High-Resolution Press Photos

1800x1800 300dpi	1800x2700 300dpi
	Photo Credit: Jennifer Warren

Reviews of Joe Hurley, Rogue's March, NEVER FEAR and CHASER

Joe Hurley & Rogue's March

• A wildly diverse act that manages to sew threads of punk, country and cabaret into an astonishingly cohesive sound... showcasing a star-powered front man in Joe Hurley.
  Billboard
• Combining the energy of early Social Distortion and the poetic destitution of the Pogues, New York's Rogue's March travels through red-light districts, jail cells, and one-night stands with the street-savvy swagger of men who have seen it all but still feel it most of the time. Along with Flogging Molly, Rogue's March have become favorites of Irish-loving Pogues fans; while the band is accompanied on occasion by uillean pipes, lap steel, and accordion, the fact rises more from gritty storytelling than inebriated instrumentation. Lead rogue Joe Hurley has an oddly seductive cigarette-thick snarl that keeps his wistful ballads rough and the rollicking sing-alongs durable. No doubt he is the kind of tough mug men depend on in a pinch and women worry about in the early morning hours; and that's exactly what you look for in drinking music-a singer who lets you smash chairs and sob about it later. The Rogues' latest release, CHASER, does all that and more, offering tangos, waltzes, jigs, and laments, amid a parade of New York-flavored rock that is aggressive, direct, and defiant. While Hurley clearly has the soul of a streetside confessor, he doesn't waste time on embellishment and pretensions. If he touches you and you bounce off the walls, so much the better.
  San Francisco Weekly
• These New York City staples play Celtic-tinged rock with unshakable pop hooks, mixing accordion and guitars with mandolin and tin whistle. They celebrate drinking, depression, and strife like the Pogues do, with jigs thickly coated in black humor. Songs like "Shut Up and Drink" and "Amsterdam Mistress" (which rhymes "pints of Guinness" with "lots of slow kisses") make for perfect St Patrick's Day wallowing.
  New York Times
• Like Tom Waits, with his gravel'n'whiskey intonations, Rogue's March front man Joe Hurley has mastered the saloon style with a baritone that sounds as ready for the next song as for a whiskey and a beer . . . Rogue's March is the kind of band that deserves some major recognition now. The word is good; pass it on.
  New York Post
• Esteemed rocker Joe Hurley leads Rogue's March, a stately combo that uses New York's roots-rock cognoscenti to interpret the shape of traditional Irish music. Think urban sea chanteys sung by a more hearty Shane MacGowan.
  Time Out New York
• Joe Hurley's voice sounds like the morning after a good bender on Guinness, whisky, heartache, and nicotine. And to fans of Rogue's March, the muscular punk-Irish-country-English music hall-cabaret-grunge band he fronts, that voice is pure gold . . . Whether it's the Kurt Weill-influenced "Bedsheets of Lily Marlene," the boozy, countrified "The Ghost of Her Husband to Be," or the grubby punk of "On My Way Home," the colorful characters that spring from Hurley's head are what give Rogue's March songs their sparkle.
  The New Jersey Record
• Rogue's March's sound is based on Irish influences supercharged with a hard shot of punk, country and a little urban aggression. There ain't no room for the meek here . . . There is true magic on NEVER FEAR, from the upbeat screamers like "Shut Up and Drink" to the standout ballads like "Amsterdam Mistress," and the medley of influences works. Think of it as the Clancy Brothers meet Sid Vicious after a few pints of Guinness; still, Rogue's March turns up the heat in a very American way.
  Philadelphia Inquirer
• The songs are great, suggesting the finest moments of the Mekons or the Pogues. Rogue's March has gathered a fast growing cult of fame throughout New York, and is just waiting for a spark to take them to even higher visibility.
  CMJ Magazine, "Jackpot"
• At the Guinness Fleadh on Saturday, Joe Hurley and his large Celtic crew assaulted the Guinness-for-breakfast early birds with what would be one of the most talked about rock performances of the festival.
  New York Post
• I came away with a new favorite New York band, Rogue's March, whose "Shut Up and Drink" is a sure party anthem for the end of the century.
  The Austin Chronicle

Chaser

• With the robust vocal stylings of front man Joe Hurley, the ebullient Rogue's March is one of New York's most entertaining outfits. Their new album CHASER is a showcase of the group's diverse repertoire - from roots-punk to cabaret to western pop-rock.
  Village Voice
• The characters who inhabit London-Irishman Joe Hurley's songs would be just as at home in an Elmore Leonard novel. Hurley and his band, Rogue's March, recently recorded a CD on ARBAON Records called CHASER that flat out demands major label attention. Rogue's March smacks around punk, country, torch songs, and even a bossa nova with joyful aplomb. Pay special attention to the rough, poetic imagery of "If I was an Angel" and "Madcap Tears." But Rogue's March will always be a punk band at heart. They tear through "Gino' Suitcase" and "This Town" with the swagger and verve of The Ramones.
  Irish America Magazine
• This garage-band quintet is abundantly blessed with the singular Irish trait of mining beauty from dreams blasted apart by bad luck and booze. Singer and chief songwriter Joe Hurley puts his coarse, whisky-stained trench coat of a vocal through a strikingly diverse array of story-songs, and somehow succeeds in keeping each tale distinct and vivid. Producer James Mastro deserves praise for repeatedly finding the sweet spot on CHASER, an ambitious, and quite excellent, disc.
  Sound Views
• One listen to CHASER, the second cd from Irish-scene alums Rogue's March, and you'll be struck by the vivid imagery and rough poetic qualities of Joe Hurley's songs. Rogue's March joyfully mistreats punk, country, bossa nova, Irish-tinged ballads and beery torch songs with equal opportunity-all the while constructing tight sonic settings for the grand misfits who inhabit Hurley's songs. Indeed, CHASER, sparked by J-F's grungy overdriven guitar that recalls Keith Richards or Johnny Thunders throughout, features a cast of characters that would be equally at home in a Charles Bukowski novel.
  Irish Voice
• Advance listens to CHASER show it to be worth the wait. Joe Hurley has that voice you know, the six pack/six-pack-a-day one that takes the sentimentality but not the sentiment out of the slow songs while keeping the humor in the rest . . . CHASER is a standout sophomore effort.
  New York Press
• The potent mix of rock & roll, country, punk, and pop with a poetic Irish twist served up by the legendary NYC rock band Rogue's March is a delicious cocktail that I've been sipping on for months... Joe Hurley's voice, as heard on the band's brilliant CHASER, is a beautifully ragged instrument that is caked with whisky, nicotine, tar, and rust.
  Irish Voice
• This New York outfit gives hints of Celtic melodies and rhythms a dash of ragged punk panache on their latest spirited release CHASER.
  Daily News

Never Fear

• Rogue's March are a fantastic band who have managed to capture the same excitement they create during a show in a tight, raw, studio recording, NEVER FEAR. This 14 song collection is an exuberant package featuring a heap of memorable music. They are top players sitting on the edge of the bigtime.
  New York Post 'CD Of the Week'

Joe Hurley - Live @ The Loser's Lounge

• Joe McGinty and the Kustard Kings join Rogues March front man Joe Hurley to celebrate 10 years of show at “The Losers Lounge” and to pay tribute to some of the finest 70's Rock'n'Roll ever recorded Bowie's “Rock'n'Roll Suicide”, Costello's “I Want You”, “Maggie May” and more. It's all very “Exile on Main Street” sounding - boozy and sleazy. The Quireboys would kill to come up with something as authentic and with as much feel as this.
  shitenonions.com
• Some performances stood out. Joe Hurley's raw interpretation of “All I think about is you”, with Joe McGinty's solo piano accompaniment, conjured up closing time in a graveyard bar.
  NEW YORK TIMES
• Joe Hurley gave the under-age groupie ode, "She's Just 14", (off the Jagger/Richards produced 'Pay, Pack and Follow') the full 'Sticky Fingers' treatment. Astounding song.
  VILLAGE VOICE