Native Tori Amos

Troubadour ? Conquistador ? Or maybe a bit of both..Spanish songwriter/guitarist and screenwriter/director Rafa Russo’s travels have taken him from his native Madrid, through the folk clubs of New York and London and finally back to his homeland.

In an age where playlists and singles are often preferred more than albums, Ciscandra Nostalghia (a native of both California and Tehran) takes the time to craft a full-length album that demands to be heard from start to finish. The goth-style rock of her band Nostalghia could draw comparisons to Tori Amos and Kate Bush on the gentler piano-based tunes, while the industrial/indie rock suggests a spiritual connection to the epic concept rock of Marilyn Manson and Swans. The beauty and dramatic power climaxes on “Cool for Chaos,” “Meek," and “The End,” where cofounder Roy Gnan assists with the sense of apocalypse. Ciscandra brings a definite feminine touch, a velvet glove to obscure the fists of steel.