Thanks to an unofficial endorsement from a Saturday Night Live skit with Will Ferrell, the cowbell has since become the coolest un-cool instrument in existence. The cowbell is like a complete joke instrument, but everybody loves it. Everyone has a fever and the only prescription always ends up being more cowbell… why is such a stupid object so amazing?Well, The Mess Hall, Australian natives who recently have toured with Wolfmother, are here to satisfy our cowbell desires in the lead-off track on their debut album Devil’s Elbow. They launch into the ridiculously not-cool-but-cool, senseless banging of the cowbell almost immediately, preceded only by a few blows to the bass drum. But wait. Something about their cowbell playing is completely… serious? Yes, that’s right these guys mean business with their cowbell. They deliver cowbell with passion and attitude, assigning importance to every clash of bell and stick. The cowbell riffs simply shout to the audience, “Yeah! We’re banging on this here cowbell and you are going to scream, jump around, and go completely wild with its tantalizing dance on your eardrums!!”This is not just any rock song with a forceful, driving beat and an in-your-face chorus. It’s a party, too. Without the cowbell, the party would not exist. Without the cowbell, the song would not be anywhere near as good. I cannot help but smile every time the cowbell cuts in after the first chorus. It is so awkward, and yet so wondrous and intense at the same time.Fun Fact: According to wikipedia, Clapprless Cowbells can be bowed by a double bass bow to produce a high-pitched, ghastly sound.