(Park the Van) www.parkthevan.com

Hailing from the tiny, hippiesh, western N.C. town of Black Mountain, Seth Kauffman has so far cruised under the popular radar, although 2006’s  Ting  did catch the ear of critics. He recently came to the attention of indie rock cognoscenti, however, as one of the featured musicians on Band of Horses’ Tyler Ramsey’s solo album. Now, with  Research, he’s set to make that radar do more than just ping. Among the musical gems: “Absolute Sway,” a Daptone Records-worthy slice of pan-fried soul sautéed in Lee “Scratch” Perry sauce; lo-fi swamp-funker “What Makes (You Think I’m Gone?)”; and “Ron Ben-Israel Blues,” distorted-but-swingin’ garage-rock straight outta Panther Burns territory. Singing in a perilously offhand, but soulful, upper register, Kauffman brings to mind Alex Chilton (sonically) and Beck (stylistically), and he covers so much territory here—including dub, folk, gospel, country, and Bossa Nova—that the ride can be dizzying. No matter; this delightfully twisted platter will get under your skin like nothing you’ve heard lately.

Standout Tracks: “Absolute sway,” “What Makes (You Think I’m Gone)” FRED MILLS