Many people are an integral part of what makes Ocean Beach special. But few may be as visible to the public as Michael Head. He seems to be everywhere. Owner of Headtrap Music Studios, he works with many of San Diego’s top artists as producer or engineer. Head also books the weekly Ocean Beach Farmers Market musical entertainment, a blur of activity each Wednesday as he strives to get the sound just right. Meanwhile he’s also responsible for much of the music heard at the annual Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off. But what he enjoys most is making music, especially with his band the Country Rockin’ Rebels. A graduate of the Guitar Institute of Technology and a native of Virginia, Head immediately became entrenched in the local music scene when he came to San Diego. Built around Head’s music and that of primary composer Tristan Luhrs, the Country Rockin’ Rebels, who will appear at the OB Farmers Market on July 20, have made a name for themselves over the last five years as a duo, but more recently have expanded, adding Mark Eppler (slide guitar), “Willy Boy” Dixon (bass) and Steve Tomahawk (drums) to the mix. They’re a country band, with the prerequisite influences like Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, but they are also a group fond of the blues, from its beginnings all the way up to the White Stripes. “That is a more modern take than some people might expect, but it’s the bluesier side of our music,” said Head. The band also moonlights as a straight blues group, The Moneymen, whenever Luhrs isn’t available. The Country Rockin’ Rebels already have three albums in the can. But with a new line up, “It’s almost a whole new band,” Head said. While he plays country music now, he first got heavily into playing because of Led Zeppelin. “I graduated from high school in the mid-1980s, so perhaps I was a little behind the times,” said Head. “But when I saw their movie ‘The Song Remains the Same’ and saw Jimmy Page, I thought, ‘I want to do that. I want a Les Paul.’” He points out that the Country Rockin’ Rebels is a concept as much as it is a band. “We had this sort of Bowie-with-a-twang thing going,” Head said. The idea is not far off from Bowie’s classic “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” concept album about a music star’s emergence, fall from grace and revival. “The first album was the start,” Head said. “By the second, we had it so Tristan is the Country Rockin’ Rebel. We built the band around the concept. I know it’s a little weird. “We already have the next disc mapped out — “The Return of…” Head said. “It’s all based on Tristan’s music. I write a song here or there, but basically I produce the music. I’m DJ Jazzy Jeff in the background and he’s the Fresh Prince. That’s just the way it is.” Playing live, the group can be a bit freeform. But Head said he likes it that way. “It depends on the gig, but we can play for hours,” he said. “It’s a 50/50 mix of covers and originals, though for gigs under an hour we tend to go primarily with our own music, maybe a cover or three.” Head has made music with lots of groups in different genres over the years, but he said the Country Rockin’ Rebels are special to him. “I can play in a lot of different styles,” he said. “If I made a CD, it would be very unfocused. My dad had a record store and my mom had a little Gibson dove guitar. She listened to Emmy Lou Harris and Linda Ronsdtadt, so I always had this country core to my music. There were always acoustic guitars around. I love blues. I love rock. I love going out and being a rock star, but this is a little more comfortable for me.” The Country Rockin’ Rebels perform at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at the Ocean Beach Farmers Market, located at Newport Avenue and Bacon Street. All ages. www.reverbnation.com/countryrockinrebels.