Low-fidelity all-stars Sonny & the Sunsets are responsible for one of the best songs of the 21st century: “Death Cream” off 2009’s Tomorrow Is Alright. It epitomizes Sonny and company’s acute melodic sensibilities and skill for squeezing maximum sweetness from minimal elements. In other words, Sonny was in some prime Jonathan Richman territory with his unvarnished, winsome tune-smithing. He’s since added keyboards and richer production values, but his songs have retained the shaggy, cute demeanor that makes you feel like an über-curmudgeon for not loving his music. Zebra Hunt are Seattle’s foremost torchbearers of the revered New Zealand and Australian indie-rock tradition. With clean, jangly guitar riffs, memorably amiable hooks, and the non-cloying sincerity of the Chills’ Martin Phillipps or the Go-Betweens’ Grant McLennan, Zebra Hunt create delightful rock that zips straight to your heart and mind. by Dave Segal