Rawk the Puck! Conference finals, judges' votes

It's the judges' turn as we roll into the penultimate tuning up before Lord Stanley's Hootenanny. Here's what they're going with -- and there's still time for you to vote if you haven't yet, with a bobblehead and a CD to be awarded to a couple of randomly-selected entrant -- and the winners and final will be announced early next week (for links to clips, and previous rounds, go here):

Associated Press

Mick and Keith: Ahead on the judges' cards.

Conference finals

East Classic Rawk Conference

Night of the LONG KNIVES, AC/DC (b-w BUFFALO Soldier, Bob Marley and BUFFALO Stance, Neneh Cherry) *Buffalo Sabres*
vs.
Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones (b-w Handsome Devil, The Smiths and DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash) *New Jersey Devils*

ALANAH (VANCOUVER CANUCKS OP ED): The Devil is definitely one of the best Stones tunes ever - plus it helps that it was recorded before Mick started into his 30-year-long mid-life crisis. But still, I do admit to having a soft spot for AC/DC ... brings back memories of an awesomely misspent youth. As a result, the Stones would have to play 6 to steal this series.
MARK FREEDMAN: Stones. A true classic. Hands down winner.
BASKETBALL JONES: Tas Melas: Sympathy is for the weak. To extend sympathy to the lowest form of fabricated life is a double negative. The knives and powerful buffalo of the Sabres are both historic and strong forces that stand no match for the pitiful sympathetic Devils. ... J.E. Skeets: Sorry, little sympathy for AC/DC. Stones in 5.
ACID QUEEN: The Stones sold out to Microsoft. No way could I support them. Long Knives by a long shot.
MIKE CHEN: Rolling Stones in 6. While AC/DC in any era certainly kicks ass (except when they appear in bad videos for even worse Arnold movies...yes, I'm talking about Last Action Hero), it's hard to argue with Mick and Keith at their peak. Sympathy for the Devil is my personal favorite Stones song, and that puts them over the top.
CARLA MacDONALD: Fair or not, I associate both the Stones and AC/DC with past boyfriends, and the bf I associate with the Stones is recalled far more fondly than the asshat I associate with AC/DC. So that bias is prolly bleeding into my choice . . . Still, how can anyone not recognize that "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of the Stones' coolest tunes while that 30-second clip of the AC/DC song is 'way more than you really need to hear of it?
JABS: If it wasn't for Martin Scorsese and this song, I would have next to no time for the Stones. But this is a peak effort, and that's a very good team they're sweeping 4-0.

West Indie Rawk Conference

Black STAR, Radiohead (b-w STARman, David Bowie and STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub) *Dallas Stars*
vs.
EARTHQUAKE Weather, Beck (b-w MANEATER, Hall and Oates, and SHARK Sandwich, Spinal Tap) *San Jose Sharks*

CARLA: Radiohead, meh--just ain't into the swirly, hazy, drugged-out sound of "Black Star". But that Beck song has such a catchy hook I am powerless to stop myself from singing along with it in the car. So I cast my vote in his direction.
MIKE CHEN: Radiohead in 5 games. Making a Sharks season ticket holder pick the Dallas representative -- what has it come to? Well, contrary to many people's views, I think The Bends is Radiohead's finest album, and Black Star is one of the peak tracks of the album. Now, I liked and respected Beck, but then I found out he was in Tom Cruise's cult of Scientology, and that just kinda disturbed me.
ACID QUEEN: For my pick, I call upon a scene from the movie Airheads:
[Rex and Chazz are testing Chris]
Chazz: Who'd win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God?
Chris Moore: Lemmy.
[Rex imitates a game show buzzer]
Chris Moore: ... God?
Rex: Wrong, dickhead, trick question. Lemmy *IS* God.
Thank you, I'll be here all spring.
BASKETBALL JONES: Tas Melas: Earthquakes kill, man. I'm not a big fan of early death. The earthquake in Oakville on May 4th, as small as it was, makes me hate them even more. But through it all, earthquakes will never extinguish the radiance of a star - even if it is black and probably has no light coming from it. ... J.E. Skeets: Good album, bad album, good album, bad album... oh, it's a good album! Beck brings back the Dust Brothers to take the series in 6.
JABS: Radiohead in 5. I'd go Mr Chen one better: The Bends is not just their best record, it's one of the top 10 Rawk Masterpieces ever recorded and this tune is one of the best.
MARK FREEDMAN: Beck. Because he's cool.
ALANAH: No contest - not even sure why Beck bothered showing up to the game! (I really find it hard to care about Beck. The Earthquake rolls on by, and I don't feel anything.) But Radiohead's Black Star is a show stealer and takes it in 4.

Comments

[Ken]

The East is simple. Stones, especially when backed up by Cash and the Smiths. No contest.

West; more difficult. Especially as I occasionally wander past Thom Yorke in the street. But Beck carries it, ultimately, for being less irritating.