eleven: Josh Weller

Despite the whole narcissistic side of things of myspace, it is nice when the most recently added band or artist in your friends leaves you a thank you comment. Keeps it more personal and less corporate like.

If you've had the pleasure of hearing Josh Weller you'll have no doubt added away and received his comment that plays on the laughable pun of his second name rhyming with Um-ber-ella. I'll let you find out the joke in all its glory for yourselves.
Most of his music uses themes from the darker side of romance; meeting the dislikeable parents, cheating and girls who are gonna grow up to be ugly as sin, oh, and there's one about the Circus (!!!!). Live, he comes across as nervous yet loveable, like the geeky library boy who's been jilted his fair share of times.
Pretty Girls (the debut single) is a bitter song that wistfully spins a tale of beautiful ladies doomed to become ugly in Weller's imagination when they're 40 onwards. You have to empathise with his fragile voice and find yourself pushing these possibly fictional women towards their fate as Josh becomes more and more emotional in his performance.
The aforementioned Circus is a definite favourite of mine. It's so good it even sounds like a circus. The B-side to Pretty Girls is once again rather dark "That boy doesn't know his luck/On his knees in the toilet cubicle in the interval/He's gonna get laid tonight" I say rather...it is dark.
But you have to forgive Josh because of his appearance, you have to embrace the lyricisms and overlook the innocent boy who croons into the mic about insanity and the macabre figures in Down In A City. Not that it's an obligation. It's refreshingly shocking and all part of Josh's unique ability.

Catch him around London between the 12th and the 26th of August at various delectable events.
Listen to a demo of Pretty Girls here.