Happy Fall 2009

Happy Fall 2009! And no, I did not cop out on updating the blog – I’ve just been uber busy moving into my new apartment at college for the Fall 09 semester, unpacking, and going to classes. So now I’m back on track, and unless some huge assignment or something throws me off, I’m going to stick to it.

Today’s topic is one that I’ve wanted to cover since I started the blog because I discovered this group on the day I started it. The group is not actually one group, it is a number of groups that make up the Vitamin String Quartet. From what I understand, there are several string quartets in Los Angeles, all of which produce covers of well-known groups, such as Abba, the Beatles, the Killers, My Chemical Romance, and many others. (Full lists can be found on iTunes, or if you just Google search the quartet.) The reason I discovered them was because they did a cover of Coheed and Cambria’s In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 album and I had to get it, of course. I was elated because In Keeping Secrets is my second-favorite Coheed album, and it was so interesting to hear the tracks without the vocals, synthesizers, and drums—just string instruments. When I listen to the cover of In Keeping Secrets I can almost hear the vocals overlapping the instruments, but it evokes a totally different feeling to the song. When Claudio Sanchez (Coheed and Cambria) sings, he injects a lot of emotion into his words. Some of the depth of emotion is lost without his vocals, because the instrumentals on their own make the mood sound more upbeat when Claudio’s lyrics make the song so much darker. It’s a really interesting and creative concept, so I highly recommend checking if the Quartet has done tributes of your favorite artists. It really puts an interesting spin on the songs, almost as if you’re hearing them for the first time all over again.

The album was so fabulous that I had to find out more about the Vitamin String Quartet’s tributes. I also got their covers of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and Relient K’s “In Love With The 80’s (Pink Tux To The Prom)” because they both sounded really cool in purely instrumental form. “Don’t Stop Believing” is such a classic that I enjoy hearing it any form, but I had never heard it without the vocals before, obviously. The tune is clearly recognizable but the lack of vocals makes it a lot less upbeat and inspiring. “In Love With The 80’s” is still just as catchy, though, even if it does lack the beauty of Matthew Theissen’s voice. I plan to buy more of the Quartet’s tributes eventually because they’re so phenomenal.

Enjoy!
Emily Noel