The Carps

Rarely photographed without multi-colored leather hi tops, turquoise or pink T-shirts, and skinny jeans, the two members of the Carps wear their hipster cred on their sleeves while making a full and unique blend of R&B and stripped-down indie rock — as a two-piece, no less. Neil White became friends with Jahmel Tonge at the university in Scarborough, Toronto, and the two started creating music as a free-spirited pastime to fill the hours between skateboarding and golfing. Melding influences from the opposite ends of the musical spectrum (Tonge grew up on Motown while White listened to psychedelic rock and punk), the duo started jamming and playing clubs around the city. With a soulful Terence Trent D'Arby-esque voice, Tonge took to the drum stool vocalizing about urban strife and the debauchery of hipsters, while White added to the meat of the sound with dirty, distorted bass tones. After shows in the Toronto clubs resulted in unenthused audiences, the two decided to take it to the States and organized a small tour to Philadelphia and New York City. The shows in the U.S. were a different story, where the indie crowds eagerly welcomed them with open arms, and soon after, the two were invited to join the roster of Urbnet Records. In 2007, their anticipated EP, The Young and Passionate Days of Carpedia, was released.