HOEDOWN CHUTZPAH

“VAN GO.” The Beat Farmers. Curb/MCA. The Beat Farmers have always been more intriguing than most of the other ranch-hand rockers around. Powered by an earthy blast of hoedown chutzpah , they’ll latch onto a Lynyrd Skynyrd-style boogie here or a trestle-shaking rhythm there. On the San Diego quartet’s second album, originals like “Buy Me a Car” and “Riverside” typify the band’s formula, which melds winding, bluesy guitar runs and country-tinged vocal harmonies into rock foundations. The only pitfall on “Van Go” is the band’s redneck-isms. After hearing songs about a rambling lady trucker and taking the kiddies down to the chapel to buy guns you have to wonder how tightly these ol’ boys have been wearing their bola ties.