Austinist Show Preview: Devon Williams and Cryptacize at Mohawk

Devon Williams—onetime frontman for the now-defunct Los Angeles punk band Osker, and a well-renowned source of angsty attitude and unpredictability on stage—headlines the Saturday set at Mohawk. Williams, fresh off his solo debut, the curiously-titled Carefree, has lightened up and matured over the years, cutting some of the edginess and anger away from his music and performance, as he now crafts not so much punk as spritely-though-understated pop-rock. But don't worry—there's still a chance he'll berate the audience or become otherwise flammable during the show, and if that makes him a poor man's Cat Power, then let's happily see so for ourselves.

As for Cryptacize, they are no less than label Asthmatic Kitty's new wunderkinds, a group whose hype is still pretty far beneath the surface, yet is surely bubbling. Just ask the ultra-precious Sufjan Stevens, the angel-boy patriarch of the label and a man who himself has been known to garner a bit of hype: Stevens waxes eloquent (and sometimes overwrought) in praise of his new ingenues here. As for us, we are more than curious to see if the Oakland trio can stand up to the bright lights, and a listen to their tunes does, in fact, show a good deal of promise. Their songs are surprisingly spare for a Sufjan-endorsed project, and with assistance from such luminaries as Why?'s Yoni Wolf, the songs embody a fragility that makes it seem like they just may break apart at any second.

Starting off the night are a pair of Austin acts, JC & Co. and Lee Simmons. JC & Co. is a transparently sixties-influenced psychedelic outfit who, despite wearing their influences on their sleeve, put together some pretty nice songs using captivating, airy vocals from Jason Chronis and Cari Palazzolo. Lee Simmons is a straight-up pop act with a tinge of country, reminiscent of old-school David Grey and bringing a bigger sound this time around—he's operating with a larger band nowadays, and his sound has graduated from singer-songwriter. Taken all together, it's four interesting acts all bringing something a little different to the fore—should be a good show.