La Casa Azul

Spanish pop act La Casa Azul began weaving together the sugar pop sounds of groups like ABBA, the B-52's, and the Beach Boys in the late '90s. Formed by producer/songwriter Guille Milkyway, the band rose from indie pop obscurity to the Spanish Top 40 with the help of niche label Elefant Records. The group's five official members include the surname-less David, Virginia, Oscar, Clara, and Sergio. These performers are featured on the group's popular throwback music videos, but La Casa Azul's music is actually created solely by Guille Milkyway, who assembled a "backup band" for aesthetic purposes. The group's debut record, El Sonido Efervescente de la Casa Azul, was released in 2000. Their public recognition continued to swell with television appearances on programs such as Zona Disney and Música Uno. La Casa Azul's hit single and video "Como un Fan" was released in February 2005. The video won the group its largest listening audience thus far, priming Spanish audiences for the 2006 re-release of El Sonido Efervescente. The band's third original release earned a place on the Spanish Top 40 charts following its 2007 release, and La Revolución Sexual quickly became one of Elefant Records' most successful releases to date. In 2008 a song from the album, "La Revolución Sexual," was a finalist in Spain's Eurovision competition, just missing claiming the crown to become the country's entry that year. After taking some time off and releasing the compilation of singles and remixes La Nueva Yma Sumac: What the Revolution Left Us, Milkyway returned to music and created the incidental music for the popular 2009 film Yo, También. He also wrote and performed the theme song for the film, and was awarded for his efforts by winning Best Original Song at the 2010 Goya Awards. La Casa Azul returned at the end of the year with a new single, "Todas Tus Amigas," then spent 2011 working on a new album. La Polinesia Meridional was released to acclaim and brisk sales in November of 2011. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi