The 131ers Build A New Genre All Their Own: It’s Called Good Music

By JOHN DALY

They may be called The 131ers, but the music of this pop-punk band can indeed be defined.

The 131ers have a powerful new punk-pop album with the new record Nothing’s As It Should Be. They’re high energy, with powerful driving melodies. But these guys should change their name. 

The foursome from Torrance follows in the footsteps of all the great South Bay bands with the album Nothing’s As It Should Be. They sound like a bunch of full-time skateboarders who created music to skate by. They blend punk, surf and ska. 

The 131ers hit a high point – Photo courtesy of band

If you’re not a techie, the guys got their name from the early days of MP3 technology, tagging the genre of their band. 131 is the error you used to get when your music didn’t fit a genre. So, yes, the 131ers have been around for a few years, but it seems like the years of work are paying off with their latest tunes.

You are a 131er if you don’t fit into a certain group. And the music is very appropriate for people who also don’t want a cut-and-dried genre. The 131ers have great diverse music.

The 131ers play Hunnyypot Live at The Mint on Nov. 12.

The 131ers play The Mint on Nov. 12 - Courtesy photo
The 131ers play The Mint on Nov. 12 – Courtesy photo

“Don’t Wanna Go” is the hot song on the album. It’s like a Rancid fast one, driving and catchy pop song with a ska punk beat. “Rome” is another one that has great radio potential as this anthem gets your spirits up when you’re feeling down. And it’s true, as they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” The sound on this one is like a voice of Sting and the big-ness of U2 combined. 

Another favorite is a tip of the hat to The Kinks as the voice of the protagonist in the song is like the working class person in any Ray Davies song. It’s refreshing. “Nothing’s As It Should Be” actually slows the pace and starts out like a David Bowie song then drifts off into Pink Floyd land. 

The 131ers do indeed have a genre. Good music is what they do - Photo by the band
The 131ers do indeed have a genre. Good music is what they do – Photo by the band

All of the songs are mixed and mastered to near perfection and it’s impressive as much of the recording work was done in a home studio. That’s no easy task with the different kinds of music blended here together in the newest collection.

Maybe on second thought The 131ers are just fine with their name. 

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