Cheap Time

Jeffrey Novak, a Tennessee native who launched his musical pursuits in teenage punk outfits, masterminded Cheap Time as an explosive blend of glam rock guitar lines, power pop hooks, and raw punk drive. Among his early projects were Jeffrey Novak's One Man Band and the gritty Rat Traps, the latter of which disbanded in 2006. At that point Novak assembled the initial Cheap Time lineup, recruiting Jemina Pearl of Be Your Own Pet on bass alongside drummer Nathan Vasquez. This incarnation drew heavily from the Runaways and early Redd Kross, issuing its first 7" via Sweet Rot in 2007. After Pearl and Vasquez departed to focus on Be Your Own Pet, bassist Stephen Braren and drummer Jon Sewell stepped in, prompting a sonic evolution. Novak repurposed several tracks originally written for his side project the Peoploids—numbers shaped by glam and power pop groups such as the Quick, Sparks, and Milk 'n' Cookies—and adapted them for Cheap Time. In early 2008 the refreshed band released a follow-up 7" on Douchemaster ahead of its self-titled debut album, which appeared on In the Red that spring. Beginning in 2009, Ryan Sweeney took over drums from Sewell; that year the group put out the "Woodland Drive"/"Penny & Jenny" single and joined Yo La Tengo on tour. Cheap Time resurfaced in 2010 with Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations), a modestly more intricate and organized collection. The band returned in 2012 with Wallpaper Music, a fiercely attitude-driven set tracked in Novak's home studio that introduced bassist Jessica McFarland to the core of Novak and Sweeney. In 2013 Cheap Time unveiled its fourth album, Exit Smiles, before embarking on a lengthy European tour.