La Oreja de Van Gogh

An exceptionally well-regarded Spanish pop/rock band, La Oreja de Van Gogh is also one of the most commercially successful acts in the genre, with each of the band's albums selling approximately a million copies worldwide. Driven by electric guitar and keyboard, the music is easily enjoyable and accessible while, at the same time, smartly crafted and distinct, with lyrics that deal generally with the complexities of relationships. La Oreja de Van Gogh formed in 1996, after guitarist Pablo Benegas, bassist Álvaro Fuentes, keyboardist Xabi San Martín, and drummer Haritz Garde met at a local university. Vocalist Amaia Montero joined the band subsequently, following an invitation by Benegas, whom she'd met at a dinner party. From the outset, San Martín, Benegas, and Montero have served as the band's primary songwriters. Signed by Sony Discos, La Oreja de Van Gogh debuted in 1998 with Dile al Sol, which spawned several hit singles -- including "El 28" and "Cuentame al Oido" -- and earned the band an Ondas Award for Best New Act. Their second album, 2000's El Viaje de Copperpot (2000), fared similarly; this time, however, singles like "Cuídate" and "La Playa" registered on an international level, charting in Latin America and the United States. Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacías la Dormida (2003) continued the band's success; eight singles from the album charted in Spain, four of them reaching number one, and the band continued to break into the Latin American markets, including the States. While La Oreja de Van Gogh were no strangers to success by this point, Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacías la Dormida proved to be their breakout album in many ways. For one, they toured heavily behind it, as documented on the 2004 concert DVD En Directo: Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacias...