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Overkill: Outtakes from the Empty Mirror

by Empty Mirror

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1.
Unanimity [Franz Schubert cover] 02:02
lyrics
Unanimity Is a unity of curse For miles Following the first You'll be cattle You'll have use I see how you treat your likeness And I see how you treat the truth: Named them after you Regularity I have set a pattern off Big smile Walking off the dock You'll be cattle You'll have use I am not where you call "Seattle" And I am not what you call a "friend" I am neither in the now nor dead.
2.
I'll Save You All 03:21
lyrics
Listen up Ratchet up Latch onto me Sinking You can't see more Rafts in the sea They've done nothing To earn your sympathy No one's watching So be what you believe I'll save you all Transform the fall I'll save you all It's rational I'll save you all I'll save you all! Have you lived it up? Would you give it up? Would you bleed our blood? Expect To preserve the light To whittle down your life Kill the power like you're next Hell yes! I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all I'll save you all
3.
Thinking in Tongues [alternate version] 02:11
lyrics
One thinks what one will Sure do love you all the time At least eat what you've killed I'm consumed by my desire I know I want you I can feel the fire Dying every night Thief and a lover Think: Do you love her? You live your answer You live it up You feed yourself to chance Still I love it half the time.
4.
Self-Consumption [demo] 01:34
lyrics
We're consuming ourselves In a last-ditch sell-off of the unknowns we once were meant to achieve It is never too late Reevaluate You're making the self you are expecting to be I know you and you know me and I know everything But we don't know ourselves I know you and you know me and we know everything We're consuming ourselves.
5.
Zeppelins in the Fiery Sky [live at Studio Seven] 05:55
lyrics
Come now Come now Wakened by fear We're getting out of here Getting out of here Listen They say Judgement is near We're getting out of here Think back Repent What have you done? He, he knows everyone He's in everyone So much fire Surely He'll come There's no other good explanation They say we're alright so we're perfectly fine They'll leave us alone to die Clouds burn Birds rain out of the sky I, I can't die like this Not tonight like this Midnight Red sky The rubble is real It has happened here They say we're alright so we're perfectly fine They'll leave us alone to die The ending is written It has to end right We're safe even if we die Before the rapture And after the war Disposed of rulers We wait for the Lord I feel no one. Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Chinese zeppelins in the fiery sky To your knees, hallelujah Final summer to fiery fall America Save your soul with a "hallelujah" To your knees, hallelujah Break your foes with a "hallelujah" To your knees, halelujah They say that He's coming The water's enough Pray it up The city is burning By our invention Give it up You want to side with God You want to side with God You want to side with God But Heaven breaks your law.
6.
Love [Smashing Pumpkins cover] [rehearsal] 03:03
lyrics
To my mistakes To my mistakes of cowardice She shimmy-shakes The jimmy-jakes of consequence Born of the airs and dues My airs of madness do decree That it's okay It's love It's what you wanted to see It's what you needed to be What you needed to be She'll make it up Love Love It's who you know Love Love It's who you know Love Love It's who you know Love Love [unintelligible] I got my tools out I got my hand I got you Whatever tools you have I know Your hammer I can't beat you Cause I know you You're love [unintelligible] Love Love It's who you know Love Love It's who you know Love Love It's who you know Love Love And when I lost my mind I knew I was in for a long time Can I look up to you As you look down on me Can I feel into you As you felt into me? I can't help but deceive I can't help but to be For what you needed to need She'll make it up Love Love It's who you know Love Love It's who you know Love Love It's who you know Love Love Love solves everything Love!
7.
Peak of the Arc [dorm room] 01:00
lyrics
Towers of will Well-hidden teeth These are my soul security In her truth In her truth She has no use for you Still you crawl Bloody knees...
8.
Elephant Graveyard [live at Mr. Spot's] 03:37
lyrics
In a separate attack five American soldiers were killed when a remote bomb detonated and spilled blood You say A thousand ways That we'll stay And it rips me again Television film of a similar incident in Somalia sickened Americans over the U.S. mission there You say A thousand ways That we'll stay And it rips me again Proclaim Democracy Moves forth That it's taking root Some body parts were raised and left hanging from a telephone cable while incinerated "The fate of all Americans" "The fate of all Americans" "The fate of all Americans" We share the same fate You say A thousand ways That we'll stay And it rips me again Proclaim Three-thousand graves Pray tell How will it end? The White House Vowed the U.S. Would stay the course.
9.
These Boots Are Made for Walking [Nancy Sinatra cover] 01:51
lyrics
You keep saying, "Wait 'til next November" You keep calling me a spoilsport There's a thousand things that I remember A drop of blood upon a motherboard Their boots are made for walking And that's just what they'll do One of these days their boots are gonna walk all over you You're still buying when you oughta be hoarding You're still trusting while I'm past collapse They're counting on disease to bring the war home Get a gun and not a boot behind your back Their boots are made for walking And that's just what they'll do One of these days jackboots are gonna walk all over you Are you ready, people? Start talking.
10.
Jackpot [demo] 02:56
lyrics
Ave Maria! She's an asteroid Crashing into the only space cowboy who dared to look away She's a karaoke model She's a legionaire She will down me in her bottle Til I'm never there Now I took a breather to hang with my boys But if couldn't see her then I'd split my loins You're dared to look away She's a karaoke model She's an act of faith She will down me in her bottle She's a master race She's a karaoke model She's an act of faith She will down me in her bottle She a master race But why won't she put up a fight for me? Chain my leg Lord knows it just isn't right Mean as a postcard from a candy shop Tonguing me secrets when the camera cops Dared to look away She's a karaoke model She's a millionaire She will drown me in her bottle Like I was never But why won't she put up a fight for me? Chain my leg God knows it just isn't right Why won't she put up a fight for me? Chain my leg But I know to put out the lights Jackpot You're the leader I'm not Jackpot Don't stop Jackpot Deceiver of God Jackpot You're hot.
11.
Seizer [demo] 00:29
lyrics
I let you violate Heaven's will But now you've fucked with mine.
12.
LWB [live on WOBC] 03:33
lyrics
Bend me backwards You kiss me on my eyes I waive my rights I waive my rights Mine are burnt Mine are desensitized tonight Burning apart outside of you You'll freeze inside I say, "yes" You say, "yeah, I suppose" It drains my time It drains my time In your bedroom In your grave we're enclosed Clarity Charity I guess it's something that you won't shake Need my nights to turn you on 'Cause like won't break Not this song Burning a love outside of you You'll freeze inside Darling, I couldn't have tried any harder Brave your life.
13.
Cross the Road [live on WOBC] 03:22
lyrics
You meet me at Professor Street Where suburban wonders crumble They lost their battle to the weeds That have punched right through their windows Postmodern hope is spent But will you still not repent? Overgrowth lives across the street See, that's our new location No matter there's nothing to eat It's our final destination Take off your shoes and coat Resolved, we'll cross the road It's not a long way to go Happy ends still have to end Otherwise, there's no "amen" Here's my motto, plain as you Will ever hear one: Join the end So follow me across the street Through woods unknown I know, I know The ground is cold But lie with me Atop the snow And rest until We're piled below Above our guilt Beyond all toil Outside of fear Below the soil Amen.
14.
Shoestring Century [alternate version] 04:06
lyrics
Gravel in the street Shoestring century of abandoned pride Remember how we laughed Remember how the world watched As Congress cried? The other day A motorcade Kicked its dust On my dead lawn He read it to his son But the history book is yellow, done Acid won He'd read it from his mind But it never seems to be the right time Past his prime You want to play That old game And shake my hand With my pride? You want to say? We say, "no" We say, "no" We say Ride your ruckus Ride your ruckus home We say Ride your promise Ride your promise home We say, "no" We say, "no" We see Overwhelm Overwhelm Until at last you're Overwhelmed Overwhelmed Until at last you Overwhelm Overwhelm Until at last you're
15.
It Causes Me to Tremble [rehearsal] 03:06
lyrics
Were you there when they killed my president? Were you there when they killed my president? Oh Sometimes it causes me to tremble Tremble Tremble Where you there when they killed my president? Were you there when they took his brother, too? Were you there when they took his brother, too? Oh Sometimes it causes me to tremble Tremble Tremble Where you there when they took his brother, too? Were you there when they sealed up the coup? Were you there when they sealed up the coup? Oh Sometimes it causes me to tremble Tremble Tremble Were you there when they sealed up the coup?
16.
Nixon's Lament 03:06
lyrics
America, hear what I sing We both want our freedom to ring Where is my silent majority? Why won't they speak up for me? Why have they left me alone? Brezhnev won't call the red phone I know I'm not perfect like your Kennedys All that I worked for was peace All that I ask for is peace All that I want now is peace.

about

"Empty Mirror’s blend of noise, bleak country and disc two from Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie set got them flagged as self-releasers to invest in, and ones who looked capable of going far. Instead, though, they went critical, collapsing after two EPs and an album of contemplative, renegade rock songs. Grant Valdes was last seen recording videos of himself reading letters by E. Martin Shotz. Investors were seen booking taxis, their nightmericana dreams in ruins." CokeMachineGlow

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Overwhelm, we present these demos, live performances, and studio outtakes from the Empty Mirror -- a band summoned forth in 2005 at Oberlin College that spun apart in 2009 in Seattle -- a failed band that left behind some solid work.

credits

released August 11, 2018

Kerry Kallberg
Bill Kim
Patrick Landreman
Eddie Mendoza
Justin Pascua
Ante Ruich
Pete Steffy
Grant Valdes

Unless otherwise noted, guitar, singing and songwriting by Grant Huling (f.k.a. Grant Valdes). Textural overdubs added in 2018 for your listening pleasure to nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 10 & 15. Remastered in 2018.

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Empty Mirror Ohio

Born Oberlin, Ohio, 2005. Died Seattle, Washington, 2009.

Revived in 2018 for two posthumous releases: The Mere (the LP we had started when we broke up, completed as intended) and Overkill (outtakes spanning the life).

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