CortezTheKiller Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/index.p...;pb=1#more15875 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Tuesday, February 19, 2008End of The Great Depression Given how many of its problems are self-inflicted, it's easy to adopt an attitude of schadenfreude about the record industry's ongoing free fall. But not everybody feeling the pain is an overpaid muckety-muck, and the independent-music community is taking a major hit: No Depression, the award-winning bimonthly magazine that covers alternative-country and its variants, is going out of business after the May/June issue. And the primary reason for its demise is that record-label print advertising has plummeted as much as compact disc sales, even while the magazine's circulation has held steady at about 30,000. At this point, a few disclosures are in order. No Depression co-editor/Mebane resident Peter Blackstock has been one of my closest friends for more than 20 years. I'm also a regular contributor, going all the way back to a feature on Raleigh's Whiskeytown in issue #1, Fall 1995. North Carolina has always been a No Depression stronghold, with Chris Stamey, the Avett Brothers, Caitlin Cary, Thad Cockrell, Kenny Roby, Chatham County Line and Roman Candle among the local acts to turn up in its pages in recent years. Beyond those local ties, however, No Depression's demise seems like an ominous warning for music journalism and the magazine business. Other music magazines are struggling, too, and No Depression probably won't be the last niche publication to go under this year. We'll have more about the end of No Depression online and in-print. For now, click through to see publishers' note that will appear in the March/April issue, which details the reasons why. [More:] Barring the intercession of unknown angels, you hold in your hands the next-to-the-last edition of No Depression we will publish. It is difficult even to type those words, so please know that we have not come lightly to this decision. In the thirteen years since we began plotting and publishing No Depression, we have taken pride not only in the quality of the work we were able to offer our readers, but in the way we insisted upon doing business. We have never inflated our numbers; we have always paid our bills (and, especially, our freelancers) on time. And we have always tried our best to tell the truth. First things, then: If you have a subscription to ND, please know that we will do our very best to take care of you. We will be negotiating with a handful of magazines who may be interested in fulfulling your subscription. That is the best we can do under the circumstances. Those circumstances are both complicated and painfully simple. The simple answer is that advertising revenue in this issue is 64 percent of what it was for our March-April issue just two years ago. We expect that number to continue to decline. The longer answer involves not simply the well-documented and industrywide reduction in print advertising, but the precipitous fall of the music industry. As a niche publication, ND is well-insulated from reductions in, say, GM Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest David Puddy Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 The only music magazine I cared to read. yeah, that's a shame. i just looked at No Depression for the first time within the last month or so. i was really looking forward to reading more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I began reading it in November 1997 - I think. I was unable to get it for a while, and then last year was able to find it again. I think someone on here has every issue there is - but I will leave that up to him to talk about it. Issue #12 - I was right. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedy's Gurl Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 for serious? damn. we've been getting it since the very beginning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the carlos Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 this is a damn shame. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 The only music magazine I cared to read. Not to seem snotty or combative, but did you buy or read online? Print media is dying by bits and pieces. Declining Advertising revenues, cost of newsprint and the internet are the culprits. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Not to seem snotty or combative, but did you buy or read online? Print media is dying by bits and pieces. Declining Advertising revenues, cost of newsprint and the internet are the culprits. I bought it - first at the last independent record store here where I live. They closed. I sent in a check for subscription, never heard anything back. A couple of years went by - I got the dudes to get it at the convenience store I go to. Also - the Barnes and Noble that opened up last year here where I live carries it. I have #12-35, and then, #68 to present. I need 1-11, and 36-67. List of issues. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Ugh - this is bad news. I still have the "No Depression" t-shirt that was bundled with the introductory offer....though, ahem, it's getting a little tight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I bought it - first at the last independent record store here where I live. They closed. I sent in a check for subscription, never heard anything back. A couple of years went by - I got the dudes to get it at the convenience store I go to. Also - the Barnes and Noble that opened up last year here where I live carries it. I have #12-35, and then, #68 to present. I need 1-11, and 36-67. List of issues. Sorry if I came off like an ass (well...I am an ass, but I wasn't picking on you.) And for full disclosure here...I no longer subscribe to any magazines. My subscribes to Vanity Fair. I only subscribe to the newspaper I work for because I get it at a discount. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Sorry if I came off like an ass (well...I am an ass, but I wasn't picking on you.) And for full disclosure here...I no longer subscribe to any magazines. My subscribes to Vanity Fair. I only subscribe to the newspaper I work for because I get it at a discount. Just like music and books, I prefer to go to the store and look around and buy magazines. I know those days are numbered though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 (well...I am an ass, but I wasn't picking on you.) There is no need to state the obvious and be all redundant and shit, your avatar makes this quite clear. I keed, I keed Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jcarlile1 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I'll sincerely miss this magazine. We've subscribed for years. Always read it cover to cover as soon as I got it. Found a lot of new artists I'd not heard of before....and you gotta love the chapters in it - "Box full of Letters", "Screen Door", among others.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Well, let's just thank the baby Jesus there Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 It seems like there are more music magazines now than ever (or at any time since I first started paying attention in the mid-'80s). There are only so many ad dollars to go around. As far as "respected" music magazines go, I would have preferred to see Paste bite the dust before No Depression. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
So Long Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I can't believe it. This sucks. No Depression was one of three publications I read/trust. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nettles Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 That really bums me out, I've been really enjoying that magazine again recently. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vacant Horizon Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 i am not surprised. the whole movement is over. and it's totally saturated with so much junk. like paste, there is maybe one good recommendation a year from this magazine. as much as i love the whole indie ethic, the production, etc. the music is just so MOR and/or unlistenable. i love wilco, MMJ, and magnolia electric, but that's as far as i can go with it. there is just so much bad bad music out there and emusic doesn't make it any better for me. i think i am gonna have to go back to cds.craig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Although I'm very sad to see it go, I haven't been a big fan of the magazine in quite some time. For whatever reason, I just haven't found the material all that interesting the few times I've purchased over the last couple of years. I used to read it religiously. I cannot read online periodicals. I may look at them occasionally but I can't stand reading a long internet article (hell, I can't stand reading a long post most of the time). I'd much prefer to read a magazine/newspaper/book on the couch/plane/comfortable chaire, etc. I guess I'm old school on reading and new-school on digital music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 first No Depression, and now Harp. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 first No Depression, and now Harp. Damn, i hadn't heard that. I'm a subscriber to Harp.... hell, i think I paid it forward too. That is very bad news. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Damn, i hadn't heard that. I'm a subscriber to Harp.... hell, i think I paid it forward too. That is very bad news. here's some vague info about it:http://www.popmatters.com/pm/blogs/crazedbythemusic/Harp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Totally a bummer. I really liked Harp. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zeppelinster Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Damn, i hadn't heard that. I'm a subscriber to Harp.... hell, i think I paid it forward too. That is very bad news. Yeah me too. reupped for 2 years a couple months back for a subscription which was susposed to run out w/ the Jan/Feb issue. Never got the March issue, emailed them last week asking what was up & haven't gotten a reply yet. Now I know why. So hows it work when you subscribe to a magazine which then goes under? Do you get your money back or are you SOL? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 I guess we will just have to make do with Pitchfork... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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