As Election Day creeps closer and closer,/ let’s take a deep breath and enjoy the next few minutes by listening to some new music you probably won’t hear anywhere else outside of Bandcamping, our monthly dive into the finest underground albums on Bandcamp.

This time around, we have some hip-hop, some electro pop, some Americana, some indie rock… something for most tastes, basically, so let’s get to it:

5. MILKTAPE by ORPHANBOY

Genre: alternative hip-hop, synthwave
If you like: Vektroid, Yung Lean

Since anybody with a laptop loaded with a digital audio workstation and a Blue Yeti microphone call call themselves a rapper, that means everybody’s out there trying something different, and it can be hard to cut though the noise. ORPHANBOY’s latest batch of tunes, however, boast bass-heavy, vaporwave-inspired production, and totally capable rapping. The DC-based rapper is self-produced, and it’s rare to find somebody who can do both and do them well while creating a tone that’s distinctly theirs.

4. HANG–UPS by menthe

Genre: synth pop, indie pop
If you like: CHVRCHES, Toro y Moi

Electronic music can be a big ol’ mess when it tries to combine too many different types of non-analog methodologies, but menthe achieves a balance worth exploring on their new record. Sometimes they get a bit house-y, other times it’s more akin to synthwave, and there’s even the occasional glint of R&B. It’s a dense listen that both goes all over the place and remains focused on good vibes.

3. New Rain by Drew Kohl

Genre: country, singer-songwriter, folk, Americana
If you like: Kacey Musgraves, John Mayer, Bob Dylan

Summer is really the most appropriate time for country music, but when it’s as folky as Drew Kohl’s latest batch of tunes, we’ll take it in autumn. New Rain is filled with pleasant midtempo tunes for a sunny day, and the country influence shouldn’t be too overwhelming for those absolutely opposed to the polarizing genre.

2. Something Songs by Lovers Touch

Genre: indie rock, indie folk
If you like: Mac DeMarco, Pavement, Ariel Pink

Credit where it’s due: Falsetto is hard to pull off without sounding like a whiny middle schooler, but on “Found a Friend,” the highlight from Something Songs by Lovers Touch, it’s super effective, and makes for a light and comforting three minutes. Elsewhere, the group continues to vibe out, like a beach-going Neil Young (no, we don’t mean On The Beach).

1. Yuhng by Toulouse

Genre: indie rock, psychedelic rock
If you like: Real Estate, Tame Impala

By the time the next Bandcamping comes out, the ground will likely be covered in snow. In the meantime, it’s covered in leaves, and fall is time for reflection. The reverb-laden sound of Portugal-based Toulouse is just right for the occasion, with the crisp-weather breeziness of Real Estate combined with light psychedelia, not enough to get lost in a mess of echo, but enough to take you away for a minute in a sea of introspection.

Honorable Mentions

Dilated by Rapid Eye
Genre: hip-hop
If you like: Earl Sweatshirt, Yung Lean

The Morning EP by Wild Pines
Genre: indie pop, indie rock
If you like: The xx, Warpaint

Pharmacy by Revlovers
Genre: indie rock
If you like: Warpaint, The xx, Future Islands

That’s all for October, but until next month, let us know in the comments which of these albums were your favorites, what we missed, and what we should look forward to. If you missed out on the last post, check it out here (and the complete Bandcamping archives are here).