hidari, a J-rock outfit that blends guitars and warm vocals with skillful, chirpy keys, and their good-natured nemesis, Chicago’s own titanic chip-poppers I Fight Dragons. Lead singles from their new releases – Wine and Chocolate and Cool is Just a Number, respectively – are supplemented by a mash-up from my Canadian brother Snake Eyes, and all of this is given a proper face by Web comic artist Dave “The Knave” White, whose images have perfectly captured the eclectic spirit of the project.

Go check it out.

Shirts cost ¥2000 each. Until April 19th, we will be taking pre-orders for custom size/color/ink combinations. After that, you’ll be stuck picking from whichever three versions we decide to stock. To pre-order, send us an e-mail with your name and address, the color code from the numbers below (1-80), and the size you desire (130/140/150/S/M/L – see chart below). These are 5.6 ounce 100% cotton t-shirts (excepting nos. 2, 8, 42, and 48, which are a 90/10 cotton/polyester blend). Pre-orders ship free within Japan.

One week left.

We’re not allowed to show you yet, so to tide you over for the moment here’s the old video for Shojo B:

If that doesn’t play in stereo, here’s a link to a high-quality version.

Hopefully we’ll be able to show you the new one soon.

The first single is in the process of being spread around. I’ve uploaded it to thesixtyone if you’d like to give it a listen.

Anyone who uses last.fm should help us centralize things by heading over to the Hidari entry and clicking the “Suggest a correction” link at the bottom of the right sidebar. The correct answer is “Hidari should link to ヒダリ.”

We got a sample of the album from the factory the other day. It’s real. It exists.