Have you ever wondered what Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas would sound like crooning over a chintzy synth beat he found lying around the basement of a club after traveling back in time to the mid-’80s? If so, head to Casablancas’ MySpace to hear his new song “11th Dimension.” Sorry if that description sounds harsh, but I say it as a fan of Casablancas — his singing here is fine, but that backdrop plays to exactly none of his strengths. Hopefully the rest of his solo debut, Oct. 20′s Phrazes for the Young, will fare better.
Or am I crazy? Let us know what you think of Casablancas’ new vibe. For comparison’s sake, a far superior electro song featuring Casablancas’ vocals — namely, the Lonely Island’s “Boombox” (some NSFW language) — awaits you after the jump.
Last night, Divas returned to VH1 for the first time in five years. Hallelujah! And while it wasn’t quite the Mariah-Whitney-Christina finger-waving, rafter-shaking smorgasbord of the special’s heyday, I’d still give it a big ol’ thumbs up. ‘Twas a ton o’ fun. VH1 had pimped it as a show all about Miley Cyrus, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, and Adele, but lots of older, less-usually-considered-divas divas showed up, like Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, and Melissa Etheridge. Oh, and Stevie Wonder was there, too. And no disrespect to the younger ladies, but thank goodness the old-timers were there — the night turned into a great old-divas-meet-new-divas extravaganza.
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It never stops, does it? Last night brought the news that 
Stephen Stills was, in many ways, the Jack White of the Woodstock generation: a hugely talented, at times temperamental, blues-loving rocker who seemed to regard a day in which he didn’t form a band as a day wasted. Stills is most remembered for his stints in Buffalo Springfield and, of course, Crosby, Stills and Nash. However, in 1971 he formed the band Manassas with country-rock legend and Flying Burrito Brother Chris Hillman. The outfit was only together for 18 months, but they released a couple of albums (1972′s eponymous double debut and 1973′s Down The Road) that ambitiously, and often quite brilliantly, hit a wide variety of beats, from Latin to country to blues to rock. Next week Rhino is releasing Pieces, a round-up of Manassas tracks that, according to Stills’ liner notes, “were were silly enough to leave off,” and is, indeed, a more than worthy addition to their discography. You can hear an exclusive stream of the Hillman-penned “Love and Satisfy” below.
Like any smart teen show out there these days, The CW’s 90210 — which, by the way, is getting better and better this season as it deliciously morphs into The AnnaLynne McCord Show — has decided to capitalize on its music choices with 
