Snare And The Idiots - Recycled Garbage 7" Punk 1985 The Misfits KBD Zero Boys

$

46

ARTIST: Snare And The Idiots
TITLE: Recycled Garbage
LABEL: Slopfactor ‎– 501033X
RECORD GRADING: VG+
SLEEVE GRADING: VG (has signatures of all the band members + various messages from the band written around the sleeve). Sleeve also has browning and fraying in spots. 
NOTES: Super rare. The sleeve is signed by all members ____
All records ship both domestically (USPS Media Mail) and Internationally (USPS), and will be packed/protected like a pro with experience. 
Released in 1985 on the tiny Slopfactor label, the Recycled Garbage EP by Snare and the Idiots is a quintessential artifact of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky punk underground. Hailing from the Covington and Newport area, the band—consisting of Steve Arnzen, Donny Watson, Dave Dunkum, and Dave Erskine—captured a specific moment where the aggression of hardcore was beginning to merge with the primitive, snotty energy of 60s garage rock. Recorded at Group Effort Studios, the 7-inch EP is a raw, unpolished blast of suburban teenage angst and "adolescent humor" that has since become a cult favorite for collectors of mid-80s Midwest punk.
Musically, the EP is far from the clinical speed of the era's thrash bands. Instead, Snare and the Idiots leaned into what contemporary reviewers in Maximum Rocknroll described as a "loose, rock 'n' roll fun" sound. The tracks, including the fan-favorite "Pimples" and the biting "Political Song," feature semi-catchy instrumental hooks and primitive lead guitar breaks that owe as much to R&B song structures as they do to the Sex Pistols. It’s a record that doesn't take itself too seriously, prioritizing a "goofy" charm and high-energy performance over technical perfection or heavy political dogma.
The band was a vital part of a thriving, often overlooked regional scene that included peers like Sluggo, SS-20, and Musical Suicide. While bands in larger hubs like D.C. or L.A. were codifying the "hardcore" sound, the Ohio River Valley bands were often more experimental and idiosyncratic. The "idiots" in the band name reflected their self-deprecating, DIY ethos—they were the kids who hung out at the legendary Jockey Club in Newport, creating music that served as a middle finger to the polished hair-metal and synth-pop dominating the 1985 airwaves.
One of the standout elements of the EP is the vocal delivery of Steve Arnzen, which fluctuates between a snotty punk sneer and a rhythmic, almost spoken-word style. This is best heard on tracks like "Zero Worship" and "It's A Freak Show," where the lyrics tackle the mundane frustrations of youth and the perceived absurdity of adult society. The production, handled by Joe Hamm, keeps the drums front-and-center, highlighting the frantic, "falling-down-the-stairs" energy that made their live sets at local dives so memorable.
Today, Recycled Garbage is a rare find, with original pressings fetching high prices among vinyl archeologists. It serves as a bridge between the 1970s "first wave" punk and the more specialized indie-rock movements that would later emerge from the Midwest. In 2015, the band’s legacy was revisited with a CD release titled Resuscitation, and their early work continues to be chronicled in compilations like Chronicle 1984-1987, proving that even "garbage" can be recycled into a lasting piece of musical history.
50 Similar Records This list focuses on 80s Midwest Punk, Garage-Hardcore, Snotty 7-inches, and Cult Underground Gems.
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