great albums
best new music
new albums
find new music
album recommendations, great music
Artist Credits - no artists pictured here or elsewhere in this site are affiliated with or endorse this web site. I am only a fan and they are only some of the artists for whom I have serious respect and admiration.
TOP ROW: Stephen Malkmus, James McMurtry, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Richard Shindell.
SECOND ROW: Steve Earle, Elliott Smith, Ryan Adams, Ryan Bingham, Frank Black.
BOTTOM ROW: Sara K, Mark Mulcahy, the subdudes.
"Best-of-the-Best" Good Tunes mixes in a variety of genres - sample each mix and download tracks  to your music collection.
Cool Youtube videos of the same artists recommended here performing their songs live.
Quick, to-the-point reviews of Artists/CDs you should hear. Most are not household names, but they should be.
CDs/Artists that have achieved something remarkable. These CDs are highly recommended - sample the tunes, buy the music.
SEARCH GOODTUNESHUB.COM
quality music
for you
Tell a friend about this page
Bright Examples is a collection of tight, well written lighter rock songs presented within a mostly ethereal, spacious production. Irion and Guthrie (husband & wife/daughter of Arlo Guthrie) harmonize well (place Irion in the Ryan Adams/Dave Rawlings vocal category), occasionally hinting at early ‘70s sounds (ala The Carpenters.) I saw these guys at Wilco’s Solid Sound festival in Aug ‘11, and while Bright Examples is a smooth, easy-on-the-ears listen, it doesn’t quite capture the grit and edginess of their almost Neil Youngesque live performance, chock full of stage presence and chemistry.  GENRES: Rock, Mellow Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Dave Rawlings, The Jayhawks, Ryan Adams.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Never Far From My Heart,” “Seven Sisters,” “Hurry Up And Wait,” “First Snow,” “Bright Examples.”
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion - Bright Examples (2010)
This CD is out there. Grounded in an ethereal, mostly-acoustic setting with occasionally bizarre lyrics (“Society makes me lie down, in a cold blood bath”), Smoke Ring For My Halo lays out a mesmerizing sensation of calm, rhythmic, pulsing progression, occasionally thrown off balance by minor-key, off-kilter chords and melodies. No single element stands out, but the whole sound draws you in, pulls you back for another listen. Definitely Indie stuff, but I’m hooked. GENRES: Mellow Rock, Contemporary Folk.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Elliott Smith.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Jesus Fever,” “In My Time,” “On Tour,” “Ghost Town.”
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo (2011)
Kurt Vile's Website--->
GTH considers A.A. Bondy one of the more talented and interesting younger artists around. His first two releases (American Hearts and When The Devil’s Loose) boast interesting songs (more folk oriented) with enormous promise. A great! voice. Bondy’s 3rd release, Believers, is more experimental, beckoning the listener to wade through some pretty haunting soundscapes. The tone and pace are deliberate and plodding, beneath a spare and ethereal production - an altogether dark and brooding atmosphere. If you are new to Bondy, start with American Hearts and go from there, but a worthy addition to the music collection for Already-Fans of Bondy. GENRES: Indie, Mellow Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Elliott Smith,
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Surfer King,” “Highway Fevers,” “Drmz.”
A.A. Bondy - Believers (2011)
Robert Earl Keen is a talented Texas songwriter with an impressive list of outstanding albums – his tunes are like comfort food – flavorful, earthy/rootsy, easily consumed. While not necessarily forging new territory with Ready For Confetti, the range of material here is vintage REK: country stomps, spirituals, playful humor, tex/mex folk songs, and honky-tonk shuffles, from the vitriolic “The Road Goes On and On” (he really hates this guy?!?!) to the rocking “Play a Train Song” to the more folk-oriented “Paint the Town Beige.” Not a milestone REK release, but good, solid tunes from a great songwriter. GENRES: Rock, Mellow Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Lyle Lovett, Townes Van Zandt.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Black Baldy Stallion,” “I Gotta Go,” “Show The World,” “Play A Train Song,” “Paint the Town Beige.”
Robert Earl Keen's website---->
Robert Earl Keen - Ready For Confetti (2011)
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion's website---->
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST - enter email address below
We’ve said it here before – Stephen Malkmus is a songwriting genius, and Mirror Traffic is yet another subtle addition to his truly creative body of work. Artfully produced by Beck, the album offers a consistent dose of typically manic Malkmus productions, replete with stops and gos and somewhat twisted lyrics (“I know what the Senator wants. What the Senator wants is a blowjob.”) Ehem…take this guy for what he is – from his early days leading Pavement, Malkmus has been a troubadour, a pioneer, a twisted creative force, blanketing effortless melodies over quirky, eclectic truly “alternative” concepts that morph into uncharted musical territory. How many times I’ve asked, “How did he ever come up with that?”  Sample Pavement’s Brighten The Corners, Quarantine the Past and Wowee Zowee as well as Malkmus’ Pig Lib here as well. GENRES: Alternative.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Pavement, Sonic Youth, Beck.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Tigers,” “Brain Gallop,” “Asking Price,” “Stick Figures In Love,” “All Over Gently,” “Gorgeous Georgie.”
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic (2011)
Back are The Jayhawks with Mockingbird Time, a fairly safe batch of songs from one of the pioneers of Alt Country and one of the best songwriting duos in Gary Louris and Mark Olson. The album offers a nostalgic sound, with their trademark harmonies, some tunes hearkening back to a simpler time. Jayhawks music rarely spits sparks on a first listen. Instead, its nuances, tone and melodies settle in over time, and this one is no different. Perhaps gone is the edge, the “Alt” that graced most Jayhawks’ early releases, replaced by a more mainstream set of songs - the spark and dynamic energy may have faded, but a “pretty good” Jayhawks album is still superior to 95% of the stuff out there. It’s good to hear these guys together again. GENRES: Rock, Mellow Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: James McMurtry, Whiskeytown.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Tiny Arrows,” “She Walks In So Many Ways,” “Stand Out In The Rain,” “Guilder Anne,” “Pouring Rain At Dawn.”
The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time (2011)
The Jayhawks' website---->
Stephen Malkmus' website---->
A.A. Bondy's website---->
find great music
best songwriters
music advice
CD suggestions
album reviews
new artists
integrity
creative
grassroots
pioneering
inspirational
it's all about the song
folk music
rock
music reviews
indie music
singer songwriter
great new CDs
alternative rock
mp3 downloads
Beginning The Whole Love with “Art of Almost” (a modern alt/techno/punk tune that shatters multiple genre barriers) clearly sets the tone: “be ready for anything!” Songs range from light acoustic ballads to frenetic punk/techno and everything in between - tones of Beatles, hazy echoes of Pink Floyd, subtle harmonies of Queen, jangly Motownish be-bops, etc. Perhaps the highlight of the album is “One Sunday Morning,” which, at 11 minutes long, is still not long enough. An instant Classic! Wilco needs no promotion, but they so perfectly exemplify what GoodTunesHub is all about, we’ll always tip our caps to their new material. Also sample other Wilco releases recommended here: Wilco (The Album); Sky Blue Sky; Kicking Television, Live in Chicago. GENRES: Rock, Modern Alt, Mellow Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Son Volt.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Art of Almost,” “Sunloathe,” “Black Moon,” “Born Alone,” “Red Rising Lung,” “One Sunday Morning.”
Wilco - The Whole Love (2011)
Wilco's website---->
Boy, these guys got big, fast. Thankfully, Helplessness Blues offers a consistent dose of Fleet Foxes’ unique brand of music. Call it whatever you like - choral folk? – but the recipe here is consistent with their signature sound. While Helplessness Blues is an interesting release from a truly creative and innovative band, the songs themselves, and also what I referenced in my prior recommendation as “the sonic journey, “ may not quite equal their 2008 full-length release, Fleet Foxes. Again, nice CD, and an incredibly creative band. GENRES: Contemporary Folk.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Simon & Garfunkel, Bon Iver, Great Lake Swimmers.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Sim Sala Bim,” “Battery Kinzie,” “Helplessness Blues,” “Lorelei.”
Fleet Foxes' website---->
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (2011)
Any album where Lucinda is just being Lucinda is good enough for me, and that is exactly what Blessed is – a blend of rock, mellow rock and sultry blues from one of the most down-to-earth and distinctive songwriters / voices in music today. While there is little new territory explored here, the new songs are a well written - typical Lucinda - and are a welcome addition to the music collection. See earlier recommendations of Little Honey and World Without Tears.  GENRES: Mellow Rock, Rock.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: The Jayhawks, James McMurtry, John Hiatt.
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Buttercup,” “I don’t Know How You’re Livin’”, “Seeing Black,” “Blessed.
Lucinda Williams - Blessed (2011)
Lucinda Williams' website---->
No scoop here - Ryan Adams is clearly “above the radar,” and Ashes and Fire is highly recommended: a) because it is a phenomenal collection of songs, and b) he is arguably the most talented songwriter of this generation – and somehow, casual music fans still do not know his music. Ashes and Fire is stunning in its hushed tone, its sparse, acoustic presentation, backed by unadorned/light percussion, piano/organ, all of which complement the lyrical subject matter – poetic vignettes of love and heartfelt loss. Soundwise, Ashes and Fire most closely resembles his’05 release 29 – not as bleak as 29, but similar a muted tone. An A+ album!! Highly recommended. GENRES: Mellow Rock, Acoustic.

BUY IF YOU LIKE: Neil Young (acoustic)
MUST HEAR TRACKS: “Come Home,” “Rocks,” “Do I Want,” “Invisible Riverside,” “Save Me,” “Kindness,” “Lucky Now,” (anyone hear “Love Is A Rose” in here?).
Ryan Adams - Ashes and Fire (2011)
Ryan Adams' website---->