Drawing on interviews with dozens of DJs, producers, vocalists, club owners, and record shop impresarios who shaped the Baltimore club genre, Tough Breaks is an in-depth exploration of one of the US's most infamous and misunderstood cities by way of its thriving music scene.
Unearthing the untold stories behind Baltimore club, Al Shipley reveals the story of how Black and White, and gay and straight Baltimoreans found a common musical language on the dancefloor, and how a tightly knit community of self-taught, working-class musicians created a sound that changed American pop culture.
Al Shipley has covered the Baltimore music scene for over twenty years for publications including the Baltimore City Paper, the Baltimore Banner, Baltimore Fishbowl and Urbanite, and the acclaimed MP3 blog Government Names, winning awards from the Baltimore Crown Awards and the Baltimore Sun.
Size: 197 x 131mm (paperback)
Pages: 300
Publisher: Repeater
