Introducing: Cranford Nix Jr. – Michigan’s answer to Kurt Cobain you probably never got the chance to hear
Cranford Nix Jr.? You’ve probably never heard the name of
the Michigan rocker with a voice of gravel and inspired but stripped down
guitar style. One of many creative talents taken too early, we lost Nix to a
heroin overdose in 2002 at the age of 33. Yet his contributions to music and
free spirited attitude still remain in mp3 files and fond retellings of tales of
the troubled musician, by fans who still remember his rebellious attitude and
those still discovering him through the internet.
Having been lead vocalist and guitarist in the punk garage
band The Malakas who released such underground classics as Too Good To Be True and Sorry
Bout My Drinkin’; Nix also created solo material that was a little more
melodic and softly constructed than the enthusiastic, energetic clashing of The
Malakas. Throughout his musical career Nix would blend elements of punk,
country, blues and rock n’ roll to create a truly individualistic, captivating
and American style.
Nix’s dark and authentic lyrics rival the genius of seminal past
singer-song writers like Kurt Cobain and Bob Dylan. Voicing a self-deprecating,
sardonic and nihilistic view of the world that many Generation X and Y-er’s
felt, a witty denunciation of both himself and the flawed world he was
presented with. Perhaps it was the inevitable sense of tragedy that permeated
his lyrics, perhaps it was his ability to take the everyday and elevate it to
musical artistry. Perhaps it was just his combination of catchy melodies and a
wonderfully individual voice that makes him stand out as a musician to
remember. Whatever it was about Cranford Nix he was a talented young man with a
lot to say and it’s a shame he never got a big enough platform and the
stability he needed to keep creating great tracks. It was clear the musicians
around him saw something special in the young punk rocker, as The Hamiltons
named their first album In Cranford We
Trust in honour of his music and their friendship with him.
Yet luckily with the resources of the internet we are able
to go back and discover these hidden musical talents that never got exposure in
their time, from Nick Drake to Vashti Bunyan and Cranford Nix we are blessed to
be able to rediscover such unique and unconventional artists, whose music that
would have remained sadly only locally known.
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