What does all this mean for a band known for a meat-and-potatoes musical ethic -- one that prompted them, in the face of genre tag semantics, to print the admonition "Remember, It's Rock" on the sleeve of their last CD?

"That was more to deflect the whole alt-country thing which was insane at the time," says Best of the mid-'90s roots movement saddled with monikers from Americana and No Depression to punkabilly and insurgent country. "I don't think it's healthy to have all these distinctions. And even though I liked a lot of those groups under that banner, I didn't care to be lumped into that."

In recent years, many of the early leaders of the style (Jayhawks, Wilco) have abandoned their banjos and flannels for more ornate pop aspirations. With Everything You Thought, Slobberbone, too, is leaving its past behind, maybe even part of its alt-country affiliation.

Regardless, the group isn't looking for another subgenre to try to fit into. "What we put on the last album, about it being "rock,' that still holds true. Because we are a rock band, pure and simple," says Best. "That's all we've ever aspired to be."