Marlango - Life In The Treehouse (2010)

Comprised of Leanor Watling, Alejandro Pelayo, and Oscar Ybarra, the pop/jazz/experimental group Marlango began gaining their loyal underground European following in the late '90s. Taking their name from an obscure Tom Waits reference, the pair drew heavily on dark, brooding recording artists and filmmakers like David Lynch and Björk for inspiration. Before coming together to record their demo in 1998, Watling had made a name for herself on the jazz and soul scene in Madrid. Her counterpart, Pelayo, was well-versed in classical music, having previously very little experience in the pop world. The pair came together in 1998 and recorded a number of songs with piano and voice. Recent New York transplant Oscar Ybarra (trumpet) heard the material and offered his expertise, quickly becoming the group's third member. The project came to include elements of rock and jazz, developing over time to become their debut release, Marlango. The ensemble toured throughout Spain, Portugal, and Japan, eventually racking up better than 50,000 record sales, earning Marlango their first gold record. Their sophomore release, Automatic Imperfection, hit the market in 2005, which also went on to achieve gold record status. The band's third disc featured renowned recording artists Jorge Drexler and Miguel Bosé as guests, marking the band's steady rise in credibility and public notoriety. Electrical Morning was released in 2007, followed by tireless touring of their native Spain's most reputed small venues, including Fórum Fnac Valencia and Teatro Moderno in Murcia.