Percolatin'

Quirky indie quartet Percolator hasn't been around for long but we've heard 'em make a whole bunch of progress in a short period of time. The group specializes in jerky little guitar jams that would bring a smile to the face of any fan of the "college rock." Tipping their hat towards Pavement, They Might Be Giants, and any number of Northwestern rockers (both math- and groove-), Percolator creates a bunch of winning little numbers on their debut, Man Is Not A Bird.

The songs teeter to and fro with a charmingly shambolic quality, vacillating between segments with lazily loping drums and measures forcing guitar-strings to bravely withstanding a brutal assault, as on the building "Svelte on the Veldt." The band is still finding its way, and from time to time they slip a little too close to jammy strumming, but the stronger portions of their debut point toward a band with promise. Keep an eye on these guys.

Percolator plays tonight at Subterranean, 2011 W North, 8:30 p.m., $8, 17+