Last we heard, rapper Foxy Brown, who has been on Rikers for about 8 months now, was trying to get an early release because of her "hearing problems". Deaf or not, something worked, and this week she'll be a free woman once again. After violating probation last year by attacking a couple of manicurists, she was sent to the slammer -- and even spent 40-days in solitary confinement for a confrontation with officers there. Now......

When They Might Be Giants released their twelfth album, The Else, over the summer, The Village Voice called it “as tuneful and rockin' as all the rest, from the withering ‘I'm Impressed’ to the female-empowerment anthem ‘Take Out the Trash.’” Keeping it fresh is no small feat for a band with such an impressive body of work, accumulated over the course of the past 25-plus years. But a listen to The Else or, even better,......

For the second year running, the Food Bank for New York City and the Lunchbox Fund of South Africa have enlisted over 100 celebrities in their holiday fundraiser. Boldface names like Kanye West, Elton John, Cameron Diaz, Mike Meyers, William Wegman and, um, Urban Outfitters, have created personalized, autographed lunchboxes that are now onsale via online auction. At Thursday night's kick-off event at Saatchi & Saatchi, a lunchbox by Michael Stipe was snatched up......

Die Romantik (myspace, website) is a guitar, drum and keyboard trio with a knack for weaving lush, elegant melodies that never lose the element of surprise. Brooklyn by way of France, the group has developed a local following that recently earned them a spot on the lineup for Malajube’s show at Bowery Ballroom. Their debut full-length album, Narcissist’s Waltz, was summed up by Stylus magazine thusly: “An album of sophisticated arrangements and lullaby melodies that......

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced a project to commemorate abolitionist activity that occurred in Brooklyn in the 1800s. He named a panel made up of community leaders, academics, and historians to aid the city and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in asking for and reviewing commemoration proposals. The panels of the Commemoration Panel are: the Reverend Lawrence Aker, Senior Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church; Richard Greene, Executive Director, Crown Heights Youth Collective; Colvin L. Grannum, President, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration......

Jen Kirkman does it all. Hilarious stand up, talented improviser, and a terrific writer. She's in town to do some stand up and to perform at UCB's 9th Annual Del Close Marathon and Gothamist sat down with this triple threat from LA to discuss growing up on a golf course, the pursuit of fame, and sassing customers. You just released your first CD and are also a cast member on VH1's Acceptable TV. What else......

Since the only truly green event is the one that doesn't happen, Live Earth is certainly being met with some criticism - but either way it's going to cast some green over the world tomorrow. If you aren't heading over to the "New York" event yourself, NBC Universal will be bringing the concert to the world with a three-hour primetime special Saturday night on NBC, 18 hours of live coverage on Bravo, seven hours on......

Michael Hearst, of Brooklyn book-rock collective One Ring Zero, is the man behind Songs For Ice Cream Trucks. As such, he has single-handedly reinvented the timeless sound we often hear on the street during the summer, some with a tinge of nostalgia, some sprinkled with noir and all leaving you wanting seconds. Do you ever approach random trucks and give them your cd? Actually, I have on a few occasions, but it usually turns out......

What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week. Being the nation's capital, DCist felt especially proud to let freedom ring this week by exposing the really important issues, like how sad they......

The city has agreed to pay $2 million to the parents of an unarmed Brooklyn teen who was fatally shot by a police officer three years ago. In January 2004, police officer Richard Neri was patrolling a Brooklyn rooftop with another officer at 1AM. Around the same time the other officer had opened a door to the stairwell, Timothy Stansbury and his friends were heading upstairs, to go to a party in another building in......

The Summer of Love is back, and taking over New York for a 40th anniversary celebration spanning museums, theaters and screens. The NY Times takes a look at what to expect during this retrospective celebration: The Whitney Museum of American Art is noting the anniversary with “Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era,” opening Thursday. The Public Theater, which formed that summer with “Hair,” is staging a hippie-friendly season of Shakespeare in the Park,......

Like the Blues Brothers, God's Pottery are on a mission from God. But instead of driving through malls or shooting up dope, they're changing the world one youth at a time through inspirational song. All the prayer and hard work have paid off for band members Jeremiah Smallchild and Gideon Lamb because May 21st they'll be recording an EP at Comix for Comedy Central Records. Gothamist sat down with these holy crusaders to do a......

Lawyers for the detectives Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora, and Marc Cooper, the three police officers indicted in the fatal November shooting of Sean Bell, demanded that prosecutors turn over evidence in the case. The NY Times reports their lawyers feel that the prosecutors are withholding evidence:“It’s like having the fox guarding the chicken coop,” [Karasyk] said. Late in April, prosecutors handed over 2,100 pages of evidence in Mr. Bell’s shooting, as well as videotapes and......

The New York City Open Accessible Space Information System Cooperative, aka NYC OASIS, has updated its map to include the latest property data, as well as coastal storm impact zones (above). This map joins climate change rallies and drenching Nor'easters as an indication of where city can get really soggy. The city also has a Hurricane Zone Finder. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report saying the city will flood, what with......

MUSIC: Of course we suggest you come hang out with us tonight at our 4th Birthday Party, and 11th Movable Hype show. The show starts at 7:30pm, here are the details and some mp3s: 10:30pm - The World Without Magic (Never Begun.mp3) 9:30pm - White Rabbits (The Plot.mp3) 8:30pm - Ford & Fitzroy (The Weatherman's Refrain.mp3) 7:30pm - Hayes Peebles (Gone Grey.mp3) Adira Amram is hosting, and there will be gift bags with candy and......

I just did my taxes and I am going to get a refund this year. I'd really like to get a fancy toy, but I feel like I should do something responsible with the rest. What are your suggestions? First off, congratulations on your refund! We are a firm believer that you should not feel guilty about treating yourself for a year of hard work. However, it's also very important to not overlook some important......

It’s been a couple of year since Baltimore auteur John Waters has brought a new movie to the silver screen but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been as busy as ever. Whether it’s guest starring on TV shows or curating art exhibits, Waters puts his distinctive, off kilter imprint on anything he’s involved in, even the lowly mix tape. After adding oddity to your holiday soundtrack with his Christmas CD A John Waters Christmas, Waters......

EVENT: Housing works is opening their new store in Brooklyn today. With great events and thrifty finds and a way to support the HIV-positive homeless community, it's nice to see the store is expanding. 11am to 7pm // Housing Works Thrift Store [122 Montague St, Brooklyn Heights] ART: Photographer Haik Kocharian’s solo show at Robin Rice Gallery is “Isild Le Besco: the Early Years”. Fans of French cinema know Le Besco for her mercurial screen......

Things are starting to pick up around here. The weather was nice, people were out leaving the cave from the post-New Years hibernation and getting back on their feet. It's still coming around, but the rock scene is starting to show some life as well... Matt & Kim Shake Up Studio B There was one show everyone seemed to be talking about this week, and that was the big Matt & Kim homecoming at Studio......

Let’s face it; you’re probably going to return the Santa sweater that is three sizes too big from your aunt that you see maybe twice a year. There is no shame in returning something that is wrong. Very wrong. It is this spirit of post-holiday grief that reminds us that the same thing applies to wine. If the wine is faulted, not unlike the sweater with holiday appliqué, then it is your right to return......

ART: Check out Pale and Blue at 14 tonight at Giant Robot New York. Jeana Sohn’s paintings are a testament to the bond between humans and nature. Meanwhile, The Village Voice is calling Giant Robot New York, “Best New Gallery/store For Big Kids Who Still Like To Play With Toys.” Closing January 3rd. - Stephanie Nikolopoulos Closing Tomorrow // Giant Robot [437 E 9th St] // Free THEATER: The Big Voice: God or Merman? is......

If it's almost Christmas, it's almost time to cozy up to WPIX 11's Christmas Yule Log, the televised bit of hearth warmth that momentarily replaces dreams of a "wbf" (woodburning fireplace, in apartment classified speak). Yesterday, amNew York had a great feature about the longevity of Channel 11's yule log tradition. The roaring fire created from a 17-second loop of a Gracie Mansion fireplace in 1966 by Fred Thrower and played every Christmas until 1989.......

THEATER: The Scene, a black comedy by Theresa Rebeck that premiered at this year’s Humana Festival in Louisville, is now in previews at Second Stage. The satire is about an out-of-work New York actor (Spenser: For Hire’s Tony Shalhoub) — married to a news producer (Alien Nation veteran Patricia Heaton) — who has an affair with a fresh-faced Ohioan ingénue. Rebeck’s stated intent with The Scene is to skewer America’s “cultural collapse into narcissism”. -......

After retrieving your ticket for The Fortune Teller at the HERE Arts Center box office – and I suggest doing that soon – you’ll be instructed to exit the building and head west, following a faded red line along the sidewalk. This leads to a door, which opens onto a staircase, down which you'll descend to a corridor and, finally, the lobby for the dainty theater. It’s a mysterious and fitting beginning to this......

First there were kids in bands, then baby disco...now The New York Times covers the rock music for babies phenomena... "Yet when his father recently unwrapped a new CD of ’80s British alternative rock reimagined expressly for babies, Casey was indifferent. As “Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Cure” played on the stereo, he kicked fitfully in his bouncy seat. He appeared not to recognize the wordless glockenspiel-and-vibraphone rendition of the Cure’s “Boys Don’t......

There seem to be a lot of LVHRD events lately! Tonight they present Bi-FOLD II: Street. The event will bring together two diverse artists inspired by the same muse, the street. The night will include both presentation and performance, including Brazilian graffiti artist Speto, who will present his work and create a live mural, followed by an interactive performance piece with New York based Graffiti Research Lab. Who better to introduce these folks than......

You may recognize Jon Glaser from his appearances on Conan, Wonder Showzen, or Cheap Seats. You may have even heard his track on the Invite Them Up CD compilation, where he reads a series of letters written by his recently deceased father to the band ZZ Top. By the track's end, one thing is certain: Jon Glaser is a comedic genius. What are your earliest memories of seeing or hearing things that made you laugh?......

Brooklyn Vegan reports that Styx will be playing a benefit show in Red Hook. Their website announces the event as "A Charity Benefit - "One With Everything: Styx & the Contemporary Youth Orchestra CD/DVD Listening Party Extravaganza". But with the high ticket price, we assume they will be playing some tunes. Tickets on sale here, for $80. A price we wouldn't even pay if the ticket allowed us to travel back in time and see......

NY State parole officials announced their Halloween plans: Checking up on sexual predators on parole and probation in the state in "Operation Halloween: Zero Tolerance." The Post reports that there are about 1700 sex offenders (paroled and on probation) in the five boroughs; they must stay at home between 3PM on Halloween and 6AM the next day. Furthermore, they cannot wear costumes or masks, and cannot open their door to trick-or-treating children. And that's not......

"Can you feel me? Can you motherfuckin' feel me?" Adira Amram belts out on her song "Wanna Make Out," which she sings while dressed in leotards, a Betsey Johnson push-up bra and suit jacket, or other attention-getting garb while pounding away on a keyboard or piano. Amram, the daughter of composer David Amram, started out as an actress but has taken to performing her hilarious “keyboard fantasy” songs at local comedy gigs. The 25-year-old performer......