Recap: 5 Musical Discoveries From M For Montreal

From November 18th-21st, Grimes, Hudson Mohawke, and Hey Rosetta! brought out crowds in droves for the 10th annual M For Montreal. Headliners aside, this is one of Canada’s premiere festivals for musical discovery. Wander into any show on any given night, and you’re bound to see something new and unexpected. With that in mind, we tackled the schedule with a sleep-deprived sense of adventure in a quest to hear some new music. What did we find? A Saskatchewanian rap crew, a mask wearing trap-rock band, and nipple-baring, ‘80s worshipping sleaze-wave duo, just to name a few.

Here are five musical discoveries we made while attending this year’s M For Montreal.

What does your mind conjure when you envision the soundtrack of Saskatchewan? Rugged alt-country with a heartsick twist? Sprawling, finger-strummed folk music, swaying in sync to the windswept hay fields of the Prairies? Try again. Regina’s own Queen City Stoopkids were one of the biggest surprises of M For Montreal, bringing their animated brand of hip-hop to Café Cléopatra, a venue that doubles as a strip club, hovering somewhere in between trap and stoner rap, with a D.I.Y. aesthetic—think Odd Future meets, well, Saskatchewan. These dudes were spilling over with enthusiasm, bouncing around a stage that’s typically host to more scantily clad performers, taking turns on the mic, and working the crowd with a contagious energy. It didn’t take long for word about QCSK to travel to Montreal, and it’s only a matter of time before the movement goes even further. Don’t slumber.

Toronto singer/songwriter Kai has been building momentum with some high profile collaborations, including guest spots on tracks by Childish Gambino, Jack Ü, and Adventure Club. Anyone who caught one of her sets at M For Montreal quickly learned the reason she’s been tapped by so many huge talents. From power notes to breathy vocal runs, Kai’s voice is spot on and studio ready. It’s not hard to imagine her going toe-to-toe with Billboard’s current crop of chart-toppers, and as she prepares her debut for Warner, it feels like it could be inevitable.

A RAGERS show is more of a spectacle than a concert. That was made abundantly clear when the Montreal-based trio took the stage at La Vitrola, donning metallic masks for a set of high octane trap-rock bangers. Built-in theatrics made for an immersive live music experience, as unfamiliar onlookers wondered whether they were watching Iron Man: The Musical, or if they’d just discovered electronic music’s answer to Slipknot. Either way, it was pretty bonkers.

You might recognize this voice. Kroy is the solo brainchild of Camille Poliquin, one half of Montreal-based electro duo Milk & Bone. Where Milk & Bone’s specialty is soaring harmonies and lush synth arrangements, Kroy is a little more stripped down, allowing Poliquin’s songwriting subtlety to shine through like cloudbreak. During a short mid-afternoon set at Maison Sociale, Poliquin showcased heart-wrenching pop gems, layering fragile synth progressions over threadbare drum machine patterns. Between Milk & Bone and Kroy, Camille Poliquin is proving to be one of Montreal’s most prolific talents.

From Wolf Parade to Majical Cloudz, Montreal is widely known as a haven for off-kilter pop music. Country are continuing that proud and peculiar tradition, with their self-described “sleaze-wave” sound. Beaver Sheppard and David Whitten collide on monster riffs, cheesy synths, and ‘80s kitsch, with on-stage antics and skimpy costumes upping the bizarro factor. In an opening set for Montreal mainstay Dutchess Says at Club Soda, Country defended their title as Montreal’s weirdest rock band meets art project, with an onslaught of nipple-baring Knight Rider worship.