My second favorite Chicago "brother act" after the Neil Young-loving Braam, the indie-pop quartet Filligar has been kicking around the local scene for several years now, since the group was formed by then-teenage siblings Pete, Teddy and Johnny Mathias and their childhood friend Casey Gibson.

The group issued its second self-released album last year, "The City Tree," and it's a strong showcase for its poetic lyrics, keyboard arpeggios and genteel but winning melodies, which hone to the right side of twee (a la Belle & Sebastian at its best) while avoiding the smart 'n' sensitive preppie shtick of indie-rock heroes of the moment Vampire Weekend, despite the boys' Ivy League pedigrees (all three Mathias brothers attend Dartmouth, while Gibson goes to Hamilton College).

The group issued its second self-released album last year, "The City Tree," and it's a strong showcase for its poetic lyrics, keyboard arpeggios and genteel but winning melodies, which hone to the right side of twee (a la Belle & Sebastian at its best) while avoiding the smart 'n' sensitive preppie shtick of indie-rock heroes of the moment Vampire Weekend, despite the boys' Ivy League pedigrees (all three Mathias brothers attend Dartmouth, while Gibson goes to Hamilton College).

The band doesn't have any local shows on its schedule at the moment -- we'll have to wait until school's not in session -- but you can check them out at Myspace.com/filligar or Filligarband.com.

The band doesn't have any local shows on its schedule at the moment -- we'll have to wait until school's not in session -- but you can check them out at Myspace.com/filligar or Filligarband.com.