Q And Not U were formed in Washington by singer/guitarists Chris Richards and Harris Klahr, drummer John Davis and bassist Matt Borlik. The single Hot and Informed (Dischord, 2000) and the album No Kill No Beep Beep (Dischord, 2000) announced diligent disciples of Fugazi who lacked the masters' savagery but were at least able to channel it through sounds appealing for the emo-core generation..

Different Damage (2002) pulled back from the hardcore camp and began to toy with half-baked synth-based tracks and convoluted dynamics, a confused idea of innovative song format that basically worked only in Soft Pyramids.

The neurotic single X-Polynation/ Book Of Flags (2003) pretty much closed a phase in the story of the group.

In fact, they embraced synthesizers and disco beats on Power (Dischord, 2004), the first album without bassist Matt Borlik, and turned into a lame disco-punk outfit (Wonderful People, 7 Daughters). The album gasps back to life with Beautiful Beats, Passwords, Book of Flags, and Tag-Tag, but it's a case of too little too late.

Chris Richards launched his solo career with Purple Blaze (Academy Fight Song, 2005) under the moniker Ris Paul Ric. His intellectual and complex post-folk was far more mature than the last two Q And Not U's albums.