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.

As the summer heats up, so does the number of submissions that we’ve received for our monthly Five To Watch spotlight. Thousands of acts submitted music from all over the world, but we’ve narrowed it down to just five acts that we think could be the next big thing taking your festival stages or creating the song of the summer. Check out the August Five To Watch powered by Reverbnation here:

SALIO (Republic of Georgia)

The Republic of Georgia isn’t where you’d expect an English-speaking pop star to hail from, but SALIO could definitely be one of the first. After relocating to London, she made her initial breakout with her “Lost World” EP. Platinum selling jazz saxophonist Dean James has worked with SALIO, which makes sense when you hear the jazzy elements within her vocal melodies. She’s also recorded stateside with Tony Coluccio, who has previously worked with Bette Midler, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston, so she’s been in good company for some time. Check out what all the buzz is about with “Bring Me Love” below:

The Foxfires (West Nyack, NY)

With a full length record, as well as two EPs in their six years as a band, New York indie act The Foxfires are no stranger to working hard. The band has also played in the area of some 500 shows at this point, and know that it takes a constant drive to make it as a band. That hunger comes out in their music, as well, as we can hear on their single, “Matchless Part Two”. With some of the elements that have made bands like Phoenix and The Suburbs popular, The Foxfires know how to draft an energetic, catchy indie rock song. You can hear that by checking out “Matchless Part Two” below:

Yardij (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Bands that look and sound like Florida indie band Yardij are going to flood the future of the music industry, plain and simple. The band have a harder edge at times, but are centered around the powerful vocals of frontwoman Deja Elyze. The band has already founded their own festival, “All Out! Fest” in their hometown of Fort Lauderdale, as well as played Okeechobee Festival, Forcastle Music Festival, and the main stage of the Flordia Music Festival, as well as an opening slot for Bon Jovi at the BB&T Center locally. There’s plenty of potential for Yardij to keep moving forward, and arenas may be commonplace someday. Check out single “Pink Sweater (Pretending)” and hear for yourself:

The View From Here (Martinsville, NJ)

The worlds of pop punk, emo, and hardcore have proven to withstand the test of time in the post Vans Warped Tour-era, and there may be room for bands like New Jersey natives The View From Here to be the new faces of the genre. Considered post-hardcore, the band blends dueling guitars, electronic elements, and a pulse-pounding rhythm section to create angsty anthems, such as single “Whatever Happened, Happened”. In only three years as a band, they’ve put out a debut EP, and are starting to make some noise (literally) in the tri-state area that has given birth to bands like Taking Back Sunday and Senses Fail. Check them out below and get your first listen to one of the next progressions of emo.

Aubrey Haddard (Cambridge, MA)

Sometimes, when you hear a voice, you just know that it is destined for big things. The soulful stylings of Massachusetts singer/songwriter Aubrey Haddard is one of those instances, with a captivating sound and backing band to match. With elements of singers like Joss Stone and Sharon Van Etten rolled into one, Haddard has a unique blend of talent that has warranted awards like Massachusetts Solo Artist of the Year, as well as nominations for several others. She can simply take a clean guitar channel and bring it to life with her voice, and that’s not something many singers can do quite to the level that she is able to. Check out “I Should Know By Now” below:

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