One Track Mind: Meow vs. Meow

Standout Track: “Cinders,” a tightly wound postpunk tune where the rhythmic ideas of both Rush and Q and Not U hold equal influence. Really, it’s not as awkward as it sounds. Drummer Todd Rowen drives the song, flipping between a busy four-on-the-floor groove and even busier Neil Peart–style ride patterns. Guitarist Steve Soly and keyboardist Jocelyn Soly weather the percussive deluge with minimalist riffs and economical bass lines.

Musical Motivation: “Our style works around finding a compelling bass line and then trying to layer it with interesting guitar and drum parts that make it more dissonant or angular,” says Rowen, who lives in the U Street NW area. But this is postpunk, not prog, and Rowen is aware that there’s a point when you just don’t need another double-time triplet. “I was more-is-more when I was younger,” he says. “But I’m trying to move away from that a little bit. You just get in the way.”

Cat Power: Despite its pounding sound, the band gave itself a name that conjures soft mewling, not hard pounding. “For us it was a process of listing names that we liked, then eliminating the ones other bands had used,” says Rowen. He admits that not every member of the trio is completely sold on it, though. “We all liked the name Aguadulce, but there were some other bands named that.”

Meow vs. Meow performs Wednesday, July 8, at the Black Cat.