It’s only fitting that after talking about Julie Doiron yesterday, I continue with the Eric’s Trip theme and talk about the fantastic new record from The Memories Attack. Former ET guitarist Chris Thompson and former Orange Glass-er Ron Bates have released their second record, The Memories Attack LP2, and unlike Doiron (who has migrated to more gentle folk), Thompson and Bates are still fueled by the sounds that defined grunge and indie rock back in the day.

Shitty gear, lo-fi home recordings, feedback, sludge, distortion, and bursts of noise all assault the heartfelt melodies and emotion they reveal in their songs. LP2 feels like the type of record that you could record yourselves in a makeshift bedroom studio - well, I guess the caveat would be that you would have to be really fucking good – and believe me, that inspiration is exactly what music needs these days.

More importantly, Bates and Thompson are a band you want to love. I know the days of mixtapes are gone, (and finding good music is almost too easy these days) but songs like Peaks & Valleys and Connected are the kind of songs you used to fill a tape with and just let the walkman auto-reverse over and over again. The Memories Attack reminds you that at one time, you cared enough about music (and a band) to let their words define who you were and a few thrashing chords and ear deafening noises said more about you than your most personal diary entry.

LP2 is 12 songs, most under three-minutes, and honestly it’s hard to find fault with even a single note. The duo has an uncanny ability to fuse sludge and raw emotion into the same space as some of their most beautiful moments. The feedback and guitar work that balances out the soaring "ahhhs" on The Raft are amazing, but the band is just as comfortable ripping through a Dinosaur Jr–esque pop number Peaks & Valleys, jumping into some lo-fi bedroom pop (Summertime II) or exposing just enough folk elements (Exploding Houns II) to keep you guessing.

I know pockets are tight with the shitty economy, but I’m not sure of a local release that deserves your attention as much as this new record from The Memories Attack. Stuff it in a stocking, or throw the record into the secret Santa mix at work. It might just be the best holiday surprise a person could get.

Select... The Memories Attack - LP2 - $10.00 Add to Cart