Yesterday's reports have been confirmed: Harp magazine has ceased publication. The magazine -- one of the true shining lights in the music section on store racks in recent years -- is the second non-mainstream title to fold in the past month, following No Depression's announcement in February. According to a statement on the magazine's web site, money, as always, is to blame. The magazine was founded in 2001 and purchased by JazzTimes parent Guthrie Inc. in 2003.

Guthrie CEO Glenn Sabin said, "Unfortunately, Harp's critical acclaim never translated into sustaining commercial success. Harp's lifecycle was ill timed with the precipitous decline of the music software industry, coupled with the consolidation of the consumer magazine newsstand business and rising paper and postage costs."Not sure what the "music software industry" is or why its decline should affect a consumer mag like Harp, but it was clearly the writing on the wall.

Founder Scott Crawford is right when he states the magazine established "a much-needed niche within the crowded marketplace." At least at one time. As things progressed, titles like Magnet and Paste clearly cut into Harp's niche, and vice versa. Harp was a nice middle ground between the indie-centric former and the dad-rockin' latter, but that happy medium wasn't lucrative enough to guarantee survival.

I was on board Harp's train right away, picking up the first issue because of cover star Alejandro Escovedo, contributing a couple of pieces along the way (this one on Mark Eitzel and another on Jim Roll) and reading each subsequent issue until the last, which I just cracked this weekend.

Labels: magazines