Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine (frequently shortened to Carter USM) were a British indie band formed in 1987 by singer Jim "Jim Bob" Morrison and guitarist Les "Fruitbat" Carter. They made their name with a distinctive style of power pop, fusing samples, sequenced basses and drum machines with rock 'n' roll guitars and off-beat wordplay-loaded lyrics. They reached the height of their fame in 1992. Over the following years the band took on new members, topping out as a six-piece, but struggled to regain their earlier popularity. They split in 1998 after releasing seven albums.

Based in Lambeth in South London, England, Fruitbat and Jim Bob originally played in an indie band called Jamie Wednesday, which released two singles - "Vote For Love" and "We Three Kings of Orient Aren't". On discovering they had a gig booked but no-one else to play there, they quickly formed Carter USM, reputedly named for Fruitbat's diligence, aptitude, and stamina. They recorded the backing track of drums, synths and samples, and fused Fruitbat's guitar antics with Jim Bob's lyrics. The debut single "A Sheltered Life" was released later in 1988 on the Big Cat label, but it was not until the classic second single "Sheriff Fatman" in 1989 that the band began to receive real recognition. The song was written about a South London slumlord and was followed by the album 101 Damnations - a critical account of life south of the River Thames, full of black humour, cynicism, wordplay and puns. The album went straight to the top of the indie charts.

The band's gigs became well known for a wall of white stage lights that threw off enormous heat and contributed to the sweaty, stage-diving crowd scenes that became part of the band's image. Such scenes are depicted in the video In Bed With Carter, filmed at the Brixton Academy.

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