Pulling Strings–Vitamin String Quartet Review
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Top Musicians make Vitamin String Quartet a Music Extravaganza of Talent
The other day a friend of mine posted a music video to Facebook by a group of artists I had never heard of. I took a listen, and I instantly fell in love. The group: the Vitamin String Quartet. If you have never heard them before, I urge you play the video below (and even if you have, listen again!)
The Vitamin String Quartet is a group of top musicians out of Los Angeles who have made a name for themselves doing a series of tribute albums of popular and rock music on string instruments. They have paid homage to such groups as 30 Seconds to Mars, The Beach Boys, Jimmy Hendrix, Nirvana, and my personal favorite; Adele. The result is an absolutely beautiful retake on songs we all know.
Vitamin Records Pays Tribute to Popular Albums
Vitamin Records puts out the String Quartet albums, which focuses on one band per album, recreating every song on the album with the exact notes originally written. It all started with their release of their tribute album to Led Zepplin in 1999. The recordings got people talking, and Vitamin Records decided to continue with the popular tribute albums, and start expanding their repertoire. Aside from the Vitamin String Quartet Vitamin Records also produces tribute albums of popular music played to dance, electronica and bluegrass music.
Vitamin String Quartet use Cellos and Violins for the Main Focus on Album
To date they have put out over 200 albums, from genres all across the musical spectrum. (Their version of the hard rock band Korn’s Alone I Break is really worth a listen.) The Vitamin String Quartet, which is comprised of rotating members who play on different albums, uses a wide array of instruments, but the main focus is the cello and violin. Todd Mark Rubenstein, a musician who played on the tribute to Rush album plays violin, viola, cello, bass, drums, key boards, and the guitar.
The Vitamin String Quartet has been getting a lot of attention in the past couple years from those looking for a distinctive sound. In 2008 the VSQ was commissioned by Disney to do a track for their album recreating the original numbers from Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas, they’ve appeared for performances on shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and their Album Exit…Stage Right (tribute to Rush) was nominated for a Grammy.
You don’t have to like classical music to enjoy their renditions, in fact I’m not a huge fan of it myself, but the pieces are played almost identically how they were written, so they are able to maintain the original vibe. It’s hard rocking tunes with a melodic flow. Give them a listen!
