Salem 66

Salem 66 arrived slightly before the wider world was ready, so their maximum impact arrived decades later than it might have. Instead they became the pioneering role models for countless present-day bands fronted by women, while anyone who caught them in mid-'80s Boston still ranks them among that city's strongest acts of the era. The group's creative core was guitarist Judy Grunwald and bassist Beth Kaplan, whose skewed tunes and sometimes abrasive, non-melodic vocals produced a restless, highly individual brand of pop brimming with intelligence and drive despite evident technical shortcomings. Those shortcomings never stopped the band, any more than they stopped other limited players of either gender, from pushing hard and playing at full volume. A cautious 1984 debut EP gave way to real momentum the next year with the aptly named album A Ripping Spin. By then Salem 66 had earned notice well beyond Boston in the alternative-rock press and stood among the most talked-about acts on Homestead, the resolutely independent label run by former Bostonian Gerard Cosloy. That momentum faded almost as fast as it had built, partly because later recordings grew uneven, and the group soon slipped from view. The development was unfortunate, because Salem 66 remained a powerful live unit whose strongest studio tracks suggested even greater possibilities.