Smells Like Sour: 1999-2010
Published March 21, 2010 @ 11:14 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

11 years is a very long time for anything web-based. That's why it's with a great deal of sadness that I announce the Smells Like Sour (SLS) franchise has died a natural death.

SLS was a "hypothetical" collection of new tunes that we "released" twice a calendar year. All editions of SLS consisted of 20 songs the SLS committee deemed to be the best new music since the previous instalment of SLS. We "released" new editions of SLS around Canada Day and Christmas Day. The last one, #22, came out New Year's Eve 2009. The last song nominated was Metric's "Gold Gun Girls" back on February 8, 2010.

SLS was a labour of love. In the beginning, I'd come up with the 20 songs I liked, my buddy Mark would come up with the 20 songs he liked, and we'd meet at a Tim Hortons and negotiate. I won a few battles, and I lost a few battles. I still hate that Andy Stochansky song!

Back in the day, fantastic discussions took place at http://www.smellslikesour.com/, but then life and work and other priorities got in the way. That site's been badly neglected for years, my buddy dropped out of the SLS process a while ago and I haven't been feeling it since my favourite radio station turned me off.

22 editions over 11 years is a pretty good run. I'm going to keep the SLS Song Database online and, from now on when I hear a tune I dig, I'll just blog about it.

Smells Like Sour: 1999-2010.

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Metric - Gold Guns Girls
Published February 8, 2010 @ 21:55 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS23 consideration. I'm submitting "Gold Guns Girls" by Metric.

Another great single from Fantasies...

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Billy Talent - Saint Veronika
Published January 30, 2010 @ 18:04 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS23 consideration. I'm submitting "Saint Veronika" by Billy Talent.

I'm a sucker for this band, and I really don't care that you hate them.

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Animal Collective - Brothersport
Published January 9, 2010 @ 16:55 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS23 consideration. I'm submitting "Brothersport" by Animal Collective.

This isn't just a great song, it's a fantastic video. I dare you not to love this.

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Pearl Jam - Just Breathe
Published January 3, 2010 @ 11:47 in Pearl Jam, SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS23 consideration. I'm submitting "Just Breathe" by Pearl Jam.

This isn't just the best song on Backspacer, it's the best Pearl Jam single since... since... well, since before SLS, that's for sure.

There's a rule with SLS that the same artist can't be represented on the same issue more than once. Pearl Jam's "The Fixer" was a shoe-in for SLS22, so I couldn't nominate "Just Breathe" until now.

Now you know the rest of the story.

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SLS22 Unveiled
Published December 31, 2009 @ 16:13 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I came very close to ending SLS at #21. 2009 has seemed like a abnormally weak year for music. I read the "too cool for school" blogs, sampled Merriweather Post Pavilion and other such "it" albums, and was left underwhelmed. Every other year of this decade produced an album that got me jazzed, but this year the closest I came to getting really excited about an album was Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

But I decided to keep SLS going. 2010 may be a better year for music, and I'd like the franchise to be alive to reap the benefits. Here's the final song list for SLS22. For an SLS primer, go here.

1. Foo Fighters - Wheels
2. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don't Haunt This Place
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
4. Them Crooked Vultures - New Fang
5. Phoenix - 1901
6. Metric - Sick Muse
7. Death Cab For Cutie - Meet Me On The Equinox
8. Weezer - (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
9. Silversun Pickups - Substitution
10. Alice in Chains - Check My Brain
11. Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker - Anti-Venom
12. Billy Talent - Devil On My Shoulder
13. Kings of Leon - Notion
14. Pearl Jam - The Fixer
15. Arkells - The Ballad of Hugo Chavez
16. Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
17. Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning
18. The Dead Weather - Treat Me Like Your Mother
19. The Stills - I'm With You
20. Green Day - 21 Guns

I just updated The Complete SLS Database. Look for SLS23 in late June, 2010.

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Foo Fighters - Wheels
Published December 13, 2009 @ 19:58 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS22 consideration. I'm submitting "Wheels" by Foo Fighters.

I've been hearing "Wheels" all over the place for months. I'd hear it, I'd think "that's not a bad tune", and then I'd forget about it.

Today I heard "Wheels" and thought "why the hell haven't I thrown that on the SLS22 shortlist?". So I did.

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The Junction - My Love Was There
Published December 8, 2009 @ 17:39 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS22 consideration. I'm submitting "My Love Was There" by The Junction.

When I first heard about The Junction, I assumed they were from the neighbourhood of that same name in west Toronto. You know, the neighbourhood the New York Times calls "hip".

In actuality, they're from Brampton. Although I liked them better when they were from the Junction, this is still a nice single from the indie trio.

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The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don't Haunt This Place
Published December 7, 2009 @ 12:55 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS22 consideration. I'm submitting "Don't Haunt This Place" by The Rural Alberta Advantage.

Brian turned me on to this tune and I totally dig it. This is precisely the kind of tunage we should be hearing on CFNY / Edge 102.1. It's new rock, it's great and these guys are based in Toronto. Have a listen to a little RAA.

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
Published November 26, 2009 @ 19:30 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

I'm submitting a song for SLS22 consideration. I'm submitting "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

This will be the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' fifth song on SLS, following "Maps", "Gold Lion", "Phenomenon" and "Zero". "Maps", btw, still makes it onto just about every iPod playlist I make.

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