Add cowbell and Christopher Walken to any song

MoreCowbell.dj is a little Flash app that takes in any MP3, analyses it, and adds rhythmic cowbell and Christopher Walken samples, thus vastly improving it. More Cowbell.dj (via Waxy)

[#1 posted by Itsumishi , September 10, 2008 12:22 AM]

I think this is the greatest thing I've ever heard.

I enjoy the recently updated songs. Who would have guessed that Willie Nelson is AWESOME when you add cowbell and Christopher Walken?

[#2 posted by LaHaine , September 10, 2008 12:27 AM]

Indeed, 'More Cowbell' improves every song.

[#3 posted by sirwebster , September 10, 2008 2:53 AM]

i think i broke it, i uploaded "Don't Fear The Reaper" and it's been stuck on the "Uh-Oh" page ever since

[#4 posted by captainvw , September 10, 2008 4:19 AM]

Uploading the Lords of Acid, Show Me Your P***y, this is gonna be GREAT

...but it's takin' a while...

f' it, I'm goin' to Casa Bonita

[#5 posted by captainvw , September 10, 2008 4:30 AM]

NO!!!!!!!

Upon reaching 100% uploaded, the site displayed the 'uh-oh' page.

It's all just a ruse! A tease! A lulz!

Woulda been pretty sweet, tho...

Come to think of it, the Lords of Acid was an OK idea, but a RickRoll/Cowbell combo... well, I wouldn't want anybody's head to explode online, VIRTUALLY, or anything, but gee whillakers.

I mean... gee whillakers.

[#6 posted by fendwick , September 10, 2008 4:37 AM]

Uh oh!

Another innocent site rendered helpless by... the power of the Boing!

[#7 posted by Ugly Canuck , September 10, 2008 5:14 AM]

lol! Now this is what the internet is all about, IMO.

[#8 posted by bwhitman , September 10, 2008 5:28 AM]

Hi, this is Brian from the Echo Nest -- some of my employees made this app! It went down a couple of hours ago and the waiting cowbell queue was immense. We're back up now though-- if you're having problems, please save the URL you were given after uploading and check again in a few minutes. We just added 10 more machines (thank you amazon) to handle the load.

[#9 posted by bitworksmusic , September 10, 2008 6:19 AM]

Dude, I so totally had this idea first! I'm gonna sue... OK, well so maybe I had the idea, but didn't tell anyone, but I really was thinking how cool it would be to be able to press the "just add cowbell" button.

Anyway...

[#10 posted by Ugly Canuck , September 10, 2008 6:20 AM]

BWhitman buy your guys a beer for this, eh?
What this needs is...more cowbell!

[#11 posted by Steve , September 10, 2008 6:28 AM]

Are cowbell-ized MP3s under the same scrutiny of the RIAA? Yikes. Or might that be what the increased tempo is trying to get around?

[#12 posted by Halloween Jack , September 10, 2008 6:55 AM]

Between this and the AYBABTU stamp, it's like Surreal Life for Internet memes here today.

[#13 posted by caipirina , September 10, 2008 7:41 AM]

i tried the most popular song i have in my library .. coldplay's viva la vida .. and i am getting an error message ..

iTunes genius is not working for me either ...

[#14 posted by Manny , September 10, 2008 8:08 AM]

I added more cowbell to Chet Atkins and Les Paul playing "The Birth of the Blues". It is a beautiful horrible thing: http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=DusD4I .

[#15 posted by Anonymous , September 10, 2008 8:10 AM]

#11 IANAL but I am a 3L law student.
Copyright protects against copying, distribution, derive, perform/public display.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/usc_sec_17_00000106----000-.html

I argue that "cowbell-ized" MP3s fall under a Copyright exception, probably parody, maybe comment, criticism?
Also, as long as they don't have links for others to hear the music that you uploaded (which you presumably own), then they aren't really distributing but merely providing a service to you. Now, if _you_ distribute the URL to the song, I think that is your problem.

I'm skipping over a lot of Copyright basics but you research them yourself here (I worked on this site last semester for a class):
http://www.chillingeffects.org/fairuse/faq.cgi#QID817
http://www.chillingeffects.org/fairuse/faq.cgi

Just tossing out some ideas early in the morning. Don't rely on this in making any decisions.

[#16 posted by semiotix , September 10, 2008 8:29 AM]

Christopher Walken's voice is what you hear in your head as you read this post. You hear him saying these words in his usual oddball way, with his inflections. It doesn't matter that it doesn't sound like movie dialogue; the point is that you're hearing Chris Walken for your internal monologue.

But now, suddenly, it's Morgan Freeman. Bet you didn't see that coming.

[#17 posted by jordawesome , September 10, 2008 8:40 AM]

cowbell + walken + conet project nato alphabet = http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=B3mz5q

[#18 posted by jefflewis , September 10, 2008 9:16 AM]

I added 90% cowbell and 61% Walken to Exodus - Bob Marley Click the link and listen to it. This is sweet.
Thanks Cory!

Jeff

[#19 posted by isaacd , September 10, 2008 9:29 AM]

@Semiotix

A true LOL for the power of suggestion! Well played.

And no, I did not see that coming.

[#20 posted by Robert , September 10, 2008 9:34 AM]

There's not much that can improve Abney Park's Airship Pirates. Except for cowbells. http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=BQloD0

Christopher Walken... not so much.

[#21 posted by dizastor , September 10, 2008 9:39 AM]

I tried several songs including Highway to Hell and Iron Man, my favorite mix turns out to be Supercharger Heaven - White Zombie

The Walken soundbytes turned out particularly awesome.

[#22 posted by NoahApples , September 10, 2008 9:39 AM]

Aw man, now THIS is a website.

[#23 posted by Paul Coleman , September 10, 2008 9:45 AM]

I didn't think there was any way to improve upon Father Abraham's 'Smurfing Beer'.

I was wrong.

http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=CyOGJG

[#24 posted by Korpo , September 10, 2008 10:41 AM]

If only I had a copy of Never Gonna Give You Up, I could create the Cowbellroll.

[#25 posted by eti , September 10, 2008 10:42 AM]

Klaus Nomi's The Nomi Song - now with more cowbell! And a little more Walken.

http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=BCADO6

[#26 posted by Mold Prince , September 10, 2008 10:43 AM]

@ Jordawesome

Your choice of Conet was inspired, and incredibly surreal.

Thanks for that.

[#27 posted by dizastor , September 10, 2008 11:32 AM]

@Korpo

Here you go.
http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=BlGOlM

[#28 posted by geopet , September 10, 2008 12:04 PM]

This is what the internet was made for.

[#29 posted by p3n3nc3 , September 10, 2008 1:53 PM]

Finally, after all these years, the computer has realized true usefulness!

[#30 posted by El Mariachi , September 10, 2008 2:55 PM]

Great, more long-expired fodder for all the terminal bores who think parroting ten year old Saturday Night Live catchphrases counts in any way as humor. They're makin' copies! They're gonna pump! you up! Such wild and craaazy guys!

Maybe there's a chance of them realizing that their entire personalities can be replaced with a few lines of Actionscript, but I'm not holding my breath.

[#31 posted by LogrusZed , September 10, 2008 4:46 PM]

Great app!

[#32 posted by bobsyeruncle , September 12, 2008 11:42 AM]

Very cool. Now you can get your RickRoll on with more cowbell! http://www.morecowbell.dj/listen?id=YQjr8

[#33 posted by gretagretchen , September 14, 2008 4:39 PM]

hmmm...I liked what adding Walken did to Ballade de Melody Nelson but I am not so sure about the cowbell.