Racing Penguin = Game, Penguin Prison = Band

Even though Penguin Prison has been around for a while, I couldn't resist including it because it seems to embody the perfect example of ridiculosity in band naming that inspired this game in the first place. I have to wonder, looking at names such as Penguin Prison if there is not a secret generator out there to come up with these names, similar to the way you can formulate either your Porn Star or your Drag Queen name. I'd imagine it would go something like this: 1. Name of an animal. 2. Name of a place you wouldn't want to be or a thing you wouldn't want to be involved in. I think, with that in mind, my band might be called Koala Dentist. Or maybe even Hamster Cemetary. Actually, either of those could be the next Stereogum band du jour. "Today's single of the day comes from East Los Angeles lo-fi kraut-pop outfit, Hamster Cemetary. Their debut (and destined to be only) 45, 'Asymmetrical Haircut' b/w 'RIP Walker Reader' drops November 11th on Brooklyn Trash Records." Sure, why not?



Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I feel that I should admit that I actually own a Penguin Prison 45. Because, basically, I am one of those people who will refuse to buy soup at the grocery store unless it is for sale for under two bucks, but have no qualms about buying import vinyl for $10 plus overseas shipping for one song and an instrumental remix of the same song. So there's me, sitting alone in my living room choosing to sustain myself on $2 Italian Wedding soup and a Penguin Prison 45, because I'll have to admit to you, it's pretty good (the record I mean, though the soup is also delicious).

The details: Penguin Prison is not technically a band. It's actually one former remixing, gospel singing, boy-banding, rapping overacheiving New Yorker named Chris Glover who finally found his niche in the flourishing electro dance pop genre. In 2009, Penguin Prison released "The Worse it Gets" on 45 (and shipped a copy right to my hi fi) to widespread blogger acclaim, and as of two days ago, has followed up several other successful singles and remixes with its first full length album (self-titled), relesed by Downtown Records. Continuing in the vein of a happier LCD Soundsystem, or a more unashamedly sunny Hot Chip, the album is full of songs that you can sing along to. Below is the lead-off song from the album, the fun and lovely "Don't Fuck With My Money:"



Don't Fuck With My Money by Penguin Prison



As to our game of the day, Racing Penguin, it just barely edges out Penguin Prison as the most precious of our current competitors. Available for free download for your i-Pods, -Pads, and -Phones, the game has you manning a cute little penguin through the perilous hills and valleys scrolling across Antarctica, using your wings to help your flight and speed to escape the dangers of a polar bear on hot pursuit. While the game designers clearly missed every penguin special on animal planet for, like, ever that would have told them that penguins can't fly with those old flaps, the game has still managed to often edge out the ubiquitous Angry birds as the most downloaded free game from the Apple App store. Unlike yesterday's Meowcenaries, Racing Penguin skips all the bloody gore when your penguin fails to win his race against the bear. In other words, when the bear catches up, you can rest assured that there will be no penguins sliced open, ravenously eaten, and gutted until the snow is stained red with offal within a 4 yard radius of the carcass. Nah, this one's good for all the kids, and will DEFINITELY not ever be accused of being a gateway to listening to Scandinavian Death Metal (bummer).