Q and Not U were a post-punk band from Washington, D.C., signed with Dischord Records. Members John Davis, Harris Klahr, Christopher Richards, and Matt Borlik formed the band in 1998. After Borlik's departure following the release of their first album, the band went on to record two more critically lauded LPs as a three-piece, exploring aspects of post-hardcore, dance-punk, and other disparate musical styles. Q and Not U disbanded in September 2005 after completing their touring commitments and a short farewell stand in Washington, D.C.
Members John Davis, Harris Klahr, Christopher Richards, and Matt Borlik formed Q and Not U in the summer of 1998 and began playing shows in the D.C. area later that November. They released their first album, No Kill No Beep Beep, in late 2000. It was marked by strongly rhythmic compositions with dissonant guitar and bass ("Hooray for Humans"), though each song was built around unique melodies and danceable beats that cut through and rode on top of the swells of noise ("End the Washington Monument (Blinks) Goodnight"). Several reviewers described the music as "catchy", and this quality of oblique yet upbeat and endearing musicality would be a trademark of the band's future work, setting them apart from their aurally less forgiving D.C. hardcore peers and bringing them more into line with the budding dance-punk scene.
Following a short tour, bassist Borlik left the lineup in 2001. His absence prompted a more slimmed-down sound as reflected in 2002's Different Damage. Guitarists Richards and Klahr took turns playing bass, though they left the instrument out of some songs altogether, and the album is instead driven by ever-more complex and propulsive dance beats, razor sharp guitar licks ("So Many Animal Calls", "When the Lines Go Down"), and pronounced use of multiple overlapping vocals from each member of the band ("Snow Patterns", "No Damage Nocturne"). The album also expanded upon the small patches of hushed tapping cultivated on No Kill... ("We Heart Our Hive") into fully grown bodies of delicate rhythm ("Soft Pyramids"). The band toured extensively following the release, making their way through the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Japan, and in 2004 became one of the first American bands to tour South Africa.
