For your entertainment during another working week here's five more hand-picked delights from the Scruff Of The Neck stable.

Black Lime – 'Down and Out'

Harbouring a balls-to-the-wall approach to their song-writing, Hull's Black Lime are a four piece that draw from a wealth of indie rock influences. The band's latest single 'Down and Out' is three minutes of frenetic, angular guitars and a no-frills rock and roll vocal not often seen in indie. Expect big things.

Sykoya – 'Strange Night'

Though only together for a short space of time, London-based three-piece Sykoya create sultry and beguiling electro-pop that's the product of a band mature beyond their years. Built around progressive keys and ever-present percussion, 'Strange Night' is the trio's most recent single and builds steadily towards a heady and melodic conclusion.

The Leathernecks – 'Winter'

In keeping with the run of new singles, The Leathernecks are back with 'Winter', an infectious hybrid of indie-rock and jangle-pop that's difficult to ignore. Coming across as the snotty spawn of Arctic Monkeys (before the drugs) and The Libertines (during the drugs) The Leathernecks are quintessential British indie, all delivered with oikish charm.

Heir – 'When the Lights Went Out'

Poppy and polished, Leeds lads Heir make sleek and emotive indie pop and whose ambitions are matched only by the grandeur of their music. 'When the Lights Went Out' is an anthemic number, rich in melody and emotion it marks Heir as ones to watch.

Divine Youth – 'M.Monroe'

Falling somewhere in between Glasvegas and Holy Esque, Stoke's Divine Youth are making a brand of blue-collar indie rock that's as uplifting as it is cathartic. 'M.Monroe' is rich in reverb while blending shoegaze aesthetics with stadium-sized hooks and a killer vocal delivery. Excellent.

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the Week: ‘Outstanding’ by Ziggy Phunk

Ziggy Phunk gets the outstanding (…) boogie going here, first starting with some of that woodwork percussion before getting the slow beat in and, then, the bass sound and the lighter piano to juxtapose it, giving it its jazzy, slick vibe. At the 1:30 mark there’s, first, some extra oomph added, which is a prelude to the smooth vocals coming in, saying how the girl is looking Sweet (if I’m hearing it correctly). In the mean time, in the background, the track rolls on, getting into the groove right there. At the 3:50 mark the background vocals arrive at the scene, singing “Outstanding” in a high pitch as they help the main vocalist out a bit. For a moment the rhythm takes a back seat, but then the familiar boogie gets going again so that all them lovers on the dancefloor can resume their movin’ and groovin’ until the end of time.

‘Monday Blues’ by Dr. Packer

Peter Hook was in town here not too long ago, playing some of that old New Order catalogue. The most famous song from them probably is ‘Blue Monday’, which disco edit king Dr. Packer takes a stab at here. So we’ve got plenty of throbbing synths, the well-known rhythm line of the original, and a steady beat as the core running through it. Especially at the 1:50 mark the original sounds come beaming through, with after the two minute point that guitar that, soon after, gets followed by that aaaaaahhh monkish sound. Just before we enter the third minute mark, a teaser, with just the line How does it feel uttered, with a major gap to To treat me like you do. With, to fill the gap, the beat and all those original sounds. The next go around, the vocals are normalized in terms of pace, but get a bit of that vocoder treatment (as if it wasn’t sung in an apathetic manner already). Near the end of this preview we even get a taster of a build-up, before the inevitable fade-out. Wouldn’t mind hearing that full version on the dancefloor.

‘Breathe’ by Luxxury

After the first few seconds this one gets going with a festive percussion vibe, soon followed by a nice little bass line to get that booty shakin’ to on the beach. At about the 30 second mark we get the synths, which give it kind of a dreamy atmosphere. Also added to that is a little guitar riff, and all these different instruments help this one to trod forward. Just before the two minute mark there’s a change up, going for a lighter sound and with vocals that are actually somewhat audible, though still in the far away sphere. Then Luxxury dives back to the bass before going more pop with the synth, finding that line between the more disco sounds and the synth-pop accessibility to get a nice summery, dreamy vibe going with this one.

‘What That All’ by Lady Jane (James Rod re-work)

From the bass sound we already know this is a re-work of that beloved disco edit classic ‘Was That All it Was’ by Jean Carne, where she’s going to point blank ask you if she was just a prop to occupy your time (Was that all it was? A way to pass the time? Just a momentary thing, not worth remembering). Next to the bass we’ve got plenty of percussion, so the rhythm part is taken care of. Which is a good thing, because with the rhythm parts and some auxiliary sounds James Rod rides this one for a good 3 1/2 minutes before, for the first time, Lady Jane herself gets in there, with the vocals slightly to the background as the rhythm is still very much the main part here (even as the ol’ disco sounds of the original start rearing their heads). And that’s the mix James Rod keeps working, though after that initial drought he isn’t letting up on Carne’s vocals, from actual singing to all the other sounds she’s making throughout the track. A rhythm & percussion heavy re-work of the ol’ classic tune (and a nine minute one at that).

‘7, 8 E1’ by Fatnotronic

We get the bells and whistles first, sending us to the tropics for a slow jam. The beat comes in dictating that pace, and then the groovy bass arrives. Those deep sounds get juxtaposed by some of that tropical to give you the flavor to go with the rhythm. At about the 1:25 mark we get the group vocals in a language I don’t quite understand (either that or I’m getting really old apparently), and at the two minute mark the track opens up a bit, doing some horns, putting a bit more emphasis on the lighter sounds. Then, a singular vocal layer on top of all that went before, with the group vocals more a rhythm line at this point. The track ends with just a singular beat, though that belies the vibe that Fatnotronic put in there basically the entire five minutes prior.

‘Take Me I’m Yours’ by Mary Clark (iMFROMULL edit)

How about starting with that bass to get the boogie going, eh? That and the wobbly synth sound form the core at the start, though at the forty second mark we hear the horns for the first time, knowing that we’re still in that disco territory. At the 1:30 mark that becomes even more evident, when the disco sounds get in there before they dial it down, waaaay down, with first just the bass, and then the vocals coming in. Soon, the volume gets kicked back up, coinciding with the re-emergence of the horns. At the 2:45 mark, there the vocals are for real for the first time. Both the girls in the back, and the headliner, singing Take me, I’m yours as she wants to be held close to you (You go babe!). The vocals are lovely disco, just as the sounds in the background, including obviously the horns, doing their thing as she sings that You’ve got the power over me. The vocals do that whole takeover business that works so well with these kind of tracks, and the rhythm in the mean time makes sure you can also still dance while you’re singing along with this one edit right here.

For your entertainment during another working week here's five more hand-picked delights from the Scruff Of The Neck stable.

Lunar – 'Showboater'

Fresh off the back of a headline Academy 3 show that belied the young Mancunian's age, Lunar are an indie-pop four-piece on the cusp of big things. Latest single 'Showboater' is two and a half minutes of button-bright garage-pop, built around a deft dichotomy of pop-polish and DIY sensibility that's sure to make people sit up and pay attention.

Playing House – 'Haircut'

Drawing influence from a host of decade-spanning art-pop, Playing House are an East London three-piece with an ear for a melody and their eyes to the future. Their latest single 'Haircut' is an upbeat and off-kilter pop number that's all spiky guitars and autobiographical lyricism. Having emerged from the East London queer community a little under a year ago, the band are already off to a flying start.

Delamere – 'Kill It'

Those in the know have been waiting on new material from Delamere now, and recent single 'Kill It' doesn't disappoint. Subtle and anthemic in equal parts, it's as uplifting as it is understated, and sees the band's trademark electronic melodies reach dizzying new heights. The first taste of the band's pending debut LP, 'Kill It' marks the beginning of the next stage of the band's career, and we can't wait to see where it takes them.

Broken Flags – 'Faith'

It wouldn't be a Top 5 without us letting you wrap your ears around another band from Stoke, and this week is no exception. Broken Flags are upbeat and optimistic four-piece who swerve the swagger and arrogance of your typical indie acts in favour of more melodic sound. 'Faith' manages to encapsulate the band's charming perkiness perfectly.

The Leathernecks – 'Do Ya Fuck'

Closing out this week are Rotheram's The Leathernecks, a four-piece whose live shows are as racous as one might expect from hearing their tracks. 'Do Ya Fuck' is a spiky, frenetic outing that subscribes to the jangle-pop of yesteryear almost as much as it does indie's more recent iterations. Catch these guys in a small venue whilst you still can. 

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the Week: ‘Steppin’ by Sandy Barber (John Morales mix)

Another Morales mix taking it to the disco town. Sandy Barber starts out, saying that You think you’re so smart, but you’re mistaking (you tell him, hon!). And, as she does so, she puts on those nice diva disco vocals, announcing that She’s going to do some steppin’ of her own, at which point the bass comes in to get all the dancefloor people aflutter. There’s also a bit of cymbal in there, some a capella moments, chosen at the exact moment that she says he’s a Cheat and a lier. And that’s something Morales does so well, giving Sandy Barber all the room to do her thing, and with that, making sure that disco love story of empowerment comes through loud and clear. Then, the percussion and bass to make sure there’s the dancefloor as well as the attitude. Also some attitude in that bass though, getting some action at 3:50 before some riffs come and help it out along with Mrs. Barber herself. Just one of those bulls-eye disco edits with plenty of vocals and bass to sing and dance along to.

‘Beat the Heat’ by Turbotito & Daniel T

Turbotito & Daniel T get the booty shakin’ right from the get go. It’s got a steady beat working, but also plenty of bass and synth sounds that make sure it’s a hip thing. Then, the vocals, announcing that they Just can’t seem to sleep, can’t make it through the heat. The vocals are accompanied primarily by the bass sound, which, a go around later, get some woodwork percussion for a helping hand. The vocals, by the way, nice and deep, and contrast with the lighter key sounds that are used as a substitute for the vocals. Slowly but surely it changes into this sultry mid-paced burner with techno elements, giving off some of that body heat. Around 2:30 there’s an instrumental interlude started, after which they slowly build it up again, also helped out by multiple vocal layers that start overlapping and synth work that moves to a crescendo. That happens at about 4:20, when bass and percussion help the track towards its ending. Nice slice of deepness to be found here.

‘Good Inside’ by Al Kent

How about some of that slappin’ bass action from Al Kent? The girl in question invites you by saying Come on, baby, and surely there’s plenty of bass to get in action to. After the minute mark we get some of that guitar riffin’ their way through, and then, at 1:30, the girl gets workin’ herself, forcefully belting out that I need you. And she doesn’t stop turning out some of that powerful vocal work, and the bass keeps working it as well to get that dancing going on. You make me feel, Whoo!, good inside, she also gleefully yells out, so no wonder she wants you to Come on, baby. There’s definitely no letting up in this big tune of a House song, and even when the vocals go a bit more low key, there’s always the bass to keep this one going forward. A strong power house, this performance right here I’d say.

‘Mom and Dad’ by Xinobi (Richie Hell Clean remix)

Richie Hell takes on the Discotexas stalwarts Xinobi with this catchy remix, where the bass comes in at the twenty second mark and basically takes this one all over. The other instruments give it this quirky, synth-pop feel, bringing some freshness to the proceedings (you always need to keep it fresh y’all). At the two minute mark the Texas drawled female vocals come in, giving it a nice drawn out quality to balance the bass and rhythm elements. Halfway through Richie dials it down a bit, and at 3:20 the beat and the vocals both come back to aid the bass in getting it on.  I love how that Discotexas vibe is still there, but perhaps this Clean remix takes the synth-pop more into the house dancefloor as well, with enough bass and beat to hang on your hat to. 

‘Do the Right Thing’ by The Revenge (Nachtbraker remix)

After a few seconds in the percussion gets some help from a rather deep beat, which then gets juxtaposed by some keys in the background before, at the fifty second mark, we really go deep house with this one. Not to say the lighter sounds disappear, they stay, but all the rhythm sounds just take a dive into the nightclub. A tad in front of the two minute mark we get some cowbell action in there, also providing a somewhat higher pitched key sound. This turns out to be a prelude to a slight shift in tone, even though the beat that remains a staple underneath to keep it all grounded. And so Nachtbraker doesn’t only add or subtract sounds, but also shifts in tone and (at for example 3:30) pace for this hypnotic, 7:30 minute dance tune. Smack down in the middle there’s a rather lengthy part where all the rhythm parts are tuned out, though around 4:30 there’s a quick turn around, after which this one gets a bit more bombastic with the bass in there. So if you weren’t feeling party before, from now until the end there really aren’t any excuses anymore.

‘Yes We Can Can’ by the Pointer Sisters (Dazzle Drums Block Party edit)

How about a slow burning bass sound to get this one in motion, doing the sexy strut right there. There’s some slight guitar strumming to help out, doing that blues thang, and then they come in, singing that they Try to find peaceful things, and telling all them young girls to Remember you all had mothers. But, they conclude, Yes we can can, as in, We can make it work. In the mean time that bass is still giving that slow funk pace, having a bit of that percussion to help out. The double guitar and vocals, meanwhile, give it all the right vibes and even come together all at the same time. And with the minimal set up it’s all about those two and the bass rhythm for them bunch of hip cats to do a little dancing together to.