The M for Montreal festival is Nov. 14-17th, at locations around the city. There are a ton of great acts to take in, and we’ve narrowed down some picks. But, like any festival, the best part is discovering something new to fall in love with, so explore!

Half Moon Run
 The warm indie-pop-folk of Half Moon Run caught the attention of Metric when they performed with them in the summer, and they’re supporting Emily Haines & co. on a US tour.
Wednesday, 11:30 pm, South by Southwest Stage at Sala Rossa (4848 Saint Laurent)

Young Galaxy
Get a preview of the Montreal Polaris Prize-longlisters upcoming album. Dreamy electro-pop with a garage-y darkness perfect for long winter nights.
Thursday, 9:30 pm, CMJ Music Marathon Stage at Sala Rossa (4848 Saint Laurent)

The Balconies
Energetic rock and roll headed up by frontwoman Jacquie, whose range reminds us of Stevie Nicks.
Thursday, 2:50 pm, Petit Campus, FREE
Friday, 11 pm, Divan Orange (4234 Saint Laurent)

PS I Love You
This Kingston band was Polaris-long listed, and their unique sound leads you to draw comparisons to everyone from Broken Social Scene to the Replacements.
Thursday, 11: 30 pm, CMJ Music Marathon Stage at Sala Rossa (4848 Saint Laurent)

Mac De Marco
He was Best New Music’d on Pitchfork, if you care about that sort of thing. There’s a stoned sleepiness to some songs, a yacht-rock influence on others, and character infused throughout.
Thursday, 10:30 pm, CMJ Music Marathon Stage at Sala Rossa (4848 Saint Laurent)

Plants and Animals
Indie rock from Montreal-Halifax hybrid band.
Friday, 9 pm, Corona Theatre (2490 rue Notre Dame Ouest)

Leif Vollebek
Ottawa’s Leif Vollebek travelled to Iceland to discover his sound, which doesn’t really say anything about his lovely brand of folk, but is very, very cool.
Friday, 8 pm, Corona Theatre (2490 rue Notre Dame Ouest)

Whitehorse
There’s something about Whitehorse’s sexy sound that reminds us of a montage in a Quentin Tarantino movie half the time, and a grin-inducing nostalgic trip through country barns and bonfires the other half. But any collab between Melissa McLelland and Luke Doucet was bound to be awesome.
Friday, 10 pm, Divan Orange (4234 Saint Laurent)

Mykki Blanco
If you’ve heard Mykki Blanco’s gender-bending mixtape, you’re probably filled with as much fangirl freakout love as us. WE LOVE YOU MYKKI. This will be a party.
Saturday, 8 pm, Theatre Corona (2490 rue Notre Dame Ouest)

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
This collective defines definition, and their combination of influences, from Iroquois social songs to Chinese opera to Noh theatre, explain why they’ve become one of the most unique and memorable Polaris short-listers in a long time. Not to be missed.
Saturday, Midnight, Sala Rossa (4848 Saint Laurent)

~ Haley Cullingham