Vitamin String Quartet

All Music Guide:

The Vitamin String Quartet is a group of Los Angeles-based studio musicians who have carved out a unique niche for themselves, recording new versions of songs by well-known rock, pop, and country artists, arranged for a small string ensemble. The Vitamin String Quartet have released well over 100 albums (through their own Vitamin Records label), most of which feature the songs of a single artist (and in some cases interpret a single album in full), though the group has also released thematic collections based on a particular mood, style, or genre. The quartet's membership is flexible, but violinist and arranger Tom Tally has been a significant contributor to the group, having produced and arranged 35 of their albums. In 2009, the Vitamin String Quartet took a creative step forward with their album Per_Versions, which along with tunes from a number of alternative pop groups, included several original compositions.

Wikipedia:

The Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) is a group of Los Angeles musicians widely known for its series of tribute albums to rock and pop acts. Their albums are released through Vitamin Records and primarily performed by a string quartet, though other instruments have been used. "Vitamin String Quartet is about applying rock n' roll attitude to classical technique," says Tom Tally, a violist and arranger who has performed on and produced over fifty Vitamin String Quartet albums.

Their albums honor a wide variety of genres not limited to pop and rock, including techno, country, and rap, and a wide variety of groups, such as Led Zeppelin, Coldplay, Adele, Lady Gaga, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paramore, Muse, Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold and many more.

In 2008, VSQ contributed a recording of "Jack and Sally Montage" to Nightmare Revisited, on which the Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas original score was reinterpreted by bands like Tiger Army, All-American Rejects, Plain White Ts, Rise Against, and DeVotchKa.

Songs by Vitamin String Quartet were featured on the Fox television show So You Think You Can Dance twice in 2008. "Control" from the Vitamin String Quartet Tribute To Janet Jackson appeared on an episode that aired 7/30/08 and "Hallelujah" from The Vitamin String Quartet Tribute To Paramore appeared on an episode that aired 7/31/08. Songs appeared again on the show in Season 6 2009. Legacy Perez used Flashing Lights as a track for a solo elimination dance which aired 9/12/2009. Yellow originally by Coldplay featured on the show as guest dancers on the Top 10 elimination show, The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. This episode aired 2/12/2009

In June 2009, they branched out by including a few original songs on their album Per_Versions, which also included covers of bands such as Broken Social Scene, No Age and Sigur Rós.

Two songs from The Vitamin String Quartet Tribute to Coldplay, "Yellow" and "Clocks," were used in an episode of TV show The Vampire Diaries on April 22, 2010.

The Vitamin String Quartet covered INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart" and Pat Benatar's "We Belong" in the 100th episode of Gossip Girl.

Partial discography

0–9

Miscellaneous and compilations