Wikipedia

Darling Violetta

Darling Violetta was an American dark wave band based in Los Angeles, California, United States.[1][2][3]

Darling Violetta
OriginUnited States
GenresDark wave, dream pop
Years active1997-2009
LabelOpaline Records
Past membersCami Elen
Jymm Thomas
Atto Attie
Steve McManus
Chris Pott

Biography

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Formation: 1996

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Darling Violetta was formed in Los Angeles in late 1996 by Cami Elen and Jymm Thomas.[1][4][5] Vocalist Elen had previously appeared on the album Pure Hank (1991) by Hank Williams, Jr.,[6] and Jymm Thomas was an experienced guitarist.[1][5]

Originally performing acoustic music in coffeehouses around Los Angeles, Darling Violetta expanded its sound early with the addition of bassist Atto Attie and drummer Steve McManus.[1][5][7] The band derived its name from the salutation used by actor Bela Lugosi in letters to his mistress, Violetta Napierska.[7][8]

Bath-Water-Flowers: 1997-1999

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In 1997, Darling Violetta answered a call in the Hollywood Reporter for unknown bands to submit music to feature on the soundtrack of an upcoming mockumentary movie, Burn Hollywood Burn.[9][10] Track "Anastasia Says" was one of the 25 songs ultimately selected from around 9,200 entries.[9][10] The song featured on Darling Violetta's first record, Bath-Water-Flowers, released on March 10, 1998.[11][12] Inspired thematically by the character of Ophelia from the Shakespeare play, Hamlet,[4] Bath-Water-Flowers was generally well-received by critics in Los Angeles' music scene.[5]

Cellist Gerri Sutyak joined the band shortly after the release of Bath-Water-Flowers,[13] solidifying the 'cello-rock' sound associated with Darling Violetta's music.[7][1][14][15] Writing in late 1998, Bernard Baur of Music Connection compared the band's sound to The Cranberries, with a repertoire of "moody [and] large musical landscapes" and a "flair for the dramatic."[1]

Also in 1998, Darling Violetta shared a rehearsal space with Four Star Mary, a band involved in the music of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[5] Through this connection, Darling Violetta received an opportunity to perform on the show in August 1998.[1][5] The band performed two songs in the Buffy episode "Faith, Hope & Trick" (season 3, episode 3): "Cure" from the then-upcoming Kill You EP, and "Blue Sun" from Bath-Water-Flowers.[1][16][17]

In 1999, Darling Violetta wrote the theme song for the Buffy spin-off series, Angel, in collaboration with Holly Knight.[18][19][20] The theme, inspired by the superhero genre, took three weeks to compose.[13][21]

The Kill You EP, Parlour, and other activities: 2000-2005

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In February 2000, Darling Violetta released their second album, The Kill You EP, which was preceded by the single "Spoiled and Rotten."[5][22][23] Described as "melancholy, guitar-driven dream-pop" by AllMusic,[22] the EP was influenced sonically by Nick Cave and PJ Harvey.[23] Throughout 2000 and 2001, Darling Violetta periodically featured in the CMJ Radio Top 200, a collation of the top 200 bands played on North American campus radio stations.[24][25][26][27]

The Kill You EP was followed by a third release, Parlour, in February 2003.[28][29] Critics for AllMusic and Los Angeles Magazine felt aspects of the album's production were influenced by The Beatles, with the latter review also drawing sonic comparisons to Jane's Addiction.[7][28]

Outside of the band's independent recordings, Darling Violetta contributed two songs to soundtracks for video games within the Vampire: The Masquerade universe: "I Want to Kill You" in Redemption (2000) and "A Smaller God" in Bloodlines (2004).[30][31][32] An extended mix of the band's Angel theme appeared on the 2005 soundtrack album, Angel: Live Fast, Die Never.[19]

Hiatus

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In late 2009, Elen and Thomas reported that they were recording songs for a fourth, untitled release,[33] though this album did not come to fruition.[34][35] In January 2018, Elen described Darling Violetta as "on an extended hiatus."[35]

Band members

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Discography

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Darling Violetta's records were released independently through frontwoman Cami Elen's label, Opaline Records.[1][12][2]

LP

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EP

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  • Bath Water Flowers (1997)[34]
  • The Kill You EP (1999)[34]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Golden, Christopher; Holder, Nancy; Mariotte, Jeff; Hart, Maryelizabeth (2000). Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher's Guide. Pocket Books. pp. 192, 460. ISBN 978-0-671-04260-8.
  2. 1 2 "About". Cami Elen Coaching. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  3. ↑ Lealos, Shawn S.; Gerber, Jamie (August 10, 2020). "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Real-Life Band That Played The Bronze". ScreenRant. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Burt, Richard (2007). Shakespeares After Shakespeare [2 Volumes]: An Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-313-33116-9.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Thompson, CT (August 2003). "Tossed to the Vampires". Way Universe. Acrimony Magazine. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  6. ↑ Pure Hank - Hank Williams, Jr. | Album | AllMusic, retrieved April 3, 2026
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nichols, Natalie (October 2000). Los Angeles Magazine. Emmis Communications. p. 26.
  8. ↑ Cremer, Robert (1976). Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape. H. Regnery Company. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-8092-8137-4.
  9. 1 2 Burn Hollywood Burn - Original Soundtrack | Album | AllMusic, retrieved April 3, 2026
  10. 1 2 Kidd, Tom (October 13, 1997). "Show Biz" (PDF). Music Connection. p. 20.
  11. ↑ All Music, Bath Water Flowers - Darling Violetta, retrieved April 3, 2026
  12. 1 2 Schwann Spectrum. Stereophile, Incorporated. 1999. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-57598-078-2.
  13. 1 2 Kohles, Lisa (November 1999). "The 11th Hour". www.the11thhour.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  14. ↑ Thompson, CT (August 2003). "Tossed to the Vampires". Way Universe. Acrimony Magazine. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  15. ↑ "The Watcher's Web: Jymm Thomas Interview". websites.cable.ntl.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  16. ↑ Attinello, Paul Gregory; Halfyard, Janet K.; Knights, Vanessa, eds. (2010). Music, sound and silence in Buffy the vampire slayer. Ashgate popular and folk music series. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-7546-6042-2.
  17. ↑ Tracy, Kathleen (May 30, 2003). The Girl's Got Bite. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 178. ISBN 978-0312312589.
  18. ↑ Abbott, Stacey; Whedon, Joss, eds. (2005). Reading angel: the TV spin-off with a soul. London: Tauris. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-85043-839-7.
  19. 1 2 Lankford, Jr, Ronnie D., Angel: Live Fast, Die Never [Music from the TV Series] Original TV Score, retrieved April 3, 2026
  20. ↑ Sangster, Jim; Condon, Paul (2005). TV heaven (1. publ ed.). London: Collins. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-00-719099-7.
  21. ↑ "The Watcher's Web: Jymm Thomas Interview". websites.cable.ntl.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  22. 1 2 All Music, The Kill You EP - Darling Violetta, retrieved April 3, 2026
  23. 1 2 McNally, Cyrus (May 14, 1999). "'Serendipity' may revitalize barren sidewalks of Village". Daily Bruin. pp. 14, 18.
  24. ↑ CMJ (May 22, 2000). "CMJ Radio 200 Airplay". CMJ New Music Report. p. 44.
  25. ↑ CMJ (October 29, 2001). "CMJ RADIO 200 AIRPLAY" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. p. 45.
  26. ↑ CMJ (June 19, 2000). "CMJ Radio 200 Airplay" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. pp. 39, 41.
  27. ↑ CMJ (April 17, 2000). "CMJ Radio 200 Airplay" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. p. 11.
  28. 1 2 Astarita, Glenn, Parlour - Darling Violetta, AllMusic, retrieved April 3, 2026
  29. ↑ Music Folio. "Darling Violetta: album reviews and ratings". www.musicfolio.com. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  30. ↑ Unrest, Kirby (December 2004). "Death from Below". AMP. p. 30.
  31. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (May 6, 2000). "Vampire: The Masquerade -- Redemption Collector's Edition". IGN. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  32. ↑ Blabbermouth (November 11, 2004). "GENITORTURERS Featured On 'Vampire' Videogame". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  33. 1 2 3 "Darlingvioletta (@darlingvioletta) | Twitter". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  34. 1 2 3 4 All Music. "Darling Violetta". AllMusic. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  35. 1 2 Elen, Cami (January 2019). ""we are on an extended hiatus"". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023.
  36. ↑ "DRUMMERS/PERCS. AVAIL" (PDF). Music Connection. October 25, 2004. p. 56.
  37. ↑ Kohles, Lisa (November 1999). "The 11th Hour". www.the11thhour.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
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