RVA’s Clair Morgan and Lucy Dacus make USA Today’s ’50 Best Albums of 2016′ list

by | Dec 7, 2016 | ROCK & INDIE

It always warms my heart when a band or musician from our city gets some recognition or high praise for their talents. Richmond’s music scene is rich, diverse and overflowing with wonderful acts and recently, two hardworking, successful acts received great praise from USA Today.

It always warms my heart when a band or musician from our city gets some recognition or high praise for their talents. Richmond’s music scene is rich, diverse and overflowing with wonderful acts and recently, two hardworking, successful acts received great praise from USA Today.

Richmond’s own Clair Morgan and young indie darling Lucy Dacus, who’s shot to superstardom in the last year, both made USA Today’s list of “50 Best Albums of 2016″.

Clair Morgan, a local five-piece rock outfit came in at number 41 for their album, New Lions And The Not Good Night, the band’s second LP, which dropped in May via Egghunt Records earlier this year.

The writer praised the band’s track “Rogue Island” on the new album, which came out ahead of Drake and James Blake, as their favorite track of the year and also had some nice words for the album as a whole.

“…the entirety of New Lions and the Not-Good Night is compelling, bursting with ideas, energy, and heart,” the piece reads.

Dacus came in at number 8 for her album No Burden, which came out in February on the RVA indie label Egghunt Records as well.

“Lucy Dacus’ debut No Burden is a complete statement from an impossibly young artist,” said USA Today of her album, which beat out Kanye West, David Bowie and Radiohead.

This will be Dacus’ second recent accolade from a major publication. Last month, her song “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” reached number 17 on Rolling Stone’s “Best Songs of 2016,” beating out Bob Dylan and rapper Danny Brown.

Read the the full USA Today article here.

Amy David

Amy David

Amy David was the Web Editor for RVAMag.com from May 2015 until September 2018. She covered craft beer, food, music, art and more. She's been a journalist since 2010 and attended Radford University. She enjoys dogs, beer, tacos, and Bob's Burgers references.




more in music

Good Day RVA is Back and Bringing Friends Along

For four nights this weekend, bands from different generations of Richmond's music scene are taking over Get Tight Lounge. Called Tonal Recall, the series is part reunion show, part showcase and part excuse for a bunch of old friends to get back in the same room. ...

Deau Eyes Returns With New Album ‘To Grow Instead’

Four years is an eternity in today’s music industry, especially when algorithms reward content, not creativity. When streaming services punish silence, at the expense of artistic evolution.  In this disconnect, some artists race against trends, abandoning the...

Before Anyone Was Watching

I went to Virginia MOCA expecting to hear Andy Howell talk about skateboarding. Instead, I left thinking about community and how people find each other. Howell's installation opens Seamless, the museum's new exhibition exploring the overlap between art and design. At...

Lucy Dacus’ New Music Video is a Love Letter to Richmond

Richmond native and multiple Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus released the self-directed music video for her latest single "Planting Tomatoes" and every frame was filmed here at home. The video moves through some of the city's most recognizable places,...