After witnessing an epiphany in the form of a Cheater Slicks show in Fall 2003, Cheap Time front man, Jeffrey Novak, has been on a continued quest to create his own blend of dedicated rock'n'roll music. Cheap Time formed in Nashville, Tennessee during the summer of 2005 with Novak on guitar/drums/vocals and his then girlfriend Jemina Abegg on bass/vocals, with the goal of coping Pussy Galore's attitude and early Redd Kross' riffs. They recorded an albums worth of demos, released one 7", and played 14 shambolic shows with different drummers. At one point, Steve Mcdonald of Redd Kross even offered to fill in on drums for the band, but by that point the original line-up of Jemina and Jeffrey was over. The band moved into a tighter direction with the addition of new members Stephen Braren on bass and Jon Sewell on drums. Together they recorded the band's self-titled debut album for In The Red Records after a west tour with The Lamps and Haunted George. The album was recorded and mixed in 5 days by Mike McHugh at the Distillery in Costa Mesa, CA. After the album was completed, the band self recorded their 2nd 7" for the Atlanta based Douchemaster Records. The "Handy Man/Wildlife" single showed a continued evolution in the band's sound towards a more quirky pop influence of 1970's glam groups like Sparks.
The following year, Cheap Time toured the US with the Wax Museums, and did two tours with Jay Reatard after the release of their album. In the Fall of 2008 Ryan Sweeney was brought in to replace Jon Sewell on drums after a one off show at Gonerfest with Billy Hayes from Jay Reatard's band filling in on drums. This line-up of Novak, Braren, and Sweeney, recorded the band's 3rd 7" "Woodland Drive" b/w "Penny & Jenny" that was released in 2009 on In The Red.
The band also completed their first European tour in the spring of that year. After that tour Novak moved to Memphis, TN and recorded his 2nd solo album for In The Red with Jay Reatard producing, which is slated for release in early 2011.
In the Fall of 2009 the band toured the US with Yo La Tengo, and took two weeks off on the west coast to record their 2nd album with Mike McHugh at the Distillery once again. 9 days in the sessions Mchugh kicked the band out of the studio by gun point before any mixing could be done. For months there was a communication breakdown while Mchugh was getting help, and the band considered the album sessions lost. Eventually In The Red label head, Larry Hardy, was able to retrieve the tapes, and legendary engineer, Earle Mankey (Sparks, Runaways, The Quick) was brought in at the insistence of friend Poison Ivy to mix and master the album. The finished album entitled Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) shows the band continuing to evolve with the addition of Ryan Sweeney's drumming that only tightens up their sound. While more moody and mid tempo than their debut, the album features improved songwriting and production.
In January 2010 the group lost a close friend and mentor with the death of Jay Reatard, who was Novak's roommate at the time. Reatard was also slated to produce the band's next album. Currently the band is recording their 3rd album for In The Red at Novak's home studio in Nashville, and preparing for their 2nd European tour.
Discography:
Singles
1. Spoiled Brat 7" (Sweet Rot Records, 2007, SRR 02)
white or black vinyl
1. Spoiled Brat
2. Jet Set
3. Killing Time
2. Handy Man 7" (Douchemaster Records, 2007, DMR 016)
1. Handy Man
2. Wildlife
3. Woodland Drive 7" (In The Red, 2009, ITR 176)
1. Penny And Jenny
2. Woodland Drive
Splits 7"
1. Cheap Time - Proper Introductions (Running Nowhere)
2. Bad Sports - Would You Wait For Me Too?
Albums
1. Cheap Time LP/CD (In The Red, 2008, ITR 152)
1. Too Late
2. Glitter And Gold
3. Zig-Zag
4. People Talk (The End)
5. Push Your Luck
6. Living In The Past
7. Tight Fit
8. Permanent Damage
9. The Ballad Of Max Frost
10. Falling Down
11. Over Again
12. Ginger Snap
13. Back To School
14. Trip To The Zoo
2. Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) LP/CD (In The Red 2010, ITR-190)
1. When Tomorrow Comes
2. Everyone Knows
3. I'd Rather Be Alone
4. Throwing It All Away
5. Down The Tube
6. Showboat
7. Miss Apparent
8. June Child
9. Woodland Drive
10. Lazy Days
11. Approximately Nowhere
12. Waiting Too Long
3. Two And A Half Times Around - Live On The Radio and Unreleased Demos LP (The Amazing Kornyphone Record Label, 2010, TAKRL 1985)
1. Woodland Drive
2. Glitter And Gold
3. Zig-Zag
4. Back To School
5. Living In The Past
6. People Talk
7. When Tomorrow Comes
8. Penny And Jenny
9. Handy Man
10. Wildlife
11. Down The Tube
12. Falling Down
13. Over Again
14. Trip To The Zoo
15. Too Late (Demo)
16. Glitter And Gold (Demo)
17. Zig-Zag (Demo)
18. Back To School (Demo)
19. Fake Friends (Demo)
20. Ginger Snap (Demo)
