Welcome back to another fresh edition of Playback, yo! This week’s compilation comes from Sumiko Keay, receptionist for University Programming and Activities. DeKalb resident Keay’s most recent concert experience was Saturday at The Lord of the Rings Symphony at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. If Keay were to make a mix of her favorite songs today, these 15 would rule all the lands.

1. “Smile” – Katell Keineg. “This song just gets me … it makes me happy.”

2. “Pink Moon” – Nick Drake. “I like the whole song; the guitar, the words, the mood of it all.”

3. “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” – X-Ray Spex. “I just like the energy and attitude of this song. Sometimes I just like songs for really nonverbal reasons.”

4. “Submission” – Sex Pistols. “I like John Lydon’s voice, snare, and attitude. The bass line is excellent.”

5. “India” – Psychedelic Furs. “I enjoy the drum and the snare of this song. I’m going back to another era just thinking about this song.”

6. “Camera” – R.E.M. “‘Camera has got a great melancholy feel to it and R.E.M. is just one of my favorite bands.”

7. “River” – Joni Mitchell. “This is a great song off of her album ‘Blue’. It’s an evocative song of Christmas and it’s really beautiful.”

8. “Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands” – Elliot Smith. “I like the refrain in the song and he paints some great imagery in it too.”

9. “I Often Dream of Trains” – Robyn Hitchcock. “I love the ‘I Often Dream of Trains’ album and it’s hard to say, which song off of there I like best. [Hitchcock] is eclectic with some melodies that are sweet and pretty and others that are strange.”

10. “Precious” – The Pretenders. “This is a song from their first album and it’s an excellent song. I like the way it moves and sounds.”

11. “Nighttime” – Big Star. “I like the mood in this song and ‘The Big Star Story’ is a great album. I like the contrast of the melancholy songs and then the upbeat songs”

12. “Familiarity Breeds Contempt” – The Chills. “It’s a really great song off of their awesome album ‘Submarine Bells.’ It’s hard for me to really pick from that album.”

13. “I Love Her All the Time” – Camper Van Beethoven. “The band has such a great sense of humor. This song is a cover off of a Sonic Youth song, but it’s so different that listening to the two, you wouldn’t believe they’re the same song.

14. “We Got the Beat” – The Go-Gos. “This song is just so upbeat and so happy. That whole album was just a big rush of energy.”

15. “Last Day of Our Acquaintance” – Sinead O’Connor. “You want to sing with the song when you hear the way it’s put together. She sings about how you are close to someone and they all of a sudden do something to change that and can no longer be in your life.”