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

Trampolene – 'Tom Hardy'

Balls to the wall and tongue-in-cheek indie rock from South Wales kicking off this week. 'Tom Hardy' sees the indie rock trio musing on life's mundanities and how much better it would be if they were the eponymous actor. Fusing together blues driven indie anthemics with cheeky every-man lyricism, it's easy to understand the bands appeal.

New York Tourists – 'Adrenaline'

Something a little more sincere in the for of New York Tourists. Hailing from Blackburn, the band peddle a moody and atmospheric brand of alt-rock that throbs with a quiet dissatisfaction. 'Adrenaline' steadily mounts towards a fragile break-down, before exploding in an emphatic and cathartic conclusion.

Fake War – 'Uniforms'

Stoke's Fake War aren't happy with the current political climate, but rather scream, shout and spit about it as other bands might do, they write a quietly condemning commentary in the form of 'Uniforms'. Having created an amalgamation of post-punk, new wave and garage rock that perfectly suits their political malaise, it's likely we'll be hearing much more from the three-piece soon.

Factory – 'Norman Wisdom'

One of Merseyside's most promising acts at the moment, Factory subscribe to the kind of Scouse psych that's become a common export. Rather than feel like something you've heard before however, Factory manage to stay fresh and forward thinking without straying too far from their roots.

Sheafs – 'Anticipation, No Consolation'

Snarling and swaggering indie rock from the Steel City, Sheafs manage to encompass the attitude of brit-pop without ever sounding trite. 'Anticipation, No Consolation' is a short sharp kick to the ribs that doesn't so much as introduces listeners to Sheafs' sound, as it does bludgeon them around the head with it. Expect big things.

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: ‘Closing Shot’ by Lindstrom

You know that 8 1/2 minutes of Lindstrom is going to give you plenty of hypnotic dance rhythms to get up (and get down) to. Here, too, the main drumbeat is established right there and then, but those synths at the minute mark, that’s what the good stuff is made of. Also, additional percussion elements, just to make sure the body can join the mind in rapturous euphoria. Which, incidentally, seems to be what Lindstrom is going for, with the feel good sounds all out there. At the two minute mark he gets a bass sound in to help the percussion elements, and the main synth of before is traded in for something lighter and a tad more in the background. But if you could barely recall, well, it’s all coming back to you around the three minute mark. Not the exact same loop, but definitely something in the same realm in the sense it is a (combination of) lighter synth sound(s) eliciting the same feel as before, culminating in the moment at the four minute mark where the coronation takes place. So much to love here, not only in the stretches, but also in the moments, like those sounds that occasionally pop up from the 5:10 mark on, loveliness right there. Lindstrom already had nothing to prove, but if he did, then he just proved the man still has got plenty of game. And euphoric dancing ensues.

‘Action’ by Cassius feat. Cat Power & Mike D

How about some of that hipperdy-hop to get this started, though it is primarily the catchy percussion and the slapping bass that has this one moving. In the mean time it is Cat Power singing and Mike D talking, giving this one enough vocal prowess to hold their own against the rhythm part. Especially that, though, does nasty business here, giving you all you can handle with quick firing spurts looping around the place. At times, like just before the three minute mark, they throw the kitchen sink at ya with some horns, but after that it dives right back into the rhythm again. The track fades out because there’s also a nine minute version, which (I do hope) doesn’t get the same ending. But even if it  does, the nine minute version might just be something to look out for, because four minutes of this isn’t quite enough I’d say.

‘Filmed Message’ by Peza

Apparently, Peza had some stuff lying around that he decided to finish, resulting in this ominous synth vibed electro track with rap on top of it, singing that it is like a jungle sometimes, makes me wonder, how I keep from going under (Grandmaster Flash y’all). Add to that the Numan synths from his ‘Films’, and you’ve got this combo from Peza, to which he adds some percussion and rhythm to make sure this one keeps flowing forward. He knows how to let both sides come to the fore here, with both Grandmaster Flash’s lyrics being clear and audible, and in the mean time there are stretches where Numan’s synths come beaming through. And even in the vocal bits the feel is still very much present. Just before the four minute mark he throws some Upside down, boy you’re turning me in there, this while pumping up the synth action. After that he returns to Grandmaster Flash doing his thing again, though he keeps all of it all coming from all sides. Lovely, crazy mash-up where the fun isn’t forgotten.

‘Laid Back Love’ by Mike Woods

This one really starts at the twenty second mark, where the bass and drums come in. He strips the bass sound for a moment, just to let it come back in about half a minute later for the dancefloor to get funky to. After that, though, he does the same thing for a prolonged period of time, moving some synths in. At 2:20 the catchy really gets going, with some familiar sounds but the rhythm in place as well. At the three minute mark, BAM, the vocals, some Human League action telling you to just resign yourself to what you’re going through. And as they are loving our Love action, we get the familiar synths on a bed of bass, with the vocals definitely dominating the second part of this edit by Mike Woods. I remember seeing The Human League live a few years back, well fun, and this edit makes sure that you get the build-up to a good chunk of that ol’ faithful right there.

‘Touch’ by Shura (Four Tet remix)

Four Tet combines a droning sound with some light piano work to start this one out with, working well with that contrast there. After that he gets breezy with the fast-paced bass and the light percussion works he adds to counterbalance that. Then he enters the vocals, soft spoken but quick in delivery (sped up I reckon). She does have a lovely voice, and in this remix, too, it adds to the smoothness of the sounds Four Tet delivers here. At 2:30, how about taking it down to mainly piano and vocals, adding the bass a bit later to allow some people to get moving again. After that he moves to a double layered vocal construction, which actually works pretty well, and he always keeps balancing the lighter sound elements with the rhythm section. The pace is pretty quick, but funnily enough it is such a smooth and easy listen that kind of belies that. A well done remix of this ace Shura single.

‘Build Me A Bridge’ by Rayko

How about that nice little bass to get funky to? Add a drumbeat in there and some lighter sounds to balance it out, and you’ve got this nifty start in which the bass gets more prominent as the first minute moves on. After the minute mark two distinct sounds come in that give me flashbacks to Eighties pop perhaps even more so than those funky times the bass kind of alludes to. They sure add to the festive mood. After the two minute mark all these elements get turned down for a moment with Rayko going for some piano and vocal action, though he makes sure not to forget about what makes this track nice for the disco dancefloor. I love the bombast with which the backing vocals come in at about the 3:20 mark, that gives it some nice momentum building towards the return of those sounds that were introduced after a minute in. Still, it’s the bass that gives this track its backbone, its core, and he returns to that after the middle saw some boom with the vocals. The singular female voice does reappear though, wondering if You remember, remember at all (if he doesn’t he isn’t worth it honey!). I just love Rayko, he’s so good for just that disco dancefloor vibe with the love lost in here as well, putting out another lovely edit to dance to.

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

Puppet Rebellion – 'Fragments'

One of Manchester most promising current acts, five-piece Puppet Rebellion have been doing the rounds for a couple of years now, slowly amassing a legion of fans, bolstering their arsenal of tracks in the process. Most recent single 'Fragments' sees the band taking a softer and more refined approach to their songcraft, offering up a more mature side to the band than previous singles.

Indian Summer – 'A Perfect Heir'

Split between Coventry and Manchester, Indian Summer's brand of woozy indie-pop is breathing new air in to the genre's tired lungs. 'A Perfect Heir' is a cerebral pop number that uses traditional indie-pop as its jumping-off point before the vocals float effortlessly upwards above the rich and woozy instrumentation.

Femur – 'Bedangled'

Such is Femur's appreciation for all things '90s, that rather settle on any one genre, the band instead fuse the decade's more prominent alternative sounds in to snarling amalgamation of shoegaze, grunge and post-punk. 'Bedangled' lends itself more to the latter; it's rumbling bass and reverbed vocal hooks a definite product of their post-punk influences. A band to keep an eye on.

Release – 'Neat Seat'

Can Rage Against The Machine do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke? Probably. But we know for a fact that Release can. A Combination of distinctly British indie rock, with a hip-hop twist, the band are one of Stoke's most promising acts, no small feat given the strength of the city's scene. 'Neat Seat' bristles with punk bite and bile while still manages to retain its indie roots.

Arbourdecks – 'Weekend'

Coming across as the love child of The Strokes and Catfish And The Bottlemen, Arbourdecks are stripping indie back to its debased garage rock roots, and they're all the better for it. 'Weekend' is a punchy indie anthem that plays with its pacing to create a punchy and upbeat track that wears its heart on its sleeve and keep its listeners on their toes.

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: ‘Raised In The Ghetto’ by George Kelly

Like in the ghetto this one starts with no punches pulled (…) before sliding into the funky bass after fifteen seconds or so. Then a build-up, culminating into the beat pushing through and getting things rolling along with that slappin’-of-that-bass. At 1:20, the vocals, strong and female and singing that she was Born and raised in the ghetto, accounting for the feisty performance. Helping her out are the girls in the back, doing a dang-de-dang-de-dang little vocal line, up-tempo and making sure the attitude doesn’t drop when the leading lady isn’t doing her thing. In the mean time, the drums are still pounding, the bass still sounding, so the rhythm keeps it up and beyond for this one. A track off George Kelly’s The Big McGee EP, which was released last month. And if this track is anything to go by, well worth the pick up.

‘Find Our Love’ by Boney vs. London Fields ft. Joel Edwards

Joel Edwards starts this one jazzy, but after a full stop the beat comes in and you’ve got some of those dancing sounds to indicate this is festival fare. To contrast those, you get a bit of percussion, bit of sounds that make sure it veers quickly away from the everyday mundane. After another full stop you soon get some vocals, slick and smooth, singing that If you lose your way, we can run away, we can find our love. After that, some slick synths add the atmosphere, the piano adds a bit of funk, and you’ve got the beat and the deep synth for the rhythm. Second time the vocals come in, this time we know them, so no worries about keeping the rhythm part running underneath. A minute later that one still gets a moments of rest, with just the piano for a little while, and a low, soft beat running way in the back to make sure there’s some sort of backbone there. Then, everything including the vocals come back, still assuring us that, no matter what, We can find our love. Hopeful or delusional, anyone’s guess really, but that’s truth for quite a few emotional decisions in life I suppose.

‘Juicy Lucy’ by Loz Goddard (Razor-N-Tape Reserve)

From  Manchester we get a slice of disco by the hands of Loz Goddard. The label, Razor-N-Tape, is always a safe, reliable bet, and this is no different. Starts lovely, with some of those classic dancing sounds, and after the minute mark you get this strange, wobbly sound on top of the regular disco music that always manages to get people dance. There’s a reasonably firm beat in there (on occasion a tad irregular just to make sure you’re not getting too comfortably there), someone humming, some piano, horns, and the whole works. At times, like around 2:40, you have a little change-up in terms of pace, though there’s a full stop at about 3:10, where it’s just the wobbly sound and the piano sans any form of rhythm. Slowly Goddard starts to build that up though, with various new percussion sounds coming in. This first leads to a bit of nifty drumming at about 3:50, after which the rhythm come back in to ride it back out. It is this nice mixture of old school backdrop on the one hand, and some curveballs on the other, culminating in a nice piece of action from the Razor-N-Tape people again.

‘Neverwood (It’s Okay)’ by Slow Hands

I love the dreamy, almost fairytale start, with the uplifting, airy synth sounds, and with the soft hand percussion in there as well. The real rhythm starts at about 35 seconds, forming the canvas to not only that synth, but also the piano that runs through it. After that, a galloping rhythm changes that part up slightly, riding us towards the vocals, which are put smack in the middle of the mix and not on top of it. So it’s still very much the rhythm and the atmospheric synths that provide the main feel of the track. I love the bassline in there, giving it this nice bouncy feel. That is done really well, it gives you enough rhythm, but doesn’t punch you in the face with it, keeping it fairly breezy, putting plenty of air in the track, doing wonders for the feel they’re trying to give it. There are some moments in there where they change it up a little bit, though the main feel and most of the sounds run through it fairly consistently. It has this breezy nature that I just love, which is very well done I find.

‘Crime Cutz’ by Holy Ghost! (Eli Escobar remix)

Eli Escobar takes on the fairly recently revealed Holy Ghost! tune ‘Crime Cutz’, looking to turn it into a little dancefloor stomper. And from the get go, it is more geared towards a consistent dance vibe than the original was, with the multiple synth sounds working the room nicely over the main drum & beat sounds. At the 1:45 mark we get the vocals, high-pitched and echoing, leading us to a new synth line. Those layers, they are pretty awesome, and Eli Escobar makes sure there is also plenty of that rhythm-n-percussion in there for the dancefloor people. He dials those elements down around 2:40 though, with the chorus-like vocal turn accompanied by one synth turning into another, after which the drum sounds come back in again to provide you with that dancing line right there. I like the contrast between the higher pitched vocals and the deeper drum sounds, which Escobar highlights around 3:30 for a while. He then rides the percussion before going for a sparse beat, one synth, and the vocals repeating the same line until they don’t, which also is the cue for some new instruments to come in again. It really takes the lovely stuff from the original and channels it into a dancefloor tune, with plenty of variety and deft synth work to love it some more.

‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ by Roman Rauch

Apparently an edit he did a few years ago, revisited it, and now he has uploaded it again. He starts it out contrasting a deeper wobbly sound with a high-pitched original sound, then going for a deep beat on top of which the vocals sing the oh-so familiar story of love having left the premises, as it literally doesn’t live here anymore. Love the strings at 1:30, actually don’t remember them being so pronounced in the original, very nice touch there. In the mean time the deep beat, along with some other rhythm elements on occasion, chugs along slowly, with a percussion sound arriving at 2:30 as the vocals rear their heads again, repeating the core of the song, namely that You abandoned me, love don’t live here anymore. The more this one nears the end, the more the vocals come in, which isn’t a bad thing, with at 4:30 THAT moment where she breaks out a bit. It’s such a classic tune, and this is a nice re-touch, leaving the real emotions to the end, and giving some emphasis to the strings as the beat makes it trod along slow-yet-assuredly.