Here's to 2015 -- New Releases (Listen to "Daffodils" by Mark Ronson w/Kevin Parker of Tame Impala)

New Year's Eve Festivities in Easton, Maryland via The Star Democrat

Happy New Year to my fellow new music fiends! After celebrating the arrival of 2015 worldwide (even the Eastern Shore of Maryland where I spent much of 2014 was featured on CNN, although it was probably just chosen so Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin could make raunchy crab jokes) winter has settled in with a vengeance here in the Northeast. It seems a perfect time to focus on future releases that will warm my soul with new tunes in the coming months. After pouring over comprehensive lists of upcoming albums, I found plenty of favorite bands to get excited about (see list below).

Mark Ronson's song with Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk" might be everywhere, but his "Daffodils" is a catchy groove with floating psychedelic vocals by Kevin Parker of Tame Impala -- an instant favorite for my next playlist and I crank up the volume every time it gets a play on KEXP or KCRW.  Check it out below and also if you haven't heard the new song "Take My Side" by Will Butler head over to Soundcloud. The kid brother of Arcade Fire singer Win Butler is staking his claim to a solo career after various side projects. As he asks in song, "Are you gonna take my side?" I'm already there.

NEW RELEASES TO WATCH FOR IN 2015: Updated as needed
January 13 - Mark Ronson, Uptown Special (Sony Music Entertainment)
January 13 - Panda Bear, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (Domino Recording Company)
January 20 - The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World (Capitol Records)
January 20 - Belle & Sebastian, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance (Matador Records)
January 27 - The Dodos, Individ (Polyvinyl Records)
February 10 - Father John Misty, I Love You Honeybear (Sub Pop Records)
February 17 - José González, Vestiges & Claws (Mute)
February 27 - Dan Deacon, Gliss Riffer (Domino Recording Company)
February 27 - of Montreal, Aureate Gloom (Polyvinyl Records)
March 1 - Jon Hopkins, Late Night Tales (Night Time Stories Ltd)
March 3 - Modest Mouse, Strangers to Ourselves (Epic Records)
March 10 - Will Butler, Policy (Merge Records)
March 24 - The Cribs, For All My Sisters (Sonic Blew/Sony Red)
March 24 - The Go! Team, The Scene (Memphis Industries)
March 31 - Death Cab for Cutie, Kintsugi, (Atlantic Recording Company)
March 31 - Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell (Asthmatic Kitty)
April 7 - Toro Y Moi, What For? (Carpark Records)
April 7 - Lord Huron, Strange Trails (IAMSOUND Records)
April 14 - Calexico, Edge of the Sun (Anti, Inc.)
April 14 - Villagers, Darling Arithmetic (Domino Recording Company)
April 28 - Mew, +/- (Play It Again Sam)
April 28 - Blur, The Magic Whip (Parlaphone Records/Warner Music)
May 5 - Best Coast, California Nights (Harvest Records)
May 19 - Hot Chip, Why Make Sense (Domino Recording Company)
May 26 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Multi-Love (Jagjaguwar)
TBA - My Morning Jacket, Beach House, Band of Horses, Passion Pit, Radiohead, Django Django and Tame Impala!