Syl Johnson was a blues and soul artist who never made the big time like Al Green, yet today he’s one of the most sampled performers around.

Blunderbuss (Third Man Records). Review by Jen Cray.

Watch the Throne (Roc-A-Fella). Review by John Cogburn.

Original Samba Soul 1971-1979 (Strut). Review by Matthew Moyer.

San Francisco Debut, Unfinished Symphony (Kufala Recordings). Review by Shelton Hull.

Special Gunpowder (Tigerbeat6). Review by Bill Campbell.

Kings of Funk (BBE). Review by Bill Campbell.

Vincent & Mr. Green (Ipecac). Review by Kiran Aditham.

But you’d better believe that the ODB is having a blast as the ODG! J. Noise tries to see a silver lining in the first (of many) post-mortem cash-in albums.

Nicotine and caffeine are the narcotics of choice in Jim Jarmusch’s latest, a set of vignettes that pulls together some of Hollywood’s quirkiest talents. Rob Levy shakes off the jitters and cravings long enough to tell us all about it.

Pull Up a Table for Coffee & Cigarettes, by Jim Jarmusch, Bill Murray, alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Iggy Pop, RZA, GZA, Tom Waits, Renee French,Meg White, Jack White

Legend of the Liquid Sword (MCA). Review by Bill Campbell.

Dead Ringer (Definitive Jux). Review by Bill Campbell.

Fuck The People (Ubiquity). Review by Bill Campbell.

The Hip-Hop Collection Vol. 1 (High Times). Review by Bill Campbell.

Arrhythmia (Warp). Review by Bill Campbell.