Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine

English indie rock band founded in 1988 in London by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter from the ashes of Jamie Wednesday. Equally revered and despised in their native England, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine has been on the cutting edge of the U.K.'s dance-pop scene since their first hit single in 1989. Instead of following the disco-derived pop songs of the Pet Shop Boys, Carter relies more on the underground club/dance scene, bringing such techniques as spoken word samples, drum and riff samples, and a relentless beat to tuneful, hook-oriented pop songwriting. In addition, their attitude is inspired by punk rock's mentality, manifesting itself in their satiric lyrics and slash-and-burn approach to ravaging pop's past and present. Their second single, "Sheriff Fatman," is arguably the finest example of their style and established them as a force in the U.K. 

 

Perhaps it was coincidence, but after settling a copyright infringement lawsuit with lawyers representing The Rolling Stones in 1991, Carter began to open up their sound slightly; although they were still heavily dance-oriented, there weren't as many recognizable soundbites, but not at the expense of their pop sensibilities. The pop audience was not as receptive to Carter as they were just a couple of years earlier, and the band still couldn't earn anything larger than a cult following in the U.S. By the mid-'90s, their audience had declined sharply in both Britian and America, and their albums were generally ignored upon their release, yet the group continued to record. In 2014, Carter USM reconvened for its final performances. On November 22nd that year, the last show was played at Brixton Academy. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]