The Sea and Cake have turned nonchalant rhythms and breezy melodies into one of the most consistently pleasant back catalogs in indie rock. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but these Chicago veterans are like Steely Dan (fuck the haters) on a perpetual beach-bound holiday: slick craftsmen who wear their virtuosity like sweaters loosely tied around their waists. The Sea and Cake spin countless variations on their cerebral lounge-rock theme, finding ingenious ways to elevate your mood, gently. (Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave, www.thecrocodile.com, 8 pm, $13 adv/$15 DOS, all ages)