SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

Creating a Monster
Published January 6, 2004 @ 14:25 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

Creating a MonsterAbout seven months ago, Mark Carey and I brought Smells Like Sour to the web. Smells Like Sour is a hypothetical compilation series of New Rock songs, with a new release every six months. I've posted the songlists from the past two editions here and here and a database of all SLS songs here.

The idea was simple. The general public would be allowed to submit songs for SLS consideration and comment on those that have already been submitted. In a sense, it worked. All songs from the recent SLS10 were secured from submissions to the site, although all songs chosen were submitted by either Mark or I. Also, there are some fairly entertaining discussions going on about Finger Eleven's "One Thing", the merits of Good Charlotte, the merits of Simple Plan and more. So, in a sense, the SLS site is doing what it was supposed to do. Then why am I so displeased with the results seven months later?

Here's the problem. We've given a voice to the general populous and specifically those who might peruse the web for bulletin boards about their favourite band or tune. This is exactly the crowd I don't want suggesting songs for SLS. SLS is too important a franchise to leave in the hands of the general public.

I still visit the SLS site on a regular basis to see what people are saying about what and what songs they are suggesting for SLS11, but each time I'm greatly disappointed. I'm sick of songs being submitted that are way too old or others that are of a totally different genre. Futhermore, people keep submitting songs that appeared on a previous SLS or are really, really bad. Do people even read the rules? Of course not. When June rolls around and it's time to choose the best 80 minutes of the previous six months for SLS11, Mark and I will end up doing what we've always done: negotiate amongst ourselves from our own personal list of favourites.

I'm not giving up on the SLS site as I believe it still has potential, but something has to change. As it stands, it's nothing more than a place for pre-teens to confess their love for the latest boy band posing as punks, written in IM-speak I can barely understand. SLS deserves better.

In the future, I'll add a line to this site every time I hear a song I believe to be SLS-worthy. You're welcome to contact me if you have a suggestion or a comment about one of my submissions. I'll still submit these tunes to the SLS page, but tracking them here will save me from wading in the cesspool of crap that has become of our Smells Like Sour vision. It's truly starting to turn sour and that's disappointing.

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Final SLS10 Selections
Published December 18, 2003 @ 20:30 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

SLS10It wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't unveil the songs for SLS10. The following songs comprise the best 80 minutes of music from the last six months of 2003 as determined by the Smells Like Sour committee.

  1. Queens of the Stone Age - You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire
  2. The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button
  3. The Strokes - 12:51
  4. The Distillers - Drain the Blood
  5. Disturbed - Liberate
  6. Linkin Park - Faint
  7. Puddle of Mudd - Away From Me
  8. Outkast - Hey Ya
  9. Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
  10. Godsmack - Straight Out Of Line
  11. The Salads - The Roth Kung Fu
  12. Stone Temple Pilots - All In The Suit That You Wear
  13. Blink 182 - Feeling This
  14. Hoobastank - Out Of Control
  15. Hot Hot Heat - No, Not Now
  16. Trapt - Stillframe
  17. Foo Fighters - Darling Nikki
  18. Billy Talent - Try Honesty
  19. Staind - So Far Away
  20. Nickelback - Someday
  21. Three Days Grace - Just Like You
  22. P.O.D. - Will You
  23. Finger Eleven - One Thing

So that closes another chapter in SLS history and opens the book on SLS11. Anyone can submit a song for SLS11 consideration here and SLS11 will be finalized just before Canada Day. If you want to sound off on the tunes above you hate or the ones you think we missed, write a Guest Blog entry. If you're curious, there was a serious split between Blink 182's "Feeling This" and Pilate's "Into Your Hideout". I suggested "Feeling This" while Mark lobbied for "Into Your Hideout". Guess who won?

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Pet Peeve
Published December 12, 2003 @ 14:16 in My 2 Cents, SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

Pet PeeveWhen Mark Carey and I took Smells Like Sour to the web back in June, we thought it would be a great way to create a forum to discuss potential SLS songs and such. Lately, it's become a cesspool for cyber-kitties and their IM-speak.

Earlier today, someone by the name of Lisa posted her comments on the SLS page for Good Charlotte's "Hold On", a God awful tune, but that's not the point. I'll post her comment in its entirety below so you'll quickly get my point.

hi its me agen, n e 1 hu's really close 2 commitin suicide really needs 2 watch this every1 goes threw its jus whether u admit it or not theres always sum1 out there just hold on life will get betta no matter wot u say ive been really close 2 commitin suicide and this vid really helps ppl do understand even me! n e 1 want 2 tlk bout the vid or n e thin else jus reply!

Upon reading this post, I immediately responded with the following.

I can't stand the way you and the other cyber-kitties spell your words. I don't know when this became the thing to do, but I detest it with all my heart and soul. I can't even read your post because it's such a bastardized version of what the rest of us refer to as English.

You wrote, "n e 1 want 2 tlk bout the vid or n e thin else jus reply!" That's horrible. Are you stupid or just ignorant. Your post makes me want to commit suicide. I'd try and save myself as you suggested, but watching a Good Charlotte video is bound to make me want to slit my wrists anyway.

There's more, but you get the gist. Am I off base here? I understand shortening words when using an Instant Messenger, hell, I even shorten words when speaking to save a few seconds, but when you're posting comments on a site as serious as Smells Like Sour, is it too much to ask that it be legible? The Internet is being held hostage by an army of teenage girls with no respect for others travelling along this information superhighway.

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SLS10 Countdown
Published December 6, 2003 @ 13:10 in Music, SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

SLS10It's December. That means we're approaching the deadline for SLS10. I'm going to assume readers of this blog are familiar with SLS, or Smells Like Sour if you prefer the elongated title. For those in need of a refresher course, here's the last update.

I've muddled through all the SLS submissions and come up with 80 minutes of what I deem to be the best tunage from the previous six months. If you're interested in what made SLS9, you'll find that detail here. Keep in mind, the following list of tunes for SLS10 is not final. I am but one member of the selection committee. The following is my favourite 80 minutes for the second half of 2003.

  1. Queens of the Stone Age - You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire
  2. The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button
  3. The Strokes - 12:51
  4. The Distillers - Drain the Blood
  5. Disturbed - Liberate
  6. Linkin Park - Faint
  7. Puddle of Mudd - Away From Me
  8. Outkast - Hey Ya
  9. Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
  10. Godsmack - Straight Out Of Line
  11. The Salads - The Roth Kung Fu
  12. Stone Temple Pilots - All In The Suit That You Wear
  13. Blink 182 - Feeling This
  14. Hoobastank - Out Of Control
  15. Hot Hot Heat - No, Not Now
  16. Trapt - Stillframe
  17. Foo Fighters - Darling Nikki
  18. Billy Talent - Try Honesty
  19. Staind - So Far Away
  20. Nickelback - Someday
  21. Three Days Grace - Just Like You
  22. P.O.D. - Will You
  23. Finger Eleven - One Thing

I'm very interested in what tunes you'd leave off this list and what songs you'd add. You can Contact Mike and let me know, or if you're passionate enough to want to write a Guest Blog entry, be my guest. I'll post the final SLS10 songlist just before Christmas.

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SLS Countdown
Published November 8, 2003 @ 17:08 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

Smells Like SourThere's only about six weeks to go before we in the SLS commitee finalize the songlist for SLS10. For those of you who need an SLS refresher, click here and here.

To see songs that have been submitted for SLS10 consideration, or to submit one yourself, visit the official page. Bear in mind that anyone can suggest a song hence there are some fairly weak tunes listed. We'll weed out the weakies to come up with the best 80 minutes of tunage from the past six months. Below is a list of songs most likely to appear on SLS10. The official "release" date is Christmas 2003.

Queens of the Stone Age - You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire
The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button
The Strokes - 12:51
The Distillers - Drain the Blood
The Salads - The Roth Kung Fu
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Disturbed - Liberate
Godsmack - Straight Out Of Line
Audioslave - I Am The Highway
Outkast - Hey Ya
Linkin Park - Faint
Hot Hot Heat - No, Not Now
Finger Eleven - One Thing
Billy Talent - Try Honesty
Staind - So Far Away
Three Days Grace - Just Like You
Nickelback - Someday
P.O.D. - Will You

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Introducing The Smells Like Sour Home Page
Published September 16, 2003 @ 19:39 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

Smells Like SourThose of you who follow this Blog have come across a couple of references to the Smells Like Sour franchise. I pondered what tunes would comprise SLS9 here and revealed the final songlist for SLS9 here. I even maintain the SLS Database here.

For those of you just joining us, Smells Like Sour is basically 80 minutes of what the SLS committee deems to be the best tunage of the previous six months. SLS is "released" just prior to Canada Day and Christmas Day each year.

Finally, Smells Like Sour has an official home page. From this page you can access the songs that have appeared on the first nine installments and suggest a song for #10. You can even comment on the current submissions. Click here now for the new and improved Smells Like Sour homepage and get on the bus.

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SLS9
Published July 9, 2003 @ 15:43 in Music, SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

SLSSmells Like Sour 9 is in the can. Many of you are probably curious as to which tunes made the cut. Remember, the following playlist is what the SLS committee deems to be the best 80 minutes of tunage over the past six months.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Disturbed - Remember
Audioslave - Show Me How To Live
Radiohead - There There
System of a Down - Innervision
Finger Eleven - Good Times
P.O.D. - Sleeping Awake
Pearl Jam - Save You
I Mother Earth - Like the Sun
The Dears - Lost in the Plot
Queens of the Stone Age - Go With the Flow
Saliva - Always
Trapt - Headstrong
Hot Action Cop - Fever for the Flava
3 Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You
Staind - Price to Play
Theory of a Deadman - Make Up Your Mind
Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
Foo Fighters - Times Like These (acoustic)
Johnny Cash - Hurt

Look for SLS10 just before Christmas.

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Smells Like Sour
Published June 11, 2003 @ 13:19 in SLS ~ Smells Like Sour

Smells Like SourIt's almost July 1st, and that means it's time to put the finishing touches on the playlist for Smells Like Sour 9.

What the heck is Smells Like Sour? Fair question. Smells Like Sour is "released" twice a year just prior to Christmas and Canada Day. It's essentially 80 minutes of what the SLS committee deems to be the best tunage released in the previous six months.

It hasn't been a strong half-year for music. Sure we had The White Stripes and some decent new releases from Audioslave, Disturbed, System of a Down and Finger Eleven, but not a lot of mind-blowing stuff. Evanescence will definitely show up on the latest SLS, but CFNY is doing their best to ensure we in the GTA never have to endure an Evanescence-less hour of radio.

Here's hoping SLS 10 has a bit more bite to it.

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