This is a 2 year old story but it's news to me and yet familiar; a study of music's effects on the brain done at McGill. The study reported that our brain releases dopamine when hearing pleasurable music. They say it's the first time anyone's found dopamine release in response to an aesthetic (not life critical) stimulus.
Music has always helped me relax. We all should turn off the tube and computer and chill with music more often.