He gets an honourable mention here because he is one of the nicest, most fun and hardest working men I have ever met. And he is so damned talented I just want to be able to say, someday, that I always knew he was going to be a Grammy winning songwriter and an Oscar winning filmmaker and a Noble Prize winning author. That he will do those things, I have no doubt.

American Princes

American Princes are an indie rock band from Little Rock, Arkansas and their bluesy garage-rock sound is breathtaking in its intensity and emotional release. Their unique lyrical, vocal, and musical combinations create a sound that is raw but cultivated, passionate yet intelligent, retro and cutting-edge rock with provocative blues undercurrents.

Their sophomore CD Less and Less is a triumph of talent and imagination and for me; it was almost a sexual experience. It's like making love outside in the pouring rain. And you'll love every minute of it. Less and Less is a sensual, sexual, throbbing, rock & roll/ blues classic. They get an honourable mention here because they are so good I just couldn’t leave them off the list. And they are really great guys!

And now on to the list. The Blogcritics top five Band of the Week, independent artists are:

5. Phil Ayoub

Singer-songwriter Phil Ayoub (pronounced A-yoob), is a deep-thinking, deep-feeling, quintessential all American boy from Boston. Ayoub’s extraordinary ability to paint a deeply stirring, sweetly-poignant picture with emotive, insightful lyrics and pure natural music combine to create a smooth polish to Ayoub’s personal, frequently humorous thoughts and experiences.

Ayoub’s amazing debut album Schoolbus Window Paper Heart is filled with poignant, honest, romantic and often playful lyrics and simple melodies created with acoustic guitar and jangely synth and of course Ayoub’s earthy, gentle, sensual vocals will keep you hooked from the first track to the ironically funny final secret track. Schoolbus Window Paper Heart is an album I would strongly recommend.

4. Futuro

Jon McKellan, Graeme McKellan and Omar Kahn are the talented, clever and unusual trio that make up Futuro. This pop/indie rock band sounds as if they have a symbiotic relationship, synergetic and polished, accomplished and effortless, a consummate, swish sound. With such a unique, exciting sound there’s no way to explain it. They describe themselves as "Bloc Party being held hostage by Audioslave and forced to dance," which really is as close as you get.