like most forms of contempary music americana was invented by neil young. his song 'borrowed tune' and much of the rest of his 'tonight's the night' album being a good example - though all of his accoustic, shambling stuff from the early days would do. then add a bit of blue grass, a bit of acquired honest authenticity, modern day low-fi hippyness, gillian welch and dave rawlings. then finish off with the latest 'sitting in a lonely shack watching geese fly by and worrying about my woman and the environment' style. this may sound like i don't like it but i do - it's great.