Mrrzy, you beat me to it! Long live Jake and Elwood!

Jayto I agree with you about what thay call 'modern country' - it's pop music dressed up to appeal to a certain crowd. Completely different to what is known as 'alt country' which can include a wide variety of performers, like Ryan Adams, Emmy Lou, Michelle Shocked,
Natalie Merchant, Connor Oberst, Dave Matthews...of course these performers all cross boundaries, and I'm sure some people might be surprised at them being included here. I think the point is they're not limited to a narrow style, but incorporate elements of blues, folk, country, rock and yes even punk.