Here at Spinner, we receive more CDs than we can possibly listen to. Sadly, many of them, whether good or bad, get consigned to The Crap Stack, where they languish until they're eventually carted off to become shiny silver landfill somewhere. However, in our version of Musical Lotto, we've instructed a staffer to rescue -- completely at random -- three discs from the pile and give them a proper and fair reviewing. Will the chosen CD be crap-tastic -- or just plain crap? Read this week's entries from Spinner intern Adam to find out:

M.I.A.: 'Paper Planes' (CD Single): Since the release of the 'Pineapple Express' trailer, this song has gotten huge. And with good reason, too -- M.I.A. is a total badass. Arguably the poppiest track on her 2007 album 'Kala' (it's certainly the most accessible to mainstream audiences), 'Paper Planes' has it all: a catchy and danceable beat, a singalong hook and a sound unlike anything else coming from the indie world today. M.I.A. gives off the vibe of a real rebel: She is sexy and dangerous in all the ways that punk used to be. Take a quick glance at her Wikipedia page and you'll see that she is the real deal (in other words, if Katy Perry puts gunshots in her next single, it probably won't seem quite as cool).

Here at Spinner, we receive more CDs than we can possibly listen to. Sadly, many of them, whether good or bad, get consigned to The Crap Stack, where they languish until they're eventually carted off to become shiny silver landfill somewhere. However, in our version of Musical Lotto, we've instructed a staffer to rescue -- completely at random -- three discs from the pile and give them a proper and fair reviewing. Will the chosen CD be crap-tastic -- or just plain crap? Read this week's entries from Spinner intern Adam to find out:

The RiffSurfers: 'Out From Under' (Demo): I feel pangs of guilt reviewing this disc, but then again, aren't bands like The RiffSurfers why we have this feature? The DIY album cover features the group posing awkwardly on a boardwalk, rocking three different types of hat (backward baseball, cowboy and beret -- thrice the awesome). The album title is written in the same font I probably used on the invitations to my ninth birthday party. Production values aside, the vocals on this demo sound like if Josh Homme got drunk and started singing karaoke for his friends. As ridiculous as this all sounds, these tunes wouldn't sound terribly out of place at almost any bar in America.

Here at Spinner, we receive more CDs than we can possibly listen to. Sadly, many of them, whether good or bad, get consigned to The Crap Stack, where they languish until they're eventually carted off to become shiny silver landfill somewhere. However, in our version of Musical Lotto, we've instructed a staffer to rescue -- completely at random -- three discs from the pile and give them a proper and fair reviewing. Will the chosen CD be crap-tastic -- or just plain crap? Read this week's entries from Spinner intern Adam to find out:

Various Artists: 'Patriotic Country 3' (Compilation): Boy, did I hit 'Crap Stack' gold this week. The eagle-over-an-American-flag album cover made it clear that I was in for 17 tracks of over-the-top, flag-waving anthems that come close to embarrassing "boot in your ass" jingoism. But to be fair, most of the album was pretty PC-- for example, Tracy Lawrence's 'If I Don't Make it Back' is a genuinely heartbreaking tribute to a fallen friend and soldier. But take a look at the gleefully simplistic lyrics to 'The Fightin' Side of Me' by country legend Merle Haggard. "I hear people talkin' bad/about the way we have to live here in this country," "If you don't love it, leave it." Merle proudly declares his disdain for those who don't unequivocally approve of their government. To quote Trey Parker and Matt Stone, "America ... F--- YEAH!!!"

Here at Spinner, we receive more CDs than we can possibly listen to. Sadly, many of them, whether good or bad, get consigned to The Crap Stack, where they languish until they're eventually carted off to become shiny silver landfill somewhere. However, in our version of Musical Lotto, we've instructed a staffer to rescue -- completely at random -- three discs from the pile and give them a proper and fair reviewing. Will the chosen CD be crap-tastic -- or just plain crap? Read this week's entries from Spinner intern Adam to find out:

Mercury City: 'The Heat From the Sun' (Album): This band seems to take a lot of cues from the late-'90s alt-rock playbook. Having an entire album that sounds vaguely like Dishwalla's 'Counting Blue Cars' may not necessarily be a bad thing (that song was huge!) but the problem is, the hooks just aren't here. These guys channel other big-chorus-loving power pop acts like All-American Rejects (on 'Simple as It Seems') and U2 (on 'Hysteric'), but the melodies never break out of generic territory. If it's any consolation, this band would sound perfect over one of those shots of Lauren Conrad staring blankly into the distance on 'The Hills.'

Here at Spinner, we receive more CDs than we can possibly listen to. Sadly, many of them, whether good or bad, get consigned to The Crap Stack, where they languish until they're eventually carted off to become shiny silver landfill somewhere. However, in our version of Musical Lotto, we've instructed a staffer to rescue -- completely at random -- three discs from the pile and give them a proper and fair reviewing. Will the chosen CD be crap-tastic -- or just plain crap? Read this week's entries from Spinner intern Adam to find out:

Chauncey Black: 'Everyday Is Your Birthday' (CD single): If the lyrics to this Quiet Storm slow jam are any indication, then Chauncey Black is the greatest boyfriend alive. The guy knows how to pamper a lady -- describing in full the lavish gifts he is going to buy his special someone. Yet the cynic in me can't help but notice the song's suspicious air of desperation. Black's eagerness to spend, spend, spend hints that he is either making up for having done something really crappy, or buttering up his sweetheart because she might find out that he did something really crappy.

Dwele: 'I'm Cheatin'' (CD single): More proof that the seriously talented Dwele is one of the most underrated artists in R&B. This track shows off the Detroit singer's impressive neo-soul songwriting chops while simultaneously paying tribute to former collaborator, the late J Dilla. The organic head-nod beat has Dilla written all over it, a subtle homage to the man who embodied neo-soul and knew his way around an MPC like no one else.

PlayRadioPlay!: 'Texas' (Album): My first thoughts are that this kid must have a pretty decent record collection. One-man-band Daniel Hunter wears his pop and electronica influences on his sleeve and ends up sounding like a teenage Ben Gibbard playing with Pro Tools. As a songwriter, he shows a lot of promise, but for most of the album, he can't help but retreat to lyrical and melodic pop-punk clichés.

Here at Spinner, we receive more CDs than we can possibly listen to. Sadly, most get consigned to The Crap Stack, where they languish until they're eventually carted off to become shiny silver landfill somewhere. However, in our version of Musical Lotto, we've instructed a staffer to rescue at random one disc from the pile and give it a proper and fair reviewing. Will the chosen CD be crap-tastic -- or just plain crap? Read this week's entry from Spinner intern Adam to find out:

Three Days Grace: 'Pain' (CD single): Though admittedly I am no fan of the alt-metal genre, I recognized the name Three Days Grace as the band who helmed 2004's teen angst anthem 'I Hate Everything About You.' My expectations for the band's new single were perhaps unfairly low -- partly because of the album cover, which features the lead singer sporting a Chris Gaines haircut and placing one hand meditatively on his chin, possibly pondering such eloquent lyrical mind-blowisms as 'Anger and agony/Are better than misery.' Agony better than misery? Who knew.

Musically, the tune is pretty safe -- an inoffensive mid-tempo rocker with a standard soft verse/loud chorus formula (surprisingly, 'Pain' is one of those unique cases where the verse is catchier than the hook). The interesting part comes at 2:35 when the band drops out except for a pulsing, synthesized woodwind sound, and for 15 seconds, 'Pain' turns into a Jon Brion song. All in all, there's not much here to really love or hate: The guys can definitely write a nice melody, but the lyrics border on bad high school poetry. Again, this type of radio-friendly grunge is not what typically fills my iPod, but I'm sure there is an audience whom 3DG's music speaks to. Personally, I'll take a pass.