Calm Down Juanita is a Seattle, Washington studio band writing partnership between vocalist Tyler Willman

Tyler Willman

Tyler Willman, also known as Ty Willman, is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter who lives in Seattle, Washington. He is probably best known for his work with the Seattle-based band Green Apple Quick Step...

 and drummer Kevin Guess

Kevtone

Kevtone is an American musician, percussionist, and songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Performing live and in studio, his rhythm style may best be described as improvisational, melodic, progressive, and bluesy, over a wide variety of styles; reflecting influences from many genres of music.He is...

, catalyzed and engineered by Steve Wilmans, that has featured several other notable players. Their sound is progressive psychedelic

Psychedelic music

Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...

 alternative rock

Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

. They recorded and released two albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with different bass players and multiple guests on each album. The band was described as "acid-y, slinky and soulful," and as having a style somewhere between The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...

 and later-period Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....

.

History

Ty Willman and Kevin Guess co-wrote most of the music for the two studio albums that have emerged from the partnership: an eponymous 7-song debut EP CD in 1998, and a 14-song full-length CD in 2002, entitled Undertown, both of which featured several other notable musicians.

Their first album, Calm Down Juanita

Calm Down Juanita (album)

-Personnel:Calm Down Players*Ty Willman*Kevin Guess*R. Cole Peterson, III Esq*Steve WilmansAdditional Players*Mari Anne Braeden*Camellia Clouse*John Doe*Josh Freese*Leigh Stone*Riff Raff*Skerik*Stone GossardProduction personnel*Steve Wilmans...

, was recorded entirely at the Fremont House in Seattle on 4-track cassette, during the summer of 1997. Ty Willman played keyboard and guitar and sang vocals, while Guess played drums, keyboard, and loops. This release also featured bassist Cole Peterson, bassist Mari Anne Braeden, vocalist Leigh Stone, drummer Josh Freese

Josh Freese

Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....

 playing bass guitar, guitarist Stone Gossard

Stone Gossard

Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...

 playing drums, Riff Raff on vinyl and samples, bassist and vocalist John Doe

John Doe (musician)

John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...

, vocalist Camellia Clouse, saxophonist Skerik

Skerik

Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, Skerik is a pioneer in a playing style that has been dubbed saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critters Buggin, Garage a Trois and Skerik's Syncopated...

. Steve Wilmans was the engineer and catalyst for the project, which was produced by Ty Willman and Steve Wilmans and released in 1998 on Willman's label, Echo Records.

Willman and Guess would team up again to write music for a second album, Undertown

Undertown (album)

Undertown is the second album by psychedelic rock group Calm Down Juanita, released in 2002.This album featured recording engineer Steve Feasley on bass guitar and once more, special appearances by several other players...

, released in 2002; this time featuring recording engineer Steve Feasley on bass guitar. Once more, there were special appearances by several other players, including Seamalt Jones. Saxophonist Skerik, violinist Bob Antone, vocalist Om Jahari, the 'Late Night Rappers'. Most of Undertown was recorded by Steve Feasley and Steve Wilmans at Seattle's Bamboo Recording Studio. Feasley did most of the transfers, mixing, and mastering at Love Studio in Seattle. The album was produced by "gizmo and toony" (Feasley & Guess).