When the psychedelic music movement gyrated in vans and on phonographs across the globe, Scott MacKenzie’s “San Francisco” in 1967 highlighted the location of what would become the center of the flower power generation. This harmonizing style backed by a PEACELOVEHOPE mentality still resides in The City by the Bay; namely, with the hometown fivesome of All My Pretty Ones.

Much like MacKenzie’s influence within The Mama’s and the Papa’s, lead singer and songwriter Derek Schmidt’s direction has become paramount to AMPO’s burgeoning success. Although the overall aura of the group doesn’t compound such a psychedelic feel, the laid-back folk appeal encompasses the likes of generations who swayed to the foggy mist of San Fran.

Led by the musings of Schmidt, who also plays the guitar, piano and ukulele, and the expansive talents of Genessa Kealoha (upright bass), Jesse Wade (guitar, mandolin), Jocelyn Bentley-Prestwich (oboe) and Matt Payne (percussion, accordian, trombone), All My Pretty Ones has so far composed a clean kinetic sound rich with classical and modern folk flavor.

The pure feel from songs such as “Do or Don’t” and “Icicles” portrays a generated effort far from the wild child groove from the 1960s, but the emotion contained within definitely showcases these artists as a single unit with a clear conceived vision compliments of many aspiring musicians working under a single songwriter.

Tone Poems marks the first full-length release since Threadbare in 2005 for the group. They also released their Handsbreadth EP in 2006.

MP3: All My Pretty Ones – Do or Don’t (buy)

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