Fake Problems

A A A Comments By Jason Ferguson Wednesday, May 6 2009

Fake Problems plays real indie-rock.

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With Born Anchor and Mass of Men, 8 p.m. Monday, May 11, at Walter's on Washington, 4215 Washington, 713-862-2513 or www.pegstar.net.

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It's somehow appropriate that Fake Problems hails from Naples, Florida. A city known both as a winter home for rich retirees and the epicenter of Florida's mortgage crisis, Naples is incredibly boring for anyone making less than six figures — and less than six decades old — despite its stunning natural beauty. Fake Problems is far from dull, but the unique spin the quartet puts on its jaunty brand of multifaceted indie-rock could have only emerged from the minds of bored post-adolescents who had nothing to do except chill at the beach or go for hikes in the swamps, kids who are dying to do something fun and interesting and have all the time in the world to dream up what that might be. The result is a refreshing blend of thicket-dense and emotionally aggressive pop songs accented by several seemingly incompatible ingredients — a trumpet here, some cello there, a little mandolin and a lot of meticulous, atmospheric guitar parts. Live, those elements seem even more incongruous, but the band's natural ease and brisk enthusiasm make it all come together quite impressively.

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