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Biography
Chris Glover is a producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, who spent several years under various guises trying to forge a successful music career, before finally creating Penguin Prison to great success. In his youth, Glover grew up surrounded by his mother's love for country music, listening to the likes of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams. Glover performed in his school's gospel choir, alongside future R&B superstar Alicia Keys, during his early teens. He later became interested in punk and rock music, forming his band, The Museum, who performed at the legendary CBGB's.
Having dabbled with hip hop and a number of different genres, Glover decided to focus on creating music inspired by electronica and dance. With his first singles, released on Neon Gold Records, Penguin Prison had made a hit, receiving critical acclaim for the EP "Animal Animal/A Funny Thing" in 2009. Another double-sided single followed with "The Worse It Gets/Something I'm Not," which turned heads with its dark disco and electronics influenced by "Kid A" era Radiohead with the melodic pop sensibilities of Michael Jackson.
With his live performance, Glover was also making waves, through his intricate guitar work, soulful, James Brown-esque vocals and enthusiastic dance moves, making for a riveting performance. Penguin Prison released his debut album in 2011, with the self-titled record gaining Glover new fans.
Penguin Prison has also created some top quality remixes, displaying Glover's talent for remaining classic tracks. He has laid his hands to Marina 7 the Diamonds "I Am Not a Robot" in August 2009, as well as Jamiroquai's "White Knuckle Ride." His diverse and eclectic style has garnered significant praise from his contemporaries, with the likes of Q-Tip and Gregg Gillis from Girl Talk all speaking out in favour of Glover's innovative music with Penguin Prison.
Live reviews
Chris Glover is an incredibly talented producer and musician, and his electronic synthpop project Penguin Prison is a display of some fantastic musicianship. The project escalated quickly when Glover was signed to Downtown Records, something that he hadn’t foreseen. His journey started way back in school, where he sang alongside young Alicia Keys in their gospel choir. Throughout his youth, he appeared performing alongside various artists, building himself a solid roster of contacts and achievements from which to launch his solo career.
I knew a few of Glovers remixes from radio plays and a few interviews here and there, so when I learned of the Penguin Prison album back in 2011, I was excited to have a listed. I was completely blown away by the great vibe and beat of the album and listened over, and over again. As soon as I heard that he would be touring with the self titled album, I grabbed myself some tickets.
The venue was surprisingly small, I was expecting a large environment with the dance crowd going crazy, however it wasn’t as rowdy as I expected! This, however, was not a bad characteristic at all. The entire crows were dancing along, singing, and getting really into the music. It was great, because with the size of the venue, everyone who was there was a dedicated fan. The quality of the vocals and the sound blended wonderfully. With his performance background, Glover really knows his stuff.
yazhow
For a gig experience you won’t be able to get out of your head, be sure to check out Penguin Prison for a solid dose of dancing. Penguin Prison is the moniker used by one-man music pioneer and NYC native Chris Glover, and the indietronica/ synth-pop mogul has been crossing genres and making cool-club dancefloor fillers since his remixing days in 2008, and released his debut self-titled album in 2011. With musical influences as diverse as Nat King Cole, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and Weezer, it’s no surprise that Glover frequently mashes different genres and vibes into his songs, which, far from being a disastrously ill-fated cacophony, results in addictively catchy rhythms and foot-tapping tunes. His upbeat pop sensibility is sublimely contrasted with often-dark, downright sarcastic lyrics and witty quips, which are also in ample supply in his live performances. When I saw Penguin Prison at a hometown show at the Bowery Ballroom, New York, last year, he set the bar very high indeed and delivered a non-stop set of catchy loops and arm-waving beats. Accompanied by a four-piece live band, Glover bopped around onstage like an excited teenager, and the guitar-wielding mixmaster’s energy fed back to the crowd for the entire set. A super fun show from an unexpected talent- expect big things from Penguin Prison.
louise_h
Just saw Penguin Prison and definitely recommend them to any fan. Crushed through the big hits and added a couple of classic fan favorites as well. To top it off they crushed "Don't F#$* with my Money".
Great performance. Buy the ticket.
sdonaldson
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