Smoke Fairies - She Sells Sanctuary (Co-Op/V2, 2012)

Arresting take on The Cult's classic.

Smoke Fairies' recent album is a delightful thing. Intertwining vocals recalling Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny, angular drums recalling something more Post Rock-y.

This shuffling, sweeping version of The Cult's 'She Sells Sanctuary' is available on a bonus CD (from all good independent stores, etc).

Gary Ogan & Bill Lamb - I Wanna Live (Elektra, 1972)

Source material for This Mortal Coil. Lovely Neil Young-ish pedal steel country folk rock.

Really nice slice of gentle, reflective folk rock, laced with pedal steel, lush harmonies and subtle drums, the vocals building in intensity as song progresses.

Long out-of-print, it's best-known as a track on This Mortal Coil's 'Blood' album - along with covers like The Byrds' 'I Come And Stand At Every Door' and 'Chris Bell's 'You And Your Sister'.

The original is less other-worldly than the This Mortal Coil cover, naturally, and it's notable that Ivo Watts-Russell renamed it 'I Want To Live' to move it away from the sunny US West Coast and into an icy Europe.

A very beautiful song.

Download Gary Ogan & Bill Lamb 'I Wanna Live' (Folk Rock, This Mortal Coil Original, mp3) (Mediafire)