GIF via the artist.

Mary Timony is a crucial part of the D.C. punk scene. Each one of her bands should be put on the same pedestal as bands like Fugazi and The Dismemberment Plan, though she hasn’t quite ascended to that level outside of the D.C. region. Recently Timony was part of the supergroup Wild Flag, which featured Sleater-Kinney alums Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein, as well as The Minders keyboardist Rebecca Cole. Since Wild Flag has officially “run its course,” after their sole album, 2011’s self-titled record, Timony now has a new band Ex Hex. Timony along with bassist Betsy Wright and drummer Laura Harris, recently signed to Merge Records and are working on their full-length debut. They’ve played their fair share of local shows in the past few months, but tonight they’re headlining Black Cat, kicking off their first major tour. The band premiered a song for Rookie Magazine, a cover of Slant 6’s “What Kind of Monster.” For the cover, band plays it mostly straight, keeping the track’s muscular backbone intact, while adding their succinct brand of subtle shredding.

Ex Hex are sure to be huge year, so now’s the chance to catch them before they’re selling out 9:30 Club.

Ex Hex play tonight with Foul Swoops and TEEN at the Black Cat. Tickets are Sold Out.