Another booming genre at the turn of the millennium; like electronic music, alt-country’s dominance faded considerably during the noughties. Instead, the traditional Americana sounds became a major influence for new rock and pop artists who flirted with tradition without sacrificing their contemporary vein. The Hold Steady brought Bruce Springsteen’s heritage back to the books of cool. Jack White rescued Loretta Lynn and Sufjan Stevens became a critical darling with the banjo-tinged “Seven Swans”, before he ventured into his multi-state of the union celebrated, if recently aborted, project.