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

Blooms – 'Head Is Spinning'

It seems like we've been waiting forever for BLOOMS to drop their debut single, and now that wait is finally over. 'Head Is Spinning' is a suitably trippy track that reflects its name perfectly. The accompanying video, however, takes things a step further; a film of primary colour covering each shot whilst off-kilter camera work adds to the overall feeling of disorientation. Fantastic stuff.

Fairchild – 'Breathless'

Moving from Australia's Gold Coast to a rain-soaked North of England might not be in the five-year plan of most bands, but then most bands aren't Fairchild. 'Breathless' is both stark, yet strangely warming, the band incorporating the aesthetics of the cities they've lived in, combining them to form an understated and groove-laden single.

The Jackobins – 'One More Chance'

An ominous, loose sounding bass and almost-martial percussion open proceedings on 'One More Chance', but it only takes a matter of seconds before the waves of uplifting and anthemic optimism come crashing in. Harbouring buckets of commercial appeal and self-confidence to match, it won't be long before Liverpool's The Jackobins blow up.

Jimmy Amnesia – 'Days Of Our Lives'

Making red-blooded indie rock that draws influence from the likes of a wealth of '90s and '00s acts, Leicester's Jimmy Amnesia aren't afraid of getting loud. 'Days Of Our Lives' is four minutes of blistering britpop, flecked with grunge and lavished with an acerbic fuzz that's enough to make anyone who hears it sit up and pay attention.

Psyblings – 'Never Make A Living'

Aside from their excellent name, Manchester five-piece Psyblings are taking the spirit of the '60s  and dragging it kicking and screaming in to the present. Brilliantly understated, at least as far as psychedelia goes, 'Never Make A Living' studiously pushes onward, ever-building and only reaching the level of true freakout in its closing moments.

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: ‘Can’t’ by Mall Grab

Mall Grab gets the beat going, but also the jazzy vibes with some nifty guitar work. A lethal combination, as the beat, and the extra percussion that is added, give it its hypnosis and rhythm, with the guitar and, later, the vocals giving it its heart and tone. The vocals sing that they have had a long conversation on the phone with you, and she Can’t get you out of my mind. The beat is the backbone here, keeping it ready for the dancefloor with a reasonably deep flavor, especially when at the two minute mark you get a bit of that deep grain as effect. In the meantime, the vocalist keeps repeating her conversation to us, clearly not able to let it go, with only the guitar able to clear it out of her head for just a minute. Though the bluesy overtones might just be a decent representation of her state of mind anyway. I just love that sound, with the beat keeping it from stalling, and the vocals almost resigned, beaten. One of four tracks on Mall Grab’s upcoming Sun Ra EP.

‘Fashion’ by Joey Negro & the Sunburst Band feat. Pete Simpson

Perhaps the sole good thing about a star passing is that we get some of all those old works back out there (for free downloading, no less). This is an older remake of Joey Negro doing that David Bowie thing, taking on the funky ‘Fashion’, which here, too, gets plenty of that bass. Though the little guitar riff is not forgotten, as the girls in the back sing that they are the Goon squad and we’re coming to town (beep-beep!). Different vocal turns are used, both male and female, going all out. It makes it more of a funky disco sound than the more apathetic turn of Bowie. At about the three minute mark we get some serious horn work, with shortly after the vocals coming in, all singing together Fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion, before steering away again for a bit of that sax solo they manage to work in. Just another Bowie inspired thing to boogie to-till-you-can-boogie-no-more.

‘Just A Little Love’ (Dr. Packer rework)

How about 'Just A Little Love' from Dr. Packer, going all Teena Marie on us with this funky little something. You’ve got the quintessential disco sounds already, and with the twenty second mark he puts in the boogie-woogie with the eloping bass. Around the fifty second mark we get some string action, and just after the minute mark we first get the women in the back, though Teena Marie herself soon walks out on stage as well. After doing her thang, quickly, the bass is put back in to get back into that funky little dance y’all were doing. The bass takes a backseat for a minute, coming back together with the vocals at about 2:10, as Teena Marie says you should ask her what she needs, to which she will reply that oh, how she needs Your lovin’ (just a little bit of it will do, babe). Dr. Packer knows how to get the disco and funk to the dancefloor, heralding the bass and vocals, with flurries of horns and strings and what not. He sure manages to make everything sound like something you want to dance to.

‘Bless Her Soul’ by Man Without A Clue feat. Meleka

BBC Radio went for a bit of that dance and house when they played Man Without A Clue’s ‘Bless Her Soul’, with a serious vocal take from Meleka. There’s a fast paced beat in there, which gets its help from a rhythm sound, some extra percussion, and, on occasion, something of a horn-like persuasion that comes in. And, as said, Meleka, who goes full throttle in blessing this woman’s poor soul, with, after done so, that horn sound coming in. It’s a fast paced tune for the dancefloor, not letting up, and the big, bold, vocal turn makes sure it keeps the pedal to the metal. Will be out early next month through Defected Records, if you fancy this one.

‘Don’t Go Lose It Baby’ by Hugh Masekela (Vito & Druzzi rework)

Vito & Druzzi waste no time getting those characteristic percussion sounds in, soon adding a beat to that to give it a clear backbone. After that, a deeper drum sound enters as well, though lighter, more African sounding percussion balance it out again. At the 1:30 mark the girls briefly come in with the vocals, though at all times it are the multiple layers of percussion and rhythm sounds that bring the best out of all the dancers with this one. And they keep pushing that sound relentlessly, making sure you get all the drums, toms, and hums to move your body to. At the 2:30 mark we almost, nearly, get the famous Oh noooooo (before he dives into the "don’t go lose it baby"), but it stops short of moving into the chorus, instead focusing on the percussion once more. Just before the four minute mark, a similar set-up, with a similar result, moving to the lighter percussion before adding the deeper sounds in, though these are in the background. If you’re craving some percussion, then this might just scratch that itch.

‘808 Beauty’ by Dam-Funk

Dam-Funk released kind of a beast of an album last year, with loads and loads of tracks, and this is apparently an unreleased one that wasn’t on there. It is a lush, funky slow groover, with a big, grainy bass sound which gets juxtaposed by the light, clear piano and synth sounds that are woven through there. To help the bass out, there are also the drums in the back, just  to give this instrumental piece a bit of extra backbone. Just after the two minute mark the bass gets a short bit of rest, with just those padded drums and the synths giving everyone a bit of a peace of mind. Shortly after though, the main sound (aka, the bass) gets in there to groove this slow burner forward a bit. It’s for the lovin’, and the making of it, at night.

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

Reykjavik Kids – 'Moneymaker'

Originally from the North East but now residing in the Capital, Reykjavik Kids are a post-punk duo with an interest in making music on dated synths, budget computers and beat-up guitars. The resulting compositions are both timeless and timely, the latest of which, 'Moneymaker' can be heard below.

Altar Flowers – 'Almost Endless'

Relishing in an '80s aesthetic of their own creating, Manchester's Altar Flowers occupy the murky middle-ground somewhere between pop pomp and goth. Their latest single 'Almost Endless' encapsulates such a sound perfectly, blending an inherent darkness with an infectious camp fizz.

Danxia – 'Empress'

Embracing all that is '90s, and even some that's not, Warrington's Danxia are a band determined not to let their feet touch the ground. Floating on an almost-endless current of ephemeral dream-pop, juxtaposed against walls of amorphous noise, 'Empress' is almost five minutes of perfectly shifting textures.

Jubilee Park - 'Morning Rush'

Weston-Super-Mare isn't the first place that comes to mind when you think of punchy indie-rock, but that's exactly where Jubilee Park come from. Eschewing the West Country's penchant for underground dance music, JP harness the aesthetic of '00s indie whilst managing to retain an edge of the contemporary.

Passion Falls – 'Chasing Ghosts'

Self-proclaimed 'Electronic anthemists' Passion Falls aren't afraid to shy away from the poppier end of the musical spectrum. 'Chasing Ghosts', the latest single to be taken from the band's Greatest Adventure EP, is an electronically-driven track that perpetually builds towards an emphatic crescendo, and whilst it may be more somewhat more mainstream than the other tracks on offer, it still packs no less of a punch.

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: 'Northern Merry’ by Dan Shake

Lets get into the groove with Dan Shake, first putting in the blues organ before diving headlong into the deep, dark beat of the underground club. In the background we get the soul of the church coming through, with them really coming to the fore when the beat is stripped for a moment around the minute mark, singing that she sees Your face around, with that beautiful raspy voice that brings the flavor out full throttle. In the meantime Dan Shake keeps the track rolling, with the beat, with the percussion, and by shifting the vocals front and back, sometimes putting emphasis on that emotional punch, and at other times letting it slide down in the mix to make sure we reload on the rhythm of the tune. At about the 3:30 we get some idiosyncratic drums in there, taking over momentarily, but soon it gets shooed back down again by the main beat and the vocals. Love the ending as well, it’s like an outtake reel at the end of a film.

‘La Rumba Experimental’ by Gilles Peterson’s Havana Cultura Band (MCDE remix)

Gilles Peterson puts the rumba in with this Latin vibed track, including lots of those characteristic sounds and loads of percussion. But also, a beat, which enters around 35 seconds in. Sure, one that fits the vibe, with the drums and the toms helping out there, but it definitely also makes sure it is in tune with the dancefloor. And you can leave that in the safe hands of Motor City Drum Ensemble, who is pretty awesome and knows how to get something out of this material (or, like, anything). So the percussion makes sure the rhythm keeps going, with on top of that some nice auxiliary sounds. The deeper percussion elements are dialled down a bit before the three minute mark, just to let the flavor come to the fore some, slowing it way (waaay) down for a near two minutes or so. Slowly, you can already hear some percussion elements with the cymbals and stuff, which is the prelude to the beat and rhythm to come back in. At the end you even get some soft vocal work (and sinister laughing) on top of mainly the beat. The mix is super smooth, super organic, and will let you get some of that hip action in.

‘OB-8’ by Shit Robot

Shit Robot is back in action, immediately doing that menacing thing with a dark synth sound and a deep beat, just to make sure that you know that you better start moving or he’s coming for ya. Love the percussion added at about the thirty second mark, a bit lighter than the main beat sound, giving it a nice balance. At the minute mark the bass sound comes in, providing some extra deep rhythm to hang your hat onto. The song really opens up with the keys coming in at 1:30, aided by an extra auxiliary sound. Still there is plenty of that hypnotic dance rhythm going on (so don’t you worry my sweetie!), but the lighter keys balance it out without having to hand in some of the rhythm for that. So this one keeps on grooving just so you can keep on moving, with that deep sound and quick pace. Shit Robot keeps the synths working for atmosphere though, upping them just before the fourth minute mark as a prelude to dial it all down in terms of the rhythm, though all of it comes back shortly after, including some “uh”s being yelped by some guy or another. A nice banger of a dance tune from the DFA label.

‘Fast Hercules’ by Aaron Neville (Dr. Packer’s Uptempo Rework)

How about some of that nice disco & funk eh? Aaron Neville’s track ‘Hercules’ gets a Dr. Packer rework, upping the pace but keeping the funk, for all your dancing pleasure. So there’s a nice beat going on, some extra percussion to give it an additional boost, and the bass that runs right on through it to give you all that dancing. After the minute mark you get the piano, already giving it a bit of that disco party feel. And on that score Dr. Packer holds no punches, making sure there’s plenty of stuff to work with as a disco dancer. He turns it all down for a few seconds to introduce the vocals, which then get to work with the rhythm and all the other things there. Bit of organ, bit of guitar, and what seems like the girls in the back doing some “doo-do-doo-do” lines. He plays around with pace a bit, like the transition just before the three minute mark, which is quite splendid. The vocals have a nice funky rhythm to it, singing that, well, It must be Hercules (who else?). Add some horns in there as well, and you’ve got the whole dancefloor disco bonanza, which Dr. Packer knows how to bring like no other.

‘Swim’ by Cape Cub (YSE Saint Laur’Ant extended DJ edit)

Super lush start for this one, with YSE making sure the start is super mellow before the soft paced beat comes in on top of some tropical percussion and the main sound that he makes sure to keep right there. Then the deep vocals arrive, contrasting the somewhat lighter main sound. Second time ‘round that the voice tells his tale some extra percussion is added back in there as well, another way to contrast that deep male storyline, which gets some echo and less rhythm accompaniment during the chorus, singing that he will Give myself to you. In the mean time the tropical percussion, beat, and that core riff keep it working, making sure that, Yes, it is not at a breakneck pace but, also Yes, you can still do a little dance to it. YSE manages to keep that feel from the start there for the entirety of the track, whilst also making sure to at least get some rhythm in up until the very end, where the percussion helps the main sound to ride it out until the last half minute or so, where it closes the song out all on its own.

‘Paradis’ by Alain Chamfort (Paradis reprise)

Paradis always manages to make something sound so effortlessly good (and with a suave French New Wave vibe as well). Here they take on a track by Alain Chamfort, a track which happens to also be called ‘Paradis’, just to get some of that optimal confusion running in there. The first synth sounds around the 15 second mark that come on top of the percussion, that is just magic, and then the vocals of Chamfort slide in, singing something I don’t quite understand (because, French). At about the minute mark they turn up the volume a bit and get a beat going for your dancing pleasure, being helped out by some extra rhythm riffs. The synth, meanwhile, still helps the vocals out with creating the atmosphere. The tone of the vocals provide a nice contrast with the more paced beat that keeps the track moving forward, and that beat in itself is laced with loads of sounds to wrap it all in. At about the halfway mark the vocals are allowed to rest for a minute, with Paradis coming up with a nice little sound as placeholder. It is one of those dance-with-your-eyes-closed-while-dreaming-away tracks, and just of that impeccable Paradis quality again.