The Beat Farmers: The Beat Goes on

It was a small but ultimately influential early ’80s scene: the back-to-roots movement spearheaded by the Blasters, Rank and File, Jason and the Scorchers, Long Ryders, Los Lobos ... and the Beat Farmers, the hard-twanging (and even harder drinking) San Diego band with a unique brand of proto-Americana, equal parts Burritos/New Riders country-rock, Commander Cody swingabilly, and Creedence swamp-pop.