Zooper Dooper JimNoir.com****

One of British indie-pop's great unsung heroes, Jim Noir's delightfully oddball musings have won him an underground army of admirers over the course of two albums, 2005's Tower of Loveand its eponymous 2008 follow-up. Indeed, if the self-described "Supermarket Frank Zappa" was marketed the right way, he'd probably be as popular as someone like Gruff Rhys – but this download-only mini-album perfectly encapsulates why the Mancunian is apparently happy to remain a cult figure of sorts. You can't imagine hearing the squiggly vinyl psychedelia of the title track on radio, but it's utterly compelling. Kitty Cat's fat growls of electronica blend beautifully with guitar under a blissful 1970s vinyl glaze, and the dreamy Gallic pop of Mapsounds like Stereolab via northern England. Noir's third full-length album can't come soon enough. See jimnoir.com

Download tracks: Kitty Cat, Zooper Dooper