As a Milwaukee-based music website, it is our obligation to not only bring Milwaukee to the world, but bring the world to Milwaukee, as well. Five To Watch submissions are handled exclusively through ReverbNation.

Summer is winding down, and depending on who you ask, it’s time for scary stuff and Pumpkin Spice everything. We’ve officially (kinda sorta) hit fall, but that doesn’t stop us from giving you another edition of Five To Watch! Check out five standouts from the thousands of artists that have submitted to us through Reverbnation:

Ni$ha (Bronx, NY)

Coming straight out of the Bronx, Ni$ha is a bit of a breath of fresh air to the trap world. While showing some of the characteristics of other dominant female artists in the industry, she manages to carry that extra bit of swagger and clever bars that put her style over the top. One listen to her track “Flexx” embodies that; with a radio friendly hook and a tough beat to work with, Ni$ha shows why she can win you over in under two and a half minutes. There is plenty of potential to carry that charisma into a full project, and that can likely elevate her career to new levels. Check out “Flexx” here:

Absolute Hero (Columbus, OH)

Columbus screamo quintet Absolute Hero have a sound that grows on you the more that you hear them. On a first listen, the band reminds you everything that was great about the Myspace-era of screamo discovery. As you continue to hear them, you hear their sense of well-developed melodies, electronic elements that are interwoven into their songs, and the intensity that they bring to a recording. It all works well together, and that comes out on songs like “Death Of Innocence”. Get ready to get delightfully sad with the song below:

City On Down (Charleston, SC)

South Carolina natives City On Down are fans of music first, and artists second. With that enthusiasm, the group has grown from playing free acoustic shows around town to formulating a plan to take their careers to the next level. With the band’s combination of synth pop and tropical house, the commercial appeal to their single, “All On You” is limitless. The band’s shows continue to get bigger, and the band that originated as a duo are getting more comfortable with one another as a group. There are big pop opportunities for a band with a sound like City On Down, and we’ll see where that takes them. Get acquainted with their single, “All On You” below:

Raggs Gustaffe (Seattle, WA)

Reggae / Urban Pop hybrid Raggs Gustaffe got his start singing in churches in his native home of Washington state at a young age. While that generated his initial interest in music, listening to Bob Marley records pointed him towards reggae, which then became his focus. Since those fateful early years, Gustaffe and his band Bush Doktor have created plenty of opportunities for themselves, expanding their global outreach to Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as shows in Canada and the United States. The feel is very authentic on songs like “Since You Blessed My Days”, which combines a dancehall-like chant with more contemporary pop influences. Gustaffe and his band have carved out a lane for themselves, and only continue to grow as a collective unit. Check out their song below:

Dru Yates (Austin, TX)

With a signature Texas laid back style and a healthy amount of swagger, Austin rapper Dru Yates brings a unique story to his sound. The son of a military father and originally born in Germany, Yates relocated to New York, then Kansas, and ultimately Texas for reprieve from the street life with a single mother and four siblings. A performer since a young age, Yates developed a passion for music and stage presence throughout his life. After a hiatus from the microphone to play college basketball, and later being part of a duo that eventually split, Dru has had to persevere though adversity frequently. However, he continues to create, working on his debut solo album, and could not have picked a more fitting track to submit than his single, “Me, Myself, and I”. Check it out below:

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