The festival, now in its 7th edition, puts together a mix of rock, folk and indie-eclectic shows paired with a music biz conference for musicians and industry professionals from the U.S., the U.K. and around the world.

This year, M for Montreal not only shines the spotlight on an Official Selection of 25 bands, but the weekend’s Le M Fest features 75 more performances at great venues around the city. The first night of the festival, November 14, pays homage to Austin’s sprawling South by Southwest music festival, with performances by Esmerine (featuring members of The Barr Brothers and GSYBE!), Eight and a Half (Broken Social Scene members meet members of The Stills), the synthy solo pop of Mozart’s Sister, and the indie-folk-rock sounds of Half Moon Run at La Sala Rossa.

Like any good festival, fans can show-hop every night to get their fill of bands. Among many great bands on November 15 see Honheehonhee, Kandle, PS I Love You, Young Galaxy, Plaster and No Joy, while on November 16, catch Montreal’s Plants and Animals, Leif Vollebekk, The Misstress Barbara Band, Yan Wagner, Suuns, Solids, Bran Van 3000, and French electronic music from Danger and Le Matos on November 16.

Among the international bands, seven-piece Icelandic folk-pop band Of Monsters and Men return after making a major impact at this summer’s Osheaga music festival, with sing-alongs and everything – they play Metropolis on November 17. That same night, on the lower-fi, higher-noise end, witness New York City’s A Place To Bury Strangers, Philadelphia band Bleeding Rainbow, and Montreal’s Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, whose pop-opera was a bizarroland vision at this year’s Pop Montreal, plus the excellent Ctznshp, all at La Sala Rossa. And California’s punk-rap Death Grips and multi-talented Mykki Blanco play the Corona Theatre.

For music fans who feel like rock n’ roll one night and Afro-dub beats the next, luck would have it that as a bonus this year, M for Montreal teams up with Mundial Montreal world music festival, November 13-16. Just like M for Montreal, Mundial has an professional conference as well as plenty of live shows, including a festival opener with Louisiana-based The Soul Rebels, Cedric Watson & Bijoux Creole and Montreal musicians Canaille, Marco Calliari and Cécile Doo-Kingué.

From there, go on to see showcases featuring Heavy Soundz, Delhi2Dublin, Harry Manx, Marco Calliari, Nomadic Massive, Boogat, Rômmel Ribeiro, Socalled and more. There are even three free afternoon showcases: November 14 at La Chapelle Historique, November 15 at at Petit Campus, and November 16 at the Savoy Metropolis.

THE DETAILS

M for Montreal, November 14-17, 2012

Mundial Montreal, November 13-16, 2012

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