While watching a movie on cable (would you think less of me if the film was Dodgeball?) I nearly freaked out for a song I hadn't heard in years, The Sugarhill Gang's version of the 60's classic Apache. Of course, I immediately pulled my Sugarhill cd out and played it loud.  I had always known it was a cover, but not much else, so I did a little research.  It's interesting to look and listen to the evolution of the song Apache.

Originally recorded by The Shadows, Cliff Richards' original backup band, Apache was an instrumental hit that the bands solo career. They never achieved as great success as with Apache and played for Richards until 1968 and stayed active until disbanded in 1990.

The next incarnation for the song was by The Incredible Bongo Band.  TIBB was a revolving-door group of studio musicians led by bongo player Michael Viner. Their funky version of The Shadows' Apache become one of hip-hop's earliest breakbeat staples and one of the most sampled tracks in hip-hop history. First-generation hip-hop DJs Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash came to rely on its percussion breaks to get block parties moving.

Label mates to Grandmaster Flash, Sugarhill Gang, completely reworked Apache and forged memorable grooves exploring the funk side of rap/hip-hop. Sugarhill Gang was named after their record label, Sugarhill Records (founded by Sylvia Robinson), Sugarhill Gang is known today mainly today for their groundbreaking sampling (Chic's Good Times) hit Rapper's Delight.

Lastly, a decade later, in 1992, the band Senseless Things reworked the tune for Ruby Trax: The NME's Roaring 40, the must-have British indie covers project (and benefit for The Spastic's Society). This version is sadly not good and bespeaks what was wrong with 90's music and included here for evolutionary purposes more than anything else.

The Shadows - Apache (1960)
The Incredible Bongo Band - Apache (1973)
Sugarhill Gang - Apache (Jump On It) (1982)
Senseless Things - Apache (1992)

Contributor DJ Toast has posted a new pocast. It includes songs by Peter Björn & John, Camera Obscura, The Concretes, Johnny Boy, The Lost Patrol, The Bird and the Bee, Lush, Shout Out Louds, Spearmint, Stereolab, Stars, Lush, Elastica, Throwing Muses, The Ettes, The Long Blondes, The Pipettes, Henri Fabergé and the Adorables.  It clocks in at 57 mins., 41 secs.

Weekend Without Make-Up Mix

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Montréal trio, Land of Talk, released their visceral debut album, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, in 2006. The influences of Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey can be heard throughout. The album is a fresh re-take on what indie rock was and should be, again.

Online resources - Website, MySpace, iTunes.

Land Of Talk - Speak To Me Bones
Land Of Talk - All My Friends

The North Carolina band The Rosebuds just released their third full-length, The Night of The Furies. Between the recent albums the band reduced ranks from a trio to the orginal duo of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp. Besides personnel changes, the band's sound on the new release has swapped the somber atmospherics of their prior release, Birds Make Good Neighbors, for a synth-pop optimism.

Check out Get Up Get Out from the new album, and Outnumbered, from their second album.

Online Resources - Website, MySpace, Blog, iTunes.

Rosebuds - Get Up Get Out
Rosebuds - Outnumbered

I always find it intriging when a band chooses to go back and remake one of their own songs. When Montreal's Arcade Fire released their second full-length, Neon Bible, they included a revisiting of a song from their self-titled, 2003, debut EP.

They've taken a solid and engaging Indie Rock track and transformed it into a majestic and powerful piece that shows the confidence and ambition they've amased in the four years since.

Online Resources: Website, MySpace, iTunes

Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (2007)
Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (2003)

One thing I've not read in this brouhaha about Avril Lavigne was that the song she did was originally done by Lush on their 1998 album, Topolino, in which the writing credits are given to Dunbar and Gangwer (of the Rubinoos) properly.

I'm not defending Avril, I'd be the first on a haters-bandwagon, but ...

Lush - I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend