Beck and Jack White: together at last

There's something strangely inevitable about the news that The White Stripes and Beck are coming together on a B-sides project - Mr White and Mr Hansen share that "we're going to have wild fun, but not until I say so" air which made them seem quite alluring at first but quickly just became wearing. Pitchfork's explanation of the the planned delivery method for these tracks underlines just how irritating that self-conscious quirkiness becomes:

The Stripes recently recorded a mess of B-sides with Mr. Beck Hansen in his living room, which they'll splay over a trio of 7" "Conquest" discs and an all-encompassing U.S.-only digital download. In addition to co-producing the sessions, Beck contributed vocals and piano to "It's My Fault for Being Famous" and played a little slide guitar on "Honey, We Can't Afford to Look Cheap". One black, one red, and one white 7" will be issued, each with "Conquest" on the front and a different B-side on the back, due in the U.S. December 18 from Third Man/Warner Bros. and in the UK December 31 on XL.

Oh, good lord, you can't just put 'em onto Amazon and have done with, can you?