Tennessee vocalist and guitarist Jeffrey Novak began playing in punk bands in his teens. His groups included Jeffrey Novak's One Man Band and the ultra-raw Rat Traps; when Rat Traps retired in 2006, Novak formed Cheap Time. The group started off as a Redd Kross-inspired hard rock band, but after replacing the rhythm section, the sound took a left turn toward more power pop and glam trappings. The band released three albums for In the Red between 2008 and 2012 (Cheap Time, Fantastic Explanations [And Similar Situations], and Wallpaper Music) during which time Novak was also recording songs under his own name where he played all the instruments. Though not a great departure from the power pop sounds of Cheap Time, these recordings gave him a chance to dig deeper into the Kinks and Bowie-style pop side of the equation. The After the Ball LP was released in 2009, as were the "Home Sweet Home" and "One of a Kind" singles.

His next album, Baron in the Trees, was recorded at Jay Reatard's studio and was one of the last projects Reatard worked on before his untimely demise. Though the record was due to be issued in 2010 by In the Red, it wasn't until 2013 that it finally saw the light of day. Novak quickly followed later in 2013 with Lemon Kid, a distillation of his garage rock leanings and Syd Barrett-influenced wispy psychedelia. By 2014, Novak had formed Savoy Motel (a similar outfit to Cheap Time) alongside Cheap Time drummer Jessica McFarland and Heavy Cream guitarists Dillon Watson and Mimi Galbierz. The band released its self-titled debut in 2016. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi