The Only Sound that Matters

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Sometimes hard work pays off. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times it’s just plain cosmic.


“The Only Sound that Matters”, a song which first appeared on Austin-based band Milton Mapes’ 2003 album “Westernaire”, has been recorded by Robert Plant for inclusion on his new record “Band of Joy”, (due out Spet. 14th in the U.S.).


The song was actually written in 2000 by Monahans and Milton Mapes front-man Greg Vanderpool while he was living in Nashville, just prior to re-locating to Austin in 2001. Now it seems to have come full-circle, as Nashville-based Buddy Miller co-produced this new album (which also includes Austin's Patty Griffin on vocals) along with Plant in Music City.


Coincidently, Miller also mastered Milton Mapes’ debut release “The State Line” in 2001. Almost seven years later, Vanderpool and his wife had a chance encounter and brief conversation with Plant at the Nashville airport just prior to the release of Plant’s album with Allison Krauss, “Raising Sand”. Ironically, neither of these events directly led to Plant hearing the song (by suggestion of a friend) and choosing to cover it for “Band Of Joy”.


Milton Mapes’ version of “The Only Sound That Matters” was recorded in Austin at Ramble Creek Studio, by current Monahans members Britton Beisenherz, Roberto Sanchez and Vanderpool back in 2002. Since then, the track has received critical praise in context of the “Westernaire” album, and was featured on a 2003 Starbucks/HearMusic compilation (alongside Gillian Welch, whose Woodland Studio--oddly enough--is where Plant’s album was made)


Milton Mapes morphed into Monahans in 2006, and since then Monahans has released two full length albums. Currently, the band is releasing new tracks each month as part of their “2010 Recordings” free download series. Their latest recording “A Memory Of God” will be available June 22nd via the band’s website www.monahans.net.


The next show scheduled for Monahans is July 30th with Telegraph Canyon at Club DeVille in Austin, four days after Robert Plant & The Band of Joy's sold-out appearance at Stubb's BBQ, right across the street.


Cosmic indeed.

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