The Arkham Sound

Far from the maddened sound of grooved-up Bosstown, though still in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a minor but interesting scene sprang up in historic Arkham, whose Miskatonic University provided a focal point for the burgeoning psychedelic movement. Though no Arkham band ever broke out of the region to even small-scale national success, several put out now-collectable singles and LPs on local labels like Dervish and Mad Camel. The Arkham sound varied from folk-pop all the way over to heavy psych, but most of the bands shared a pessimistic, even nihilistic attitude that was far out of tune with the prevailing winds of peace and flowers. Madness and death were common themes; and the list of Arkham musicians who died or went insane is quite large, even for the sixties. Bands included The Barrow Wights, The Shadow Barons, The Swingin' Cryptographyrs, The Conqueror Wyrms, The Hanged Man, The Beyond, and the Smothers-Brothers-on-laudanum folk act, The Brothers Grim.

Probably the most well-remembered were The Plasma Miasma, whose performance at the infamous Miskatonic Acid test still summons shudders from locals with long memories...