The two young rock bands atop the consider column this time around benefit from an exuberance that seems to have abandoned the once-atomic Hives and always eluded harmfully harmless Beach House. For hooks, I favor relative old hand Rufus Wainwright over relative upstart Nicki Minaj. For New York-centric chamber pop, I favor Rufus over Magnetic Fields, too. “Andrew in Drag” makes it a close fight, though. Video most definitely NSFW.
CONSIDER
The Men: Open Your Heart (“Please Don’t Go Away,” “Open Your Heart,” “Candy”)
Japandroids: Celebration Rock (“Fire’s Highway,” “Adrenaline Nightshift,” “Continuous Thunder”)
Rufus Wainwright: Out of the Game (“Sometimes You Need,” “Candles”)
The Hives: Lex Hives (“Come On!” “Go Right Ahead”)
The Magnetic Fields: Love at the Bottom of the Sea (“Your Girlfriend’s Face,” “Andrew in Drag”)
Spiritualized: Sweet Heart, Sweet Light (“Too Late,” “I Am What I Am”)
El-P: Cancer for Cure (“Works Every Time”)
Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (“Champion”)
Santigold: Master of My Make-Believe (“The Riot’s Gone”)
The Walkmen: Heaven (“Song for Leigh”)
Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It (“Take Me Home”)
AVOID
Beach House: Bloom
Desolation Row 