Healthy Chick Melodies - Arcade Fire, The Suburbs

In the past few years I've developed a new appreciation for aging. Maybe it's the yogini in me who cares less about what happens to our physical appearance in this container of ours (better known as our body), but rather enjoying how as each moment passes we learn more and more about ourselves, and grow wiser each day. That being said, the only bad thing about getting older is the amount of responsibilities that come along with it, which leads me to my point in this rambling paragraph on this cloudy morning. I had to turn down 2 spectacular concerts this week due to work-related obligations!! Now, I'll be the first one to say how much I love my job(s) more than anything and how I couldn't be happier about my lovely career...but still! So, this morning I'm unfortunately feeling one of the downsides of getting older, where I have to put things like sleep, practicality, clients and yoga classes before trekking off to every fabulous concert in the nearby area. Sigh.

Yea, so this week I've had to turn down Arcade Fire at MSG on Wednesday night (w/ Spoon opening), and then a FREE (it hurts every time I say it) Metric show at Prospect Park on Thursday night.

That concludes my whining.

Last month I was able to catch Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at the beautiful Governor's Island, along with Beach House and the National at Prospect Park. So, concert life ain't too bad! I think the Phish fan in me has made me always want more live music, wherever I can get it. I could pack up and live as a gypsy on the road traveling from one great show to the next, selling my jewelry and artwork and nutritious veggie burritos in the parking lot while bartering tickets for yoga sessions...but it's just not realistic! In the meantime I'll carry on with my career(s) that I adore and that bring me SO much joy!

What this Healthy Chick is listening to...NOW!:
Arcade Fire's NEW album, The Suburbs. Dude, it's everything I love about Arcade Fire all in one album, from start to finish. It's dramatic, rich, solid, and as always, grandiose at moments. A stunningly accomplished album in my opinion (and their BEST one yet). I'm finding new lines that I fall in love with each time the album replays (which it's been doing non-stop for the past 3 days now and I have no plans on turning it off).

A few of the extraordinary songs on this album that I'm loving this very morning are "Ready to Start," "Half Light II (No Celebration)," "Suburban War," " Deep Blue," and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)."

Are you going to either of those shows this week? If so, fill me in on the juicy details afterwords. What are you listening to right now? I'd love to hear, please share below!

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

Summer Playlist 2010!

As promised in my last newsletter, here is my Summer 2010 Playlist! I create "mix CDs" for each season (yea, I'm a huge nerd, I have years and years of these dating back to when I was a pre-teen recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes!) and below is this summers. I keep an archive of them and love popping an old one in randomly. It brings me right back to wherever I was in my life at that time. Music is such a wonderful thing and the power of a song can be so moving for so many reasons! It can stir up so many memories and emotions that you didn't even know were still there.

Click on my playlist below to see some of what I've been jammin' out to lately and feel free to share some of your favorite summer 2010 songs below!
Stay cool & rock on!!!

Keep it fresh!

- Lauren

Healthy Chick Melodies: Summer Tunage

It's summer! Blue skies, riding bikes, relaxing days on the shore, sipping on cold, tasty drinks at beach bars filled with good times. Such beautiful weather gracefully demands equally beautiful soundtracks. What better time for Healthy Chick summertime melodies?!

As always there have been quite a few albums on repeat in my playlist. The National's, High Violet, definitely has its moments, and they are great moments. Band of Horses new one, Infinate Arms, isn't exactly as artsy as the first two albums, but still delicious. LCD SoundSystem, This is Happening, has been one of my pump up albums I play as I'm getting ready to go out for a night of fun in Red Bank or Asbury. So fun! Groundation's, Dub Wars, although not quite new, has been my afternoon snack as I tend to my garden and clean my apartment with the sun streaming in. The Black Keys, Brothers, is so ridiculously good. I actually should be highlighting it down there with the others. I love their sexy rock and roll more than anything and in my opinion, it's their best album yet! Of course energetic Phish shows, lots of reggae, and mellow Grateful Dead concerts are always staples in my summer album rotations!

What this Healthy Chick is listening to...NOW!:

The Drums - The Drums
Super cool, retro tunes that are so insanely upbeat! Perfect for summer beach days. Not very much to them but a simple drum beat, a melody played on a single guitar string, yet loaded with catchy pop gems. When the sun is shining I haven't been able to turn it off! LOVE it!!!!
Definitely the most fun (and poppiest) song on the album: Let's Go Surfing

She & Him - Volume Two
I know this came out back in March but duo Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward's new one is way too playful and cute for cold winter days. This sweet little album was definitely my #1 favorite Spring album and still plays in my car on these sunny summer days. And seriously, anything that Zooey Deschanel does brings a smile to my face. Sigh...

Wild Nothing - Gemini
This album is a bunch of hushed vocals beneath a sonic, murky recording style. I just can't get enough of the overwhelming feeling of semi-ambient summer nostalgia. Sparkly, dreamy, beautifully heart-stealing song writing. I'm enjoying it so much and the cover reminds me of Man Ray's photography (above). <3


I'm currently putting together my annual summer playlist that I like to share with everyone who receives my Center Your Health newsletter. My summer 2010's playlist will be in July's newsletter, so please be sure to sign up if you haven't already!


What are you listening to right now? I'd love to hear, please share below!

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

Healthy Chick Melodies - Broken Social Scene

The past few months have been ridiculous as far as good music goes. I've had to refrain myself from writing a few reviews on some new albums and remind myself that this blog is for health and wellness...music is only allowed here and there! But I'm just as passionate about my love for music as I am for my love of food, health and yoga, so it all works out, right?!

Without going into details, Local Native's latest album, Gorilla Manor, has completely rocked my world. By far the best album of 2010 thus far. Can't say enough about it. The Morning Bender's, Big Echo, another amazing album that I get excited about each time it comes up on my playlist. MGMT's, Congratulations, has me completely googly-eyed in love. Those boys have totally blown me away with this album. I was not expecting their sophomore album to be this good! The National also just released their new album, High Violet. I'm excited to give it a listen!

Anyway, I have anxiously been awaiting another Broken Social Scene album, and it's finally here! Just as I had hoped, its as amazing as ever.

What this Healthy Chick is listening to...NOW!:
Broken Social Scene's NEW album, Forgiveness Rock Record. Broken Social Scene is my favorite multi-member indie collective band. There are 6 band members with some superstar guest contributors (what makes BSS soooo great!) on this go-round! And more exciting news, BSS just announced that they will be releasing EP (8 tracks!) for this album called Lo-Fi for the Dividing Nights in May. Yay!!!

A few months back my girlfriend and I were able to score tickets for us to see Broken Social Scene in May. They will be playing at Webster Hall next week. We are SO excited and hoping that some of their guests will make some appearances!!! Tonight I'll be seeing Frightened Rabbit (they also just released a new album which is ridiculous) as well as Yeasayer next week!!! So many great shows and its only Spring!

A few of the yummy songs on this album that I'm loving this very moment are "Sweetest Kill," "All to All," "Texico Bitches," " Forced to Love," and "World Sick." If you want a song from Forgiveness Rock Record, shoot me an email @ lauren@centeryourhealth.net with the subject: Send me BSS! and I will surprise you with a song or two!!

What are you listening to right now? I'd love to hear, please share below!

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

Healthy Chick Melodies - Lykke Li

Ever notice how your music taste changes with the season? I tend to take out my happy, lighthearted albums as the Springtime approaches because that's how I feel inside! It's exciting seeing the daffodils poke their leaves out from the Winter dirt and the music I listen to needs to fit that feeling!

What this Healthy Chick is listening to...NOW!:
Lykke Li's album, Youth Novels, is by no means new (2008), but it has resurfaced in my iTunes and has been all I've been listening to! I have been enjoying it as I drive in my car, cook in the kitchen, as I work and especially as I'm getting ready to go out! This dance pop/quirky indie album is bold, classy, charming, adorable, sensual and totally sexy!! Have no fears boys, my best friend (one of the most masculine boys I know) passed this album along to me when it came out!

Her name sounding like a play on the Norwegian word lykkelig, meaning “happy”, the similarity seems rather fitting considering the effervescence Lykke Li displays both onstage and on record. I saw her live last summer at All Points West, where she gracefully gallivanted around stage in an outrageously gorgeous outfit. As I walked away from her stage to see another artist perform she was covering Kings of Leon's "Knocked Up"...I was blown away!

A few of the gems on this album are "I'm Good, I'm Gone," "Let It Fall," "Breaking It Up," "Everybody But Me," "Little Bit (CSS Remix)."

If you want my favorite Lykke Li song (its from the EP of one of the songs on this album), shoot me an email @ lauren@centeryourhealth.net with the subject: Send me Lykke Li! and I will send it your way! I promise, it's sooo good!

What are you listening to right now? I'd love to hear, please share below!

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren