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Song of the Day #3,090: ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Theme’ – Michael Giacchino

rogue_oneThe end of 2016 (mercifully) approaches, and I will soon count down my favorite songs of the year. I found it to be a pretty average year for new music, with a couple of major exceptions, but I should be able to scrounge up 10 finalists.

In the meantime, I will dedicate this week to some of my favorite 2016 movies. I have still yet to see several films on my wish list, so I’m not calling this list an official countdown, but rather a chance to mention a handful of movies that made an impression on me this year.

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Song of the Day #3,089: ‘I Won’t Share You’ – The Smiths

strangewaysIt’s one of my favorite things, when a special occasion falls on a Random Weekend!

Today is my parents’ wedding anniversary, so I hope when I spin the dial I turn up something romantic — a celebration of love that endures over time.

Or we could end up with something by Ozzy Osbourne. That’s the beauty of this game! So here it goes: Mom and Dad, your anniversary song is…

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Song of the Day #3,088: ‘Boxing (Demo)’ – Ben Folds Five

folds_retrospectiveI guess the Random iTunes Fairy got a hankering for Ben Folds after yesterday’s post.

Here is an early demo version of the track ‘Boxing,’ which later found a spot as the final track on Ben Folds Five’s brilliant debut album.

This track was included on the 3-disc album The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective, which contains a bunch of goodies every Ben Folds fan should want.

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Song of the Day #3,087: ‘Dear Theodosia (Reprise)’ – Hamilton Mixtape

hamilton_mixtapeWhen I first started listening to Hamilton, long before I saw it on Broadway and before I knew it would become my whole family’s obsession, I was immediately drawn to the simple piano ballad ‘Dear Theodosia.’ It’s a love song from Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to their young children and one of the prettiest songs in the play.

The track reminded me of Ben Folds’ ‘Gracie,’ one of my very favorite songs, and at the time I longed for a Ben Folds cover of ‘Dear Theodosia.’

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Song of the Day #3,086: ‘Cabinet Battle 3 (Demo)’ – Hamilton Mixtape

hamilton_mixtapeIn addition to covers of original Hamilton tracks and new songs inspired by the play, the Hamilton Mixtape features a couple of songs that were cut from the musical.

One of those is ‘Cabinet Battle 3,’ another political debate reimagined in the form of a rap battle. Numbers one and two, which focus, respectively, on the monetary system and neutrality regarding France’s war with Britain, epitomize Miranda’s incredible feat of telling centuries-old stories in a modern style.

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