From 1980 to around 2000, Dean Brownrout had an uncanny habit of finding himself at the forefront of cultural shifts―from the emergence of new wave and thrash metal music to the dawn of the commercial internet. No Big Deal is a very humorous and nostalgic journey through a seminal time in the music industry, told in a style reminiscent of Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential . Its unfiltered view into this transforming era includes a glimpse at America's technological influence and culture. And, of course, no show business memoir is complete without appearances by The Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, Beastie Boys, models, actors, and countless other fringe characters and luminaries. "It's both an honest, unvarnished portrayal of the independent record business at the end of the 20th century, and a well-told personal tale that manages to steer away from showbiz clichés and tropes." — John Lay, former co-manager Squeeze, Jools Holland, former manager, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, The Greenberry Woods "The book is a thoroughly enjoyable, great read, impossible to put down. It's quite witty, and funny, too. Zipping through the book, you'll be too busy gulping down the juicy anecdotes to stop and take stock of the author's natural storytelling gifts." —Alan Lord, author of High Friends in Low Places "Dean's story doubles as a cautionary tale about the "business" side of the music business. It made me nostalgic for the pre-internet record industry." —Francis Macdonald, drummer, BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub "A fascinating and insightful ride from the indie '80s to the bloated '90s, and the eventual crumbling of the record business, as the digital age creeps in." —Michael Shelley, WFMU DJ and former Big Deal recording artist "It's a big deal, for sure." —Robert Singerman, former manager, The Fleshtones, The Smithereens, Gipsy Kings, former agent, R.E.M., Violent Femmes No Big Deal is Dean Brownrout's tragicomic recollection of his 25 years in the music industry, as LPs were morphing into CDs, and the internet loomed. Starting out as an enterprising teenager in Buffalo, NY in the late 1970s, Brownrout rode the music business on punk, new wave, and metal, until finding himself and founding the independent record label, Big Deal. Dean Brownrout is a former music business entrepreneur who had an uncanny habit of finding himself at the forefront of cultural shifts―from the emergence of new wave and thrash metal to the dawn of the commercial internet. He is currently an art dealer working with galleries and museums around the world.