JOE HURLEY & ROGUE'S MARCH

If you've ever seen the New York City-based, gravel-throated baritone Joe Hurley perform around town with his rollicking band Rogue's March, chances are that you've gone home feeling rejuvenated by the purity and passion of Hurley's songs and the raw exuberance delivered by his top-notch six-piece band.

Rogue's March, noted for their eclectic blend of rock & roll, country, punk, and pop (with a shot of Irish), along with a flair for storytelling bordering on the cinematic, have released two independent CDs, the critically acclaimed debut Never Fear and the follow-up, Chaser. "Shut Up and Drink," the raucous ode to imbibing from Never Fear, was a featured song of the week on WNEW-FM in their pre-talk radio days, and remains a permanent fixture on the city's finest jukeboxes. The band was also interviewed on MTV News, before going on to tour both coasts, the Midwest, and Canada, garnering new fans and rave reviews.

The most recent album, Chaser, was produced by James Mastro and features appearances by Dennis Diken of the Smithereens (drums), Joan Osborne guitarist Eric Dellapenna, Black 47's Chris Byrne (Uillean Pipes), Kenny Margolis of Cracker (Accordion), Joe McGinty (Piano), cellist Jane Scarpontoni, and duets with Amy Rigby and Jennifer Jackson. Chaser was added to many regional radio stations, including New York City's WFUV, where celebrated DJ Meg Griffin termed it "one of the year's best records."

The summer of 2001 saw Rogue's March appearing on East Coast dates of The Warped Tour, many of them on the Main Stage, where they played alongside such acts as Rancid, Rollins Band, Less Than Jake, and the Dropkick Murphys. The band released a special compilation cd for the shows, which averaged crowds of 15,000 per day, and The New York Post ran a full-page feature on the group when they joined the tour.

Rogue's March appearance at the huge 1998 NYC Guinness Fleadh (featuring Squeeze, Wilco, Sinèad, etc.) was cited as "one of the most talked-about performances of the festival" by the New York Post, and the band was picked as must-sees at the Fleadh by the Daily News, Village Voice, NY Press, and the New York Times. The band has also been featured on NY's WB Channel 11 news show with an interview and live footage.

Both Shane MacGowan and the legendary chanteuse Marianne Faithfull have sat in with the band, while, in recent months, Rogue's March have been joined onstage by vocalists Sally Timms of the Mekons, Stacey Earle, Amy Rigby, Manic Panic proprietors Tish & Snooky and Martha Wainwright. Rogue's March count celebrated producer Tony Visconti, actor Denis Leary (who wrote about the band for New York magazine), and Academy Award winning film director Jim Sheridan among their fans. The band has toured with Cracker and Flogging Molly, and have played with acts ranging from Jonathan Richman to Squeeze to Spacehog and the Chieftains.

Rogue's March perform to packed houses around New York City, primarily at the Mercury Lounge and the Bowery Ballroom. Hurley can also be seen at the bimonthly Loser's Lounge tribute series (honoring songwriters like Neil Diamond, Roxy Music, and The Kinks) and his piano/vocal only version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" is featured on the new Loser's Lounge compilation produced by Richard Barone. Hurley has also received raves from Rolling Stone and Spin for his duet with Tiffany Anders on her recent Up Records release, which was produced by PJ Harvey who also sings on the track. In addition, he's been writing and recording songs with producer Tony Visconti (of T. Rex, David Bowie, etc. fame) and can be heard singing on the latest releases from Prefab Sprout and Christine Ohlman (SNL Vocalist). From the band's first demos, produced seven years ago by Andy Shernoff of the Dictators,to their current cd, Chaser, Rogue's March remain one of New York's most entertaining bands.- Village Voice