SONG OF THE DAY: The Ruts - In a Rut (1979)

"In a Rut" was the debut single from The Ruts, a British group whose blend of punk and dub-reggae earned them a lot of praise from John Peel.  While the rest of their contemporaries were trying to play faster, The Ruts delivered brooding mid-paced tunes that were as ferocious as anything else in the burgeoning punk scene.  Unfortunately, this nihilistic anthem was a projection of singer Malcolm Owen's own internal struggles; he would die of a heroin overdose the next year.  "You're in a rut, You gotta get out of it - out of it - out of it - out of it - out of it..."

ALBUM OF THE DAY: Isabel's Dream - Monomara (2000)

"Monomara" is the only release from Isabel's Dream, the "blissbeat" project of Toronto-based musician Michael Ulrich.  Originally conceived as a solo ambient project, Ulrich eventually incorporated Drum n Bass elements to his ambient soundscapes, resulting in a remarkable blend of shoegaze and electronic music (hence the "blissbeat" tag).  Ulrich completed the transition to a more structured sound by adding the voice of Rachel Keeler to the mix.  This is a must-listen for fans of the lush IDM of Seefeel and the dreamy droning of loveliescrushing.

SONG OF THE DAY: S.M. Nurse - Frutta (1983)

"Frutta" is an archetypal "pulser" track from S.M. Nurse, a minimal wave group from Amsterdam who released a limited discography before disbanding in 1983.  The Dutch trio were influenced by disco and sound collage music, and soon developed their own minimal-synth approach to dance music.  S.M. Nurse most notably appeared on the incredible "Turkish Delight" cassette compilation, which also featured the Legendary Pink Dots, and most of their essential live recordings were released as a collection by Top Tape records in 1986.

Pump - The Decoration of the Duma Continues (1987)

Pump, who were known as MFH in the early 80s, were an English duo who produced some truly fascinating post-industrial music that has largely gone unnoticed until Belgian label Forced Nostalgia reissued "The Decoration of the Duma Continues" in 2011.  Pump's sound is reminiscent of L.A. industrial-leaning post-punk surfers Savage Republic, who also succeeded in blending grating chainsaw guitars with tribal ambient and world music.  Pump transition seamlessly between these juxtaposed passages on this genre-defying album that will please fans of Clock DVA, the Fall and everything in between.