Maps & Atlases new album, Beware and Be Grateful, gets better with more repetition. At a first listen, the record stands precariously close to being sonically overwhelming. The diverse, unconventional sounds—looped vocals, shimmering synths and intermittent piano work—collide head on with the band’s traditional set of instruments.

However, after multiple journeys through, the listener starts to parse the music’s diverse elements, and can appreciate the multilayered and loaded tracks that comprise Beware and Be Grateful.

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Second: Cat Fight, the latest from Chicago’s Lasers and Fast and Shit, may just be the musical equivalent of base jumping. At five tracks and a hair under 10 minutes in length, the band plow through frenetic, metallic-tinged punk rock that straddles the line between danceable and rage-worthy.

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Monday Afternoon Quick Fix runs every Monday afternoon to showcase the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed.

• • The Tribune’s Howard Reich explores the possibility of both the Center for Black Music Research and Chicago Jazz Ensemble finding homes at other Chicagoland universities such as Northwestern and DePaul, if Columbia College decides to withdraw funding.
• • Gapers Block’s Ricardo Villarreal talks about divisions in Chicago’s hip-hop scene with local artists and music bloggers, including King Louie, Chief Keef, Chandler London, The WHOevers, and Andrew Barber of the blog Fake Shore Drive and Alex Fruchter of the blog Ruby Hornet.
• • Rocker Scott Lucas talks politics and Local H’s new album, Hallelujah! I’m a Bum, with the Sun Times.
• • The Tribune also featured a report on the new “Squared Roots” festival that will replace the Old Town School of Folk’s annual “Folk & Roots” neighborhood fest. The new event, which takes place July 20-22, will feature folk music and craft beer and will make use of the school’s indoor facilities.
• • WBEZ music critic Jim DeRogatis pans Andrew Bird’s new album Break it Yourself.

While some are merely inspired enough by a locale to write a song, Shawn Rosenblatt, better known by his psychedelic pop leaning moniker Netherfriends, took from both the inspirational and experiential for his latest record, Middle America.

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Change. It’s the central conflict and inspiration for Chicago indie rock band Young Jesus’ first full-length album, Home. Encompassing a wide variety of sounds—from the airy acoustic, folk beginning of “News” to the gritty, ‘90s garage rock of “The Greater Boulders” — Young Jesus’ musical diversity accentuates singer/guitarist John Rossiter’s impressive narrative thread.

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Would it be weird to compare Bully in the Hallway to a twinkie? Because that’s what I’m about to do. If you’re familiar with that sweet treat, then the cakey outer shell is the Chicago band’s uber-melodic and accessible take on the Fugazi-like freneticism, and the creamy inner filling is their penchant for arena-rock hooks and jagged guitar work. Then when working in unison, it’s pretty damned delicious.

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Got about thirty minutes left at work? Then you best spending it watching Gonzo Chicago’s amazing 2011 recap video featuring clips recorded in various Chicago venues (of both the above AND underground variety) of a ton of bands that we love and try to cover in this space. I won’t even begin to list the bands because you shouldn’t even waste time reading this, just hit play on the freaking video, man: