Tales of a Brown Dragon

The hillbilly punk-rock explorations of Arcata, CA.'s Dieselhed get even stronger on their sophomore effort, Tales of a Brown Dragon. The band has wisely cut back on the meandering (and sometimes overlong) compositions that prevented their self-titled debut from being a complete success. Dieselhed has also focused and improved the quality of their songwriting, which makes Tales possibly their best and most consistent album. From the guitar chicken-pickin' of "Brown Dragon" and "Butcher Boy" (both contain rambunctious choruses that provide a sharp contrast to the rest of the song) to the speedy hoedown "Pizza Box," this is simply alternative country at its finest. The soothingly experimental "Baby Song" is a new sound for the band (a horn is heard blowing in the background), showing that they refuse to stay put and rehash old ideas. The group has been known to include some witty lyrics in their songs, and on Tales of a Brown Dragon, the album closer "Snow Blind in the Liquor Store" lives up to expectations. Music for the alternative cowboy.