On my recent trip to Toledo, Ohio, I checked out Culture Clash. I’d seen this great record store in its previous location in another part of town and was impressed then by its neat, fun presentation and good selection of old and new indie stuff.

They’ve since moved locations, and the new place is bigger, more cluttery, but also chock full of great vinyl finds. It looks a bit like an indie shop set up in someone’s attic. It’s got that fun, disorganized feel that begs you to spend a long time searching…you’ll find something odd and cool sooner or later.

It’s a bit tricky to navigate the first time in, but this shop is well worth a look. I had a great time pawing through stacks of old new wave favorites, and there’s the requisite bad heavy metal, 80s cheese and punk records old and new. There is also a nice collection of DVDs, many of which are gray market titles. Nice stuff for a collector.

The Culture Clash website is ambitious–they run an online magazine, too! There’s a lot to explore both at the site and the store itself. For my money, this is Toledo’s number two record shop after RamaLama, but Culture Clash should not be missed. I love the organized chaos of the place, and the staff is cool and friendly. My favorite find there–a copy of Wire Train’s “In A Chamber” LP. A good score indeed! Cheers, Culture Clash.