The Sea and Cake. Chicago band, formed as a quartet of Sam Prekop, Archer Prewitt, Eric Claridge and John McEntire, making warm, jazzy, gently propulsive indie-pop together since their 1994 debut. 'Parasol' is off their second album, 'Nassau' (1995), which pushed them from their self-titled debut's pop immediacy toward more exploratory, texture-driven arrangements. One genuinely impressive credential: drummer/producer John McEntire, also of Tortoise, produced 'Nassau' himself and went on to become one of the most in-demand producers in indie rock, working on records for artists like Stereolab and Broken Social Scene. Claridge left after 2012's 'Runner,' and the remaining trio put out the album 'Any Day' in 2018.
From the notes for Episode 05 · fact-checked Oct 4, 2026.
