BEST OF 2011

chicka yeah!

2011 has been the biggest year in the short history of the Moombahton movement so we here at Metal Top Hat wanted to take the time to run down our top 5 releases of the year.

5) Moombahsoul Vol. 1

Heartbreak's June compilation showcased the sexiest side of Moombahton.  Fans of the movement know it all began with "Shy Day" and blossomed into three volumes of fun in the summer of 2011 and this one started the ball rolling.  Heavy hitters DJ Melo, Riot Earp, Pickster One, Jon Kwest, Munchi, and of course David Heartbreak lined up to drop some smoothness on all of us.  Great for a summertime cruise through your neighborhood or for grooving with friends at a barbeque, the soulful tracks ushered in the warm temps with style and grace and still rock dance floors well into the cold months.
The Weeknd "Rolling Stone" ( Heartbreak's Remix ) by David Heartbreak Pickster - Stay Together Feat. Kris Hill by PicksterOne
DJ Melo & Jon Kwest - Ecstasy by azdjmelo

4) Verano Del Moombahton

Little material came into the blogosphere from pioneer Munchi this past year following a 2010 filled with releases.  One of the finest compilations to rise above the clatter was his summer release, Verano Del Moombahton.  Here again we're introduced to moombahton's versatility with tracks like "Jimi Knows" transforming nearly any type of tune into a dance floor destroyer.  Pickster One, Teen Wolf, and Sazon Booya are some of the highlighted producers.
Sazon Booya - Mis Armas |Verano De Moombahton| by Sazon Booya Munchi - Jimi Knows by Munchi
Hostage - Straight Raw by HOSTAGE

3) The Spring Of Moombahton

By far the longest release of the year was this massive compilation put together by Lightening Eyez and set free on the first of August despite its title.  Featuring both Light and Dark sides of moombahton and released simultaneous with the even larger re:BIRTH of Wildstyle comps, this 46 track set showcased the up and coming nature of the genre.  The through note of versatility again shined as listeners were treated to the gamut of styles intertwining their way into the moombahton subconscious.  Producers like Flubba, SAUR, 2 Deep, DJ MADD OD, and J-Trick flexed their muscles along with many others.
J-Trick & Anndyk - Blaze It (Original Moombahcore Mix) by J-TRICK Jungle Toaster by flubba
2Deep & babySTEPS - Horn Swag (Original Mix) by 2 DEEP
Top 2 after the jump!

LA Weekly's Top 20 Hair Metal Albums EVER

Last Friday LA Weekly posted a top 20 Hair Metal albums list and here are the top 5:

5.  Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil (1983)

4.  Skid Row - Skid Row (1989)

3.  Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love (1981)

2.  Def Leppard - Pyromania (1983)

1.  Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)

Now more than half of these albums were recorded and released before my birth so I can't comment on how the scene lived or how fans reacted when these albums came out.  I also unfortunately can't really comment on how hot groupies were or how gnarly shows were down on Sunset in the late 80s.  But I will say that this list is an excellent read and should be checked out by all who are interested in Hair Metal.  More after the jump!