Salem 66 - SALT (2025)

Active throughout the '80s, Salem 66 were part of the same American underground scene that produced some of the most influential acts of the alternative rock movement, and though less widely known, their role in the evolution of independent rock is no less important than that of their more celebrated peers. With a sound that was equal parts jangly melodic pop and tense post-punk, Salem 66 was one of the only women-led bands in the Boston scene during their time. They released four albums and played shows with the Raincoats, Mission of Burma, Dinosaur Jr., and many others before breaking up in 1989. In 2025, a retrospective compilation album, Salt, was released, calling attention back to their often-overlooked contributions to indie rock on the whole.

Salem 66 was formed in 1982 by songwriters Judy Grunwald and Beth Kaplan, with drummer Susan Merriam rounding out the first lineup of the band. In their earliest days, the band had a sound that contained jangly college rock elements, as well as a dark art-pop sensibility that kept their songs stormy and challenging. Homestead Records signed the band and became the home for all of their releases during their active times, beginning with a self-titled, six-song EP in 1984. Grunwald and Kaplan remained the group's core throughout their run, but other members came and went, including additional guitarist Tim Condon, Stephen Smith, and for their later albums, drummer Jim Vincent. The band remained prolific for the entirety of the '80s, releasing their debut LP A Ripping Spin in 1985, Frequency & Urgency in 1987, and Natural Disasters, National Treasures in 1988 before disbanding in 1989 and releasing their final studio album, Down the Primrose Path, post-breakup in 1990. Echoes of the band's sound could be heard in waves of indie and alternative artists that followed, and in 2025, the Don Giovanni label released Salt, a ten-song compilation that selected some of Salem 66's most remarkable tracks from across their discography. Around this time, the band's long-out-of-print catalog was made available on streaming platforms for the first time. ~ Fred Thomas