Rock Paper Scissors takes the listener through a dizzying and loosely energetic spectrum of musical styles that’s in keeping with Dean Jones’ work with his main gig, Dog on Fleas. But hooking up with indie folk-rockers the Felice Brothers burnishes the street cred of an artist who already gets props for making kid-friendly music that adults can dig, too.

As a new dad and listener to children’s music, I instantly was reminded of the musical-gumbo approach taken by former Del Fuegos frontman Dan Zanes when listening to Rock Paper Scissors. Before you know it, you’ve been splashed with the rousing German beer hall cheers of “Hail! Hail! The Gang’s All Here!”; the lazy second line brass band honks of the title track and the Dixieland stomp of “Butterfinger”; the waltz of “Isthmus Be the Pirate Waltz; the mid-tempo folk of “Sing Like a Sparrow.”

Along the way you hear the official instruments of Americana: piano, trombone (a Dean Jones specialty), fiddle, banjo, accordion, and so on.

I’m on a huge kick to get my toddler grooving to anything with a fun tempo, and Rock Paper Scissors survived an awesome test drive; it’s tailor-made for engagement, and seems perpetually set in the “jaunty” mode. But then there are brave curveballs like “Roncando,” an homage to the Ennio Morricone soundtracks of the Italian spaghetti westerns that made Clint Eastwood a pre-chair-lecturing star — complete with the too-brief punctuations of those Mexicali horn arrangements. (Speaking of pop-culture references, “Poison Ivy,” with its Peter Gunn-like noir vibe, features not only surprisingly sultry vocals by Lily McNamara but also a sax riff by Shanke Kirsch that would’ve fit snugly on an old Morphine album.)

Rock Paper Scissors plays well with others and not just kids, and has us all waiting for Dean Jones’ next collaboration.

Hear samples from Rock Paper Scissors and buy it at www.dogsonfleas.com.