The Well-Played List: Most anticipated albums of 2015

The Well-Played List features the most listened-to, jammed-out songs, albums and artists of the week as submitted by the CL Music Team along with a rotating crew of tastemakers — local music promoters, record store and venue owners, music fans and scenesters, DJs, musicians, and a radio personality or two; check past editions here.  

In our last Well-Played list, we waxed poetic on our favorite albums of 2014. For the first edition of 2015, we're looking ahead to the albums we're most looking forward to hearing in 2015. Audio and video included, along with any applicable show information. On that note, what music are you anticipating most in 2015? Tell us in the comments…

LEILANI

Kendrick Lamar (Title & date TBA) The first single off his yet-to-be-named forthcoming album, "i," is a rather solid one, and after he staged a memorable SNL performance of it, he stoked my excitement about what else is to come. If it's anything like "i" and the other new song he debuted on the late Colbert Report, I'm digging the direction he's taken following Good Kid MAAD City; sounds earthy, soulful, intelligent and rather upbeat.

of Montreal, Aureate Gloom (3/3)
I'm super stoked about another new outing from the Kevin Barnes-led Athens, Ga.-based project. Especially after seeing the show this past Saturday night. Dark, '70s post-punk/Television/Talking Heads inspired sounds.

Radiohead (TBA) There's been discussion of writing and recording in the works. And recent releases have revealed a group of musicians that have gotten pretty blase about hyping said releases much beforehand. So, it could be unleashed any day. I'll keep my fingers crossed and also hope it's more exciting than Thom Yorke's yawn-worthy solo effort.

ANTHONY ATEEK | Guitarist & singer in Broken Things, writer for Tampa Bay Rays blog, X-Rays Spex
The Sidekicks, Runners In the Nerved World (1/20)
Ohio-born pop-punks are slated to release the indie-pop album of 2015. Like Band of Horses, but better.

The Twerps, Range Anxiety (1/23)
What's not to love about Melbourne, Australia's jangle-pop heavyweights?

Dick Diver, Melbourne, Florida (3/9)
Another highly vaunted jangle-pop band from Melbourne, Australia. They may have written the song Tom Petty always meant to write.

Blacklisted, When People Grow, People Go (2/10)
Blacklisted return to their brutal, straight forward hardcore form following a lackluster grunge album.

SHAE K.
Father John Misty, I Love You, Honeybear (2/10) I loved FJM's 2012 album, Fear Fun. Almost in spite of the name, Fear Fun was upbeat, humorous, rollicking — pretty much the exact opposite of everything J. Tillman released prior. Every time I listen to Fear Fun, I find myself wishing there were more of it, so while I don't expect I Love You, Honeybear to be FF part 2, I am hoping it stays in a similar vein — arrogant, quirky, wild in a stoner way. Tillman presented a song off the album on David Letterman, "Bored in the USA," a tongue-in-cheek affair that included a self-playing piano, cheesecake posing and the expected heavy dose of ennui promised in the title. My only concern: "Bored" is slow, so very slow and reminiscent of Tillman's pre-Misty work. I hope it isn't indicative of the rest of the effort, which has been described as a psychedelic concept album. I'll just have to wait and hear.

Bored in the USA YouTube link – http://youtu.be/hIFrG_6fySg

ADAM HARDY | CL Intern, USF Student
I am most looking forward to Foals' fourth album. They hinted at its recording with this 'Foals IV' labeled picture: 

I'm also definitely looking forward to the new Band of Horses and Modest Mouse's Strangers to Ourselves (3/3) as well as Father John Misty's I Love You, Honeybear (2/10)

ADAM KUHN | Music fan and scenester with discerning taste | Front End Designer, Big Sea Design & Development
On my radar/upcoming shit I'm aware of:
Twerps, Range Anxiety (1/23)
Dick Diver, Melbourne, Florida (3/9)
Torche, Restarter (2/24)
Disappears, Irreal (1/19)
The Body & Thou, You, Whom I Have Always Hated (1/27)
Viet Cong, Viet Cong (1/20)
The Gooch Palms,Trackside Daze/Sleep Disorder 7" (7/1)
Run the Jewels, RTJ3 & Meow the Jewels (TBA)

Fingers crossed for new stuff from Converge, Royal Headache, the Reigning Sound, and Yuppies

ALEX FEDELE | Local musician in Auto!Automatic!!, Poetry n’ Lotion, The Apes.
Jose Gonzalez, Vestiges and Claws (2/17)
Everything he touches turns to gold.

Badbadnotgood and Ghostface Killah, Sour Soul (2/17)
There is no chance that this will be anything but Goodgoodnotbad!!!!

KRISTIN STIGAARD | Daddy Kool, No Clubs Entertainment
After looking into what albums are coming out in 2015, I am most anticipating Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II (TBA on release date), Modest Mouse's Stranger to Ourselves and Purity Ring's Another Eternity (both out 3/3). I have yet to hear anything off the albums but I know they'll be amazing!

GABE ECHAZABAL
Sleater-Kinney, No Cities to Love (1/20) It’s been a long time since they rocked and rolled, but after a lengthy break, Olympia, Wa.’s Sleater-Kinney have chosen 2015 to mark their return to making music. Already critically praised, the highly anticipated trio’s forthcoming album is high on my list of things to look forward to this year. The pop-punk these ladies churn out is the type of stuff that makes my blood pump rapidly through my veins; catchy, smartly-written, aggressive, melodic and infectious. Welcome back Carrie, Janet and Corin. We’ve missed you. Badly.

This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2015.