While there is certainly no shortage of bands on local stages covering other artist’s music, few do more than merely parrot back a tune. Among the exceptions is the Ocean Beach sextet The Hip Replacements, which performs Saturday, April 24. Updating material from blues to modern rock favorites, the band puts its own stamp on the songs. Made up of Joey Vercillo (vocals/guitar), Dave Gietzen (keyboards), Donald Emley (bass), Manuel Pena (percussion), Danny Mulligan (drums) and Marian Yamauchi (vocals), the Hip replacements are Ocean Beach-based music-scene veterans. This lineup has been playing since 2006, with the core of Emley and Vercillo going back a dozen years to a group called The Ravens. “We don’t consider ourselves a cover band,” noted Emley. “I prefer to think of our music as remakes of original versions. “We take songs and give them a little more spin, make them a little more danceable,” he said. “We change beats and add small things to give them our own stamp, as opposed to just playing the song. Keeping things as danceable and fun as possible is a priority.” Vercillo agreed. “There’s a Latin rhythm to our sound,” Vercillo said. “It’s very listenable, but it’s meant to be danceable. That’s why we only do one ballad, Van Morrison’s ‘Crazy Love.’” The band includes varied material ranging from blues standards such as Slim Harpo’s “Shake Your Hips” and Roy Head’s “Treat Her Right” to more modern songs by the likes of Amy Winehouse. Vercillo said Morrison’s “Domino,” The Zuton’s “Valerie” and Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” are particular crowd pleasers. “We make subtle changes,” Emley said. “For Petty’s ‘Breakdown’ we use a 4/4 time signature versus a shuffle beat. It’s more upbeat and prone to cause dancing that way.” While the Hip Replacements are open to expanding their set list, Vercillo notes the band tries to avoid “anything I’ve heard too many times at a wedding.” While the band has become popular for its updated song versions, Vercillo’s own music has been put on a shelf. A prolific songwriter (specializing in what he describes as “surf western instrumentals, sort of like Ennio Morricone or The Ventures”), his recordings over the past decade have only made it to a small circle of friends. “I guess I’m a procrastinator,” he said. “I’ve never really thought about taking those songs further. Maybe someday.” Meanwhile, The Hip Replacements continue a twice-a-month gig schedule with a slight upturn in shows during the summer months. The band is also a fixture at Jake’s Tiki Bar in Mission Beach. “We’re not adverse to doing more gigs,” Vercillo said. “But we’re older now, so it’s important that the gigs be low-pressure sorts of things, where it’s just about the music. This is a band that will continue indefinitely, as long as we’re enjoying ourselves. ” Vercillo said the interplay within the group is his favorite thing. “Live, we have a lot of freedom to improvise,” he said. “We’ve been through ups and downs, but we communicate on stage. We may not be the best players, but that doesn’t matter because of the way we play when we’re performing together. Our arrangements are loose, but have enough structure to allow us to have a lot of fun.” Emley said having fun is what the Hip Replacements is all about. “I’m in it for the glory, because there’s no money in it,” Emley joked. “But I love that what I’m doing is entertaining people and helping them have good times.” The Hip Replacements appear at Winston’s, 1921 Bacon St., at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 24. There is no cover. For more information, visit www.winstonsob.com.