The Beat Farmers are an American rock band that formed in San Diego, California, United States, in August 1983, and enjoyed a cult following into the early 1990s before the death of drummer and sometime lead singer Country Dick Montana.
The San Diego Reader summed up their sound as ..."like Bo Diddley, CCR, Joe South, and the Yardbirds, ham fisted into a food processor, stuffed into a shotgun shell, and blasted into a beer keg at three in the morning."
As of 2024, remaining members Jerry Raney, Joey Harris, Joel Kmak, and Rollie Love have been performing again in San Diego and throughout the Southwest.
[3][4][5] Singer-guitarist Bernard "Buddy Blue" Seigal and bassist Rolle Love from local rockabilly band The Rockin' Roulettes were recruited to round out the lineup.
That band included many San Diego musicians who would later play important roles in both the Beat Farmers and the neo-traditional Country and cow punk scenes.
It was co-produced by Graham Parker and The Rumour keyboardist Bob Andrews and included a version by Buddy Blue of Neil Young's "Powderfinger" and Country Dick singing "Beat Generation" with backing vocals from Dave Alvin, Nick Lowe, Gene Taylor, Dan Stuart, and Loudon Wainwright III.
[8] Their major-label debut Van Go was produced by Craig Leon and featured performances by both Blue and new member Joey Harris, who previously played with John Stewart, The Speedsters, and Country Dick and the Snuggle Bunnies.
Later in the year, Montana and Harris formed a side project with Nixon and Alvin called the Pleasure Barons, a group that specialized in lounge music.
On November 8, 1995, Country Dick Montana died of a heart attack while performing "The Girl I Almost Married", three songs into the set at the Longhorn Saloon in Whistler, British Columbia.
[citation needed] In 1996, Bar None Records of Hoboken, New Jersey, posthumously released The Devil Lied to Me, the Country Dick Montana solo album.
These have included Dave Alvin, Steve Berlin, Mojo Nixon, Paul Kamanski and others as they pay tribute to Country Dick Montana and Buddy Blue.