VITAMIN STRING QUARTET-"rock n' roll attitude to classical technique"

The break out Vitamin String Quartet ingeniously transforms today’s most popular songs and styles with the beauty and intensity of classical string instrumentation.  A collaboration for classical and pop audiences alike.

The Vitamin String Quartet puts a classical spin on many popular genres of pop, punk, and metal and is widely known for its tributes to cutting-edge rock acts. VSQ’s innovative approach and dedication to seeking out great material highlights just how distinctive the string quartet is.

"Vitamin String Quartet is about applying rock n' roll attitude to classical technique," says Tom Tally, a violinist and arranger who has performed on and produced over thirty-five Vitamin String Quartet albums, which is one reason VSQ can count renowned film composer Danny Elfman, members of Tool, Deftones, The Killers, and Underoath as fans.

Disney has even invited VSQ to contribute to a track to the second all-star tribute to Tim Burton"s The Nightmare Before Christmas, on which the films original score was reinterpreted by bands like Tiger Army, All-American Rejects, Plain White Ts, and DeVotchKa. Their music has been heard in film and on television, most notably on the finale of the programme, So You Think You Can Dance.  

After years of releasing albums exploring the musical terrain of one great artist, VSQ is branching out with a new collection of covers and original songs that highlight their own unique contributions to their musical field. 

Their classical string arrangements have made it possible for contemporary rock, alternative and indie covers to be a part of wedding ceremonies and evidently very popular among the event sector.

Songs:                                                                                                                                                                                                       Clubbed to death and Furious Angels by Rob Dougan                                                                                                                         Chasing Cars and Run- Snow Patrol                                                                                                                                           Supermassive Black Hole, Sunburn, Time is running out, Knights of Cydonia- Muse                                                                   Clocks, Yellow, Viva La Vida- Coldplay                                                                                                                                                  Misery Business, Hallelujah- Paramore                                                                                                                                                  Numb- Linkin park                                                                                                                                                                                    Paparazzi, Alejando, Poker Face- Lady Gaga                                                                                                                                        Smooth Criminal- Michael Jackson

MUSE, The Resistance

Recently I went to go see Muse’s visionary performance at Wembley Stadium. The concert was a compilation; popular extracts from their old repertoire with their new fused sound, which is illustrated in the current album, The Resistance.

Muse are an example of ‘musical hybridity’.  Within the music industry it is difficult to explore new ideas without losing their style, sound or image, and still remain authentic in the public’s eye.  However as a band they are continually expanding on their audience and the excitement animated in the fan’s faces that surrounded me at the concert showed just how successful fusing the musical style that people recognize with ‘innovation’ can be.

Their current album The Resistance, adds to their musical identity with the use of orchestral timbres and the detailed use of crescendos and diminuendos throughout each track stimulates a listener’s emotions when heard.  As a listener, if you were to close your eyes to tracks like Expogenesis Symphony (Part one overture) you would think your listening to a piece of film music and feel as if you have just been transported to the cinema watching a scene from your own imagination. That is why artists like Muse have featured on many soundtracks within the film itself not just the credits (recent films: Twilight series with Supermassive Black Hole and Neutron Star collision: http://muse.mu/media-player/). Expogenesis Symphony (Part one overture) begins with a chromatic rising riff played with a rubato feel by the strings followed by the cellos entering with broken chords in order to increase the tempo of the piece as a dramatic introduction to the vocals and drums; the tense dissonant chords at the end of unresolved chord progressions are typical elements of the romantic period. Concert overtures were typical of the romantic era and developed into the symphonic poem- a type of programme music, they were a short, single movement for orchestras.

Matthew Bellamy has a huge vocal range and uses the technique of falsetto in many tracks; and bends and slide the notes, vocally and on guitar (typical of blues and classical music (glissando)).

Muse’s sound is not just described as tracks and songs of an album but symphonic pieces of music in which they are now composing contemporary concertos (Expogenesis Part One, Two, and Three).

Most listeners do not recognize the elements taken from the classical genre when listening to bands such as Muse.  It is not just the use of orchestral instruments it is the artist’s interpretation when composing for the instrument in which you can truly see their influence. 
Muses's website...http://muse.mu/