Icelandic wonder Benni Hemm Hemm (a.k.a. Benedikt Hermannsson) goes DIY for his third EP. Set to release April 24, Retaliate (Kimi Records) marks a number of firsts for this Edinburgh-based singer/songwriter. Utilizing his newfound fondness for recording at home, Hermannsson’s latest is a five-song epic about vampires, pioneers and gold, featuring the likes of horn player Peter Liddle and folk siren Emily Scott. Pairing deft acoustics with warm harmonies, the album’s title track is gorgeously quiet and calm. The first Hermannsson release to date to be sung completely in English, Retaliate is the work of a true troubadour.
“Retaliate” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/Retaliate.mp3
Green Day will embark on the second leg of its tour in support of 21st Century Breakdown in August, featuring all-inclusive ticket pricing with no additional fees. The band is currently preparing for the April 20 Broadway premiere of the stage version of American Idiot … Liars (pictured) have teamed up with Beck, St. Vincent’s Annie Clark and Daniel Hart, Sergio Dias (Os Mutantes) and Brian Lebarton to cover INXS’s 1987 album Kick for Beck’s Record Club 4. Liars will also release a new single, “The Overachievers” (from most recent album Sisterworld), on May 25, featuring two new songs and a reinterpretation of the title track by Devendra Banhart & The Grogs … Stars will hit the road for a U.S. tour starting June 1, in which the band will play new album The Five Ghosts (out June 22 on Soft Revolution Records) in its entirety, plus an additional set list and encore tracks voted on by fans at the band’s website … On March 30, Tegan And Sara will release an “Alligator” remix album on iTunes, featuring 17 remixes of the single (off Sainthood) by artists such as Passion Pit, VHS Or Beta, Dave Sitek, Four Tet and Doveman. The identical twins will join up with Paramore for the Honda Civic Tour in July … Deerhoof is curating the Sonic City Festival in Belgium April 16-18, which will include a special rooftop performance by Deerhoof and sets by the Go! Team and the Kids … On Record Store Day (April 17), Rhino will issue limited-edition vinyl releases by Jeff Beck, the Doors, Pantera and Joy Division … Sea Of Cowards, the sophomore album from the Dead Weather, will be released on May 11 via Third Man/Warner Bros. … On May 6, Le Poisson Rouge, Wordless Music and WFMU will host an NYC benefit for Chris Knox, who suffered a series of strokes last year. All money raised for the event will go to the Knox family. The show will feature Yo La Tengo, Portastatic, the Clean and others, including ex-Neutral Milk Hotel mainman Jeff Mangum … Teenage Fanclub will tour the U.K. leading up to the June 8 release of new album Shadows (Merge). 
Paul Smith: Nothing beats the feeling of slaying an audience, especially when the pressure is on. Knowing that you put in the hard work, showed up onstage with one goal in mind, then met that goal is fucking rad! I love it when I lose my sense of self onstage, then open my eyes to the realization that the audience is right there with you in that magical bubble. And the cathartic aspect of it is the cheapest form of therapy that I know of.
Ethan Holtzman: Experts estimate that there are nearly 500 billion galaxies in the universe. I find it nearly impossible to believe that we are the only sentient intelligent beings floating around on this tiny speck of dirt. The possibilities are infinite with dimensions, quantum physics and other things our minds have not yet fully grasped. Personally, I think most of the UFO sightings are our own military, but a few may just be an advanced race checking in on us. Who knows: