JEFF CAUDILL & THE GOODTIMES BAND
"SESSIONS AT THE BOATHOUSE" EP

Although this disc initially has something of a ‘one for the completist’ feel about it, the first offering from this new UK-based, a five track EP recorded in a single day, contains plenty of material for old and new fans of the ex-Gameface frontman alike. The primary attraction is previously unreleased track, ‘I Wouldn’t Wait’, which is a timely reminder that although higher-profile singer-songwriters often get away with wild inconsistency, Caudill remains as reliable as ever. You know where you stand with his output; it’s going to be melodic as hell with nicely though out lyrics.

Standout track, ‘Everybody Shines’ originally appeared on tentative debut solo release, ‘The Way Back’ but approached by an artist who’s audibly more comfortable in his own skin, it fully justifies the revisiting it’s afforded. The remaining three tracks are re-recordings of tracks from the ‘Here’s What You Should Do’ album. The helping hands of Michael Vogelsang and long-term collaborator, Michael Bains, adds a new depth to the sound, which sees things come together on ‘My Side Of The Bridge’, which is kicked up a gear. Pinning down the easy charm of the band’s sound remains as elusive as ever, but if you’re a fan of American bands such as The Replacements, REM and The Lemonheads, you’ll find something here for you.

The vibe of the EP is one of a good time being had by all, and it’s refreshing to hear that in an age when bands seemingly reform every other day, musicians are still coming together to create something new. As well as being a quick departing nod to the past couple of years, the ‘Sessions at the Boathouse’ also suggest an interesting future path for Jeff Caudill and his band. Let’s hope the next album continues the momentum.

8 out of 10
– Whisperin' & Hollerin'

JEFF CAUDILL & DRIVE TIL MORNING "I WAS THE LEAD SINGER" EP

“With co-anchor Francis Garcia (of Drive Til Morning) on board, "I Was The Lead Singer" is another step into the “relaxed fit” ambience that comes entirely natural to Caudill, despite a full decade of belting his guts out as a mouthpiece for one of the ‘90s most charismatic popcore bands...Caudill and Garcia flatteringly trade licks, covering a couple of each other’s tunes, culminating in a must-have EP for initiated fans, and then some.”
– The Big Takeover

THE BIRTH OF MUSICAL CHANGE FOR JEFF CAUDILL

SINGER/SONGWRITER Jeff Caudill used to be at the forefront of the American underground indie rock and power pop scenes, but the 35-year-old former Gameface singer now says he's comfortable performing music outside of the communities that gave him his start. "I don't live and breathe the scene anymore," Caudill says. "I've grown far away from it, and it's OK if I'm uncool and don't know what the cool bands are. I know what I like, and like discovering new stuff. Having a kid puts you on the fast track to uncool-ness."
The beginning of Caudill's solo career overlapped the end of Gameface, an Orange County band that released five full-length records and a handful of singles over the span of 13 years. Since his former band's demise, Caudill has issued three solo records and a few downloadable singles that remain true to his tenure in Gameface while incorporating more instrumentation and experimentation. The difference between the two acts is noticeable, but not entirely separate, Caudill says. "If you really listen," Caudill says, "it's not terribly different. It's still that sort of power-pop stuff, but there's some additional instruments and a little more of a country twang, I guess. Since day one, I've never been solely planted in one genre." Caudill expanded his musical horizons somewhere in the late 1990s, the singer says. It was during this time when he discovered the alt-country genre, which helped shift his focus away from high-energy rock to the Americana-infused sounds of his latest offerings. To date, the crowning achievement of Caudill's solo career is 2005's "Here's What You Should Do," a 13-song record that showcases the singer's penchant for catchy melodies, big-sounding clean guitars and smooth transitions. Half of the material on the disc was penned while Gameface was breaking up, which made an already turbulent time even harder. "It had a lot to do with Gameface breaking up," Caudill says, "and a lot to do with me and my wife's struggle to have a baby. That took us years and years. It's not something I expect anybody to understand, but the year or two when the record happened, there were a lot of changes. I felt like I became another person."
The band is unique in the sense that Caudill is arguably not the most recognized face in his own group, since the quintet includes drummer Robbie Rist, best known for his role as Cousin Oliver on the television program "The Brady Bunch"; guitarist Michael "Popeye" Vogelsang, a former member of '90s indie rock band Farside; bassist Missy Buettner, a member of early Los Angeles punk group The Last; and mandolin player Michael Bains, who collaborated with Caudill on a project during the mid-1990s called March. This seasoned super-group has been performing together for less than one year but is already "the most talented" batch of musicians Caudill says he's ever played with. Having a solo career that reaches the success of his previous band is not a priority for Caudill, who says the honing his songwriting abilities is job No. 1. "I honestly don't care," Caudill says. "It never was a goal to be a rock star. I just want to stay creative and make music. I love it when people are into it, but (success was) never really was the goal."
– Ryan Ritchie, Long Beach Press Telegram

"Caudill warms up the room with a twangy alt-country set. Of the dozens of bands that will play [The International Pop Overthrow Festival] over the next ten hours, [one of] the highlights will be Caudill."
– Spin Magazine

JEFF CAUDILL & DRIVE TIL MORNING "I WAS THE LEAD SINGER" EP

"Never mind the length, feel the quality. Following Jeff Caudill’s excellent debut record from 2005 ‘Here’s What You Should Do,’ Jeff now follows this up with a collaboration with Drive Til Morning. Brooklyn based Drive Til Morning is essentially Francis Garcia who spent the 90s in Austin with little known rock bands Fourth Grade Morning and Pop Unknown.
The two ex-punks turned Americana songsmiths cover each other’s material and collaborate on a new song and title track ‘I Was The Lead Singer’. On first listen this appears to be a straightforward pop record, especially on the brass-driven ‘Greentree’. I’m always wary of anyone described as ex-punks as this usually means over-rated, can’t write a songs but make plenty of noise. Fortunately this doesn’t apply to this excellent 5 song EP. The boys are joined by a host of musicians, most notably Robbie Rist.
On Jeff Caudill’s ‘Minutes Turn To Miles’ the collaboration finds itself raising the bar in terms of melody and song writing, and this is followed by the excellent ‘Stop Writing Songs,’ and the high point of the record ‘I Was The Lead Singer’ where the two writers find themselves looking back to their early years singing ’I was the lead singer of a band you used to know, from photocopied flyers and seven inch records, do you still remember we thought we could change the world with broken strings & broken hearts’. A record far too short that leaves you looking for the next track - worth tracking this down with the aforementioned solo release from Jeff."
8 out of 10
– Andy Riggs, Americana UK

JEFF CAUDILL & DRIVE TIL MORNING "I WAS THE LEAD SINGER" EP

"It really shouldn’t work; two former punk-pop stalwarts, Jeff Caudill and Francis Garcia, choose to showcase their development into Americana singer-songwriters by covering songs from each other’s back catalogues. As a way of laying the past to rest, it’s certainly more inventive than most.
Former front-man of California based Gameface, Jeff Caudill, has already earned his spurs with acclaimed 2005 release, ‘Here’s What You Should Do’. Frankly, Caudill could choose to sing the telephone directory and make it sound full of hooks, but he nevertheless chooses wisely. Stand-out track, ‘Minutes Turn To Miles’, taken from the debut album by Garcia’s Drive Til Morning, sees him transform the arrangement into another trademark killer power-pop tune. For his second selection, Caudill reaches further back to Garcia’s earlier incarnation, pop-punk band Yuck, and again zeroing in on the hook, ‘Gone’ hits the bullseye.
Arguably, Garcia has the more difficult task, as he is effectively charged with finding a fresh angle on Caudill’s melodic back catalogue. His first selection, ‘Greentree’, is a coming of age tale taken from Gameface’s mid-1990s breakthrough release, ‘Three To Get Ready.’ With an uplifting brass-section and sixties sounding organ, Garcia successfully finds something new in the song. ‘Stop Writing Songs’, taken from Caudill’s solo release is stripped bare, with a closer look to the lyrics. In the hands of Caudill, it’s another rocking tune, but Garcia delves deeper into the story and successfully taps into its melancholy to make it the most inventive re-reading.
The EP neatly finishes with the co-written and performed title track. A simple, country-tinged number, it has a warm feeling that fully fits the feel of the release. Harking back to the days of photocopied flyers and coloured vinyl, the song affirms their belief that ‘although the memory is fading, the fire still burns inside.’ The sound may not be as urgent or exuberant as before, but it’s as every bit heartfelt, and more fully realised.
It really shouldn’t work, but it most certainly does. The two punks from the 1990s have developed and grown, as they rightly should, and developed new sounds and fresh ideas. ‘I Was The Lead Singer’ is a neat way to wrap the past up and focus in on what is to come in the future."
8 out of 10
– Wisperin' and Hollerin'

TEN YEARS ON, CAUDILL SIDE PROJECT RINGS TRUE
"Out of print since its original release in 1995, 'Turn' is the entire back catalogue of March - a short-lived joint venture between Jeff Caudill of indie band Gameface and multi-instrumentalist Michael Bains. However, the blink and you'd miss it lifespan of the side project isn't reflected in the quality of the release which is a gem. Echoes of Buffalo Tom, REM's earlier work and most strikingly Bob Mould's Sugar, are apparent with a couple of mandolin-based folkie numbers thrown in for good measure. 'This River,' and 'Happy Geeks' kick the re-release off in fine style, jangly guitars and angsty vocals giving urgency to Caudill's catchy melodies. Yet 'Later in Heaven' sounds more akin to Lullaby for the Working Class, sign-posting the alt-country sound that Caudill would tackle in later work. However, it is the punchy melodic rock of 'Something' and '90 Seconds' which impress the most and the chunky instrumental 'Red Sugar' and heavier 'If You See Me' add variety to the mix. Few will be left in doubt that this is a record of its time, but for fans of Caudill and the 1990's indie-rock scene, this is fertile ground."
9 out of 10
– Nic Fildes, Americana UK