CR reader Rachel Webb was in Lisbon recently checking out Os Tornados, a lively rock ‘n' roll combo from Porto. The posters for their gigs, designed by the band's keyboardist, are just as hip, so she sent us some images...

Os Tornados is a six piece combo who play 50s and 60s-inspired rock ‘n' roll and are part of a sharp-suited Portuguese scene that features bands such as Os Târtaros and Os Ekos. All pay homage to the style of music played by the likes of The Shadows, early Beatles and The Ventures.

Marco Oliveira, who plays keyboards for Os Tornados, also designs their posters and flyers, Webb tells us.

A graduate in graphic design from Escola Superior de Arte e Design in Porto, Oliveira also flexes his creative muscles as an art director as well as tinkling those ivories for the band. He now art directs a newly-launched fashion and culture magazine, Edit Mag, which is produced both in Porto and Lisbon.

His work for Os Tornados, however, resolutely leaves the computer behind. For his band posters, Oliveira manily uses a pencil and paint brush.

"All the values we uphold as a band encourage me to create this kind of work," he says. "We recorded our album completely analogically so, for us, errors and ‘the imperfect' are accepted and valued as part of the creative process of being in a band. This was the inspiration I needed to create the band's artwork. I stopped using the computer as my main tool and started drawing and painting instead.

"This low-tech, manual approach enables me to get in touch with the work. It takes more time, it's true, but it pays off. It's not about perfection. In the end it's all about simple, effective ideas; the same ethos applies to the music we create as Os Tornados."

If you want to hear more of Oliveira and co's music, check them out at myspace.com/ostornados. Their album, Twist do Contrabando, is also out now. Thanks again to Rachel for getting in touch.