Contemporary (since 2007) Covers - what are you playing?

[ST]

For those of you who are performing live ...

What contemporary covers are you doing?  - I mean things written within the five last years.

If you could post a link to a video of someone performing the song - that would be great.

In the circles where I hang out if people are playing covers, they are doing things written in the 80's or earlier. I think that's a reflection of the performer's age not the audience.

For me, I'm doing a couple of  Canadian songs from the 70's (videos coming if I can find them), a few songs that took me too long to let them go, and then mostly originals. But the originals don't always fly so I'm thinking I'd like to freshen up the song list.

The Canadian Tunes from the 70's

• Music in Your Eyes
• The Tractor Song (Perth County Conspiracy) - I can't find this online anywhere.

At this point I don't do any Beatles, The Band, Eagles, Neil Young, John Denver, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Simon & Garfunkel. There are plenty enough people doing that kind of material around here. I do a couple of John Martyn tunes from the 70s because it seems that no one in these parts has heard him much.

• May You Never
• Don't Want to Know

Newer material

• This song by the Fratellis barely makes it into the 5 year window - and it always goes over well
  Whistle for the Choir
• edit - adding ->Bad Things - Jace Edwards
  and this is NOT about what you might think when you hear it but that's okay. I actually have people yelling out requests for this and oddly - none of the other locals do this song.

Anyway - back to you... What contemporary covers are you doing?

What about you?

[unclrob]

This is going too come off weird.I have always considered myself a sideman,never a front.So I play all sorts of stuff.In the main duo we play what the front calls "Vintage music",anywhere from old blue's,country,rock and R+B.Here's a sample of what we do.
Kieth and Barefoot Rob
She took the Katy,Stealin{Uriah Heap},Dixie Chicken,Operator,Silver Wings.The newer stuff is Wicket Game's,Old Love,.

As for me for myself I still play Old Man but I play from a point of view of a son to a father and its very dark.Little Martha,Sam Stone,Hello in there,Dear Abby,Into the Mystic,Cut my Hair and Marshall Tuckers Asking too Much of You.Theres a few more things like 30's and 40's blues,I also working on Eddie Langes April Moon and other 20's and 30's guitars style's.

[ST]

Hi unclrob,

Thanks for your reply. This gives us a chance to talk about context here.

Up until the last few years I was a sideman. But over the last five years or so that has changed and I'm doing more solo work or fronting-the-band type gigs.  I still play with other people and will happily take the sideman role when it fits but as more often as not I'm at centre stage. 

So this is why I am asking about contemporary covers. My original music is finding its audience, but I'd like to freshen up my covers repertoire.

Old guys doing songs from when they were young are a cliché around here. Visually, I fit right in with that crowd, but my heart is weary of covers of the old stuff.

I forgot to mention this in my post above (added now). I did this one night as a joke and it has become one of my most requested tunes.

Bad Things - Jace Edwards


Anybody doing anything new?

[ST]

Hi unclrob,

I'm guessing that you meant

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game  (1989)

not

The Weeknd - Wicked Games

and this

Eric Clapton - Old Love (1998)

Doing anything newer?

[unclrob]

There just isn't much new that make's me want to play them.In most case's when we're doing a cover its our version of it.Kieth has some wonderful originals he just needs to be prodded into playing them as he doesn't feel there that good.He has an amazing voice which is our gimmick plus the fact that its 2 rythm players with me playing limited lead now and then.He has a wondeful version of "help" which is played rather slow and it fits so well when you consider our age's,he's 50 and I'm 56.I guess our other gimmick is that we play the stuff no where near the original version.

Yep those are the one's.Once again my bad typing skill's.

[flatlander]

Learning this one and the Avett bros have lots of good songs. I really like this one. "the once and future carpenter"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBER9mPpyWk

[ST]

Hi flatlander,

Learning this one and the Avett bros have lots of good songs. I really like this one. "the once and future carpenter"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBER9mPpyWk

Thanks.

Wow - that's a lot of lyrics.

Powerful performers.

[madoclake]

For those of you who are performing live ...

What contemporary covers are you doing?  - I mean things written within the five last years.

This song by the Fratellis barely makes it into the 5 year window............


Well, my daughter who is 18 listens to The Fratelli's, so I guess it can't be that old!

Current newer covers:

How old are James McMurtry's songs? Choctaw Bingo; Talking at the Texaco; Can't Make it Here Anymore; No More Buffalo. Younger folks recognize it. But it might not fit your five year window.

I learned two of Neil's songs from Le Noise. I haven't played them for anyone who isn't immediate family yet. But they are newer material. And odd... I'll probably never play them outside the house.

There are more. Lemme think for a bit!

[tuffythepug]

ST
You did an impromptu "Bad Things" at Mike's house when we did the Forum III thing.  I'm sure that one goes over well when you do it on stage.   Have you considered doing anything by Ray LaMontagne ?  I'm thinking of something like "Trouble,  "Jolene" or "Empty".    I believe you could really do justice to some of his tunes.   The tune "Empty" has some of the same vibe as a tune like Bad Things.



T

[ST]

Hi Lynn,

ST
You did an impromptu "Bad Things" at Mike's house when we did the Forum III thing.  I'm sure that one goes over well when you do it on stage.   Have you considered doing anything by Ray LaMontagne ?  I'm thinking of something like "Trouble,  "Jolene" or "Empty".    I believe you could really do justice to some of his tunes.   The tune "Empty" has some of the same vibe as a tune like Bad Things.



T

I'm listening to Ray LaMontagne now - and suggesting that I could justice to some of his tunes is some kind of compliment.
Thanks !

[ST]

Hi madoclake,

Current newer covers:

How old are James McMurtry's songs? Choctaw Bingo; Talking at the Texaco; Can't Make it Here Anymore; No More Buffalo. Younger folks recognize it. But it might not fit your five year window.

I learned two of Neil's songs from Le Noise. I haven't played them for anyone who isn't immediate family yet. But they are newer material. And odd... I'll probably never play them outside the house.

There are more. Lemme think for a bit!

Thanks for the ideas. I spent some time listening to James McMurtry this afternoon. Thanks for pointing me in his direction.

This thread is turning out to be a bucketful of inspiration.