Penguin Prison: Artist You Should Know

This guy Chris Glover (a.k.a. Penguin Prison) has a pretty rad life situation going on. I read in a piece in the Village Voice that he’s a) opened for Girl Talk, b) lives on a historic tiny street used in (my current favorite show) Boardwalk Empireand C) is pretty good friends with the Holy Ghost! bros. Not too shabby. In fact, that last connection is a clutch factor in Mr. Glover’s current state of radness, if you will.

Apparently, while looking through his old box of knick-knacks and doo-hickeys, Alex (of Holy Ghost!) found a toy drum machine produced by Mattel in the 70s called the Bee Gees Rhythm Machine, which is actually featured on Penguin Prison’s first headphone heater, “Golden Train.”

Like big boys, Cut Copy and his DFA buds, Penguin Prison is making a synthpop-disco fusion that is as contemporary as it is it nostalgic for the days of disco-ball rollerskate parties and early Michael Jackson videos with glittering light trails. It takes a big man to make this solid gold of a banger with a kid’s toy. And it takes this solid gold of a banger to make people feel like they’re back-up dancers on The Victory Tour, even if they’re listening on their headphones at a bus stop.

Penguin Prison – Golden Train (Radio Edit) by Penguin Prison

— Mario Cotto