some people spend lots of money when they’re on vacation on drinks during a night on the town. fancy dinners. silly tourist activities. maybe even kitschy souveneirs. me? i spend money on cd’s and books, just like when i’m at home. so this week’s songs of the week (yes, there are two) are fun picks from the white stripes for one, and pinback for the other. (i also bought thursday’s cd along with the white stripes at newbury comics in harvard square, but i’d put up a thursday song just a few weeks ago so they’ll get left out this round).

the white stripes cd i should have bought long ago. that guy has a natural swagger to his singing voice that just oozes rock and roll, and the tunes back him up perfectly, and hotel yorba makes the case for them i think. pinback put on a good show for me in toronto so i bought their self-titled cd, and although they don’t ooze rock and roll so much as they massage you gently into rhythmic and pleasant groove, they still do what they do very well, e.g. on the track hurley.