Video Game Music Label Releases Weezer Tribute

First of all, I had no idea that music labels focused on video game soundtracks even existed. But then again, games have come a long way since those crude and annoying, blippity-bleeping ditties looped along in 20-second intervals during marathon sessions of Tetris or Super Mario Bros. Back then, I wished I could hear the relevant game sounds while turning off that bleeping (censored profanity pun intended), migraine-inducing "music" entirely.

Games now boast lush and fully realized soundtracks that sound like real music, not typed into a 12-button telephone keypad. In the spirit of this evolution in gaming sound, video game music label Pterodactyl Squad (note the wonderfully cheesy logo on the homepage) has released a tribute album to geek-rock heroes Weezer, entitled Weezer — The 8-bit Album. It's available online as a free, Creative Commons download.

It spans the broad spectrum of video game soundtrack influences, according to a promotional writeup of the tribute album at the site:

"The songs on this compilation have mostly been created using original videogame hardware running home-brew software, and vary radically in style, from minimal 'one man and his Game Boy' compositions to 8-bit inspired full-band performances. Pterodactyl Squad proudly presents the music of Weezer as you have never heard it before."

But in my humble opinion, it still sounds like it was hammered out of a cheap Casiotone picked up at a thrift shop for 50 cents. Their version of "Buddy Holly," specifically, made me want to cover my ears. But hey, it's free and probably not for everyone.

And if you get a chance, check out the label's list of artists, including Spamtron, Spheres of Chaos and NESMETAL. And apparently there is a big following of video game music enthusiasts who appropriately refer to their genre as "blip" music and actually enjoy attending live concerts. You can't make this stuff up.

Photo courtesy of Pterodactyl Squad.