Piñata Protest

Plethora (Saustex)

There are many ways to attempt description of Piñata Protest, but let’s just start with the tried and true: “If the Pogues were Latino and from San Antonio ….” No secret the city south of Austin is undergoing a musical renaissance, thanks in large part to the Saustex label and bands like Snowbyrd and Piñata Protest’s accordion-heavy Chicano punk on Plethora. Kicking off with the breakneck “Polka Time,” the quartet empties its novel cadre of bulletproof border ballads (“Love Taco”) with a dose of social commentary, bilingual and otherwise (“Maquilapolis,” “Suckcess,” “Denied Rights”). Make no mistake; there’s plenty of influence here brewed from the traditional conjunto, Tejano, and Norteño, yet the potent elixir of life that Piñata Protest doles out comes in huge, alternating gulps of puro rock & roll and rock en Español. (1:15pm, Hierba Stage.)

*** – Margaret Moser

This article appears in May 21 • 2010.

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