Festival Music House Announces 2016 Lineup

Festival Music House (FMH) today announced the lineup for its seventh annual showcase, with a stellar roster of Canadian musical talent set to rock the Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF). Taking place on Monday, Sept. 12 at Velvet Underground (508 Queen St. W.), the invite-only event is an opportunity for film and television industry tastemakers to explore Canada's wealth of world-class musical talent during the height of TIFF.

Produced by Arts & Crafts, on behalf of Radio Starmaker Fund, performers at this year's event include Dragonette, Jessy Lanza, Charlotte Day Wilson and Modern Space. Between acts, guests can look forward to DJ sets by the host of the show, Toronto's very own Kardinal Offishall.

Since debuting at Toronto's Roosevelt Room in 2010, the event has seen much success, acting as a catalyst of connection and continues to be a highlight of the Festival. "The goal of the event is to not only celebrate the importance of music in film, but to also connect talented Canadian artists and their music with upcoming film and television projects," said AaRon Miller, Programming Director at Arts & Crafts. "This year's lineup represents an eclectic mix of renowned and emerging Canadian musicians, and we're honoured to once again be able to provide a stage where their talent can be showcased for some of the industry's brightest stars."

Electro-pop innovators Dragonette have made a resplendent return with their new single "Lonely Heart," a bouncy, sun-drenched sparkler that evokes feelings of restless romance and the sweet dog days of summer. It's been a year since the release of their last scorcher "Let The Night Fall" - an eternity in pop years - though they've hardly been idle in that time. In addition to putting the finishing flourishes on their forthcoming fourth full-length album, Toronto-based Dragonette have been busy collaborating with top-flight electronic music producers from across the planet. Their decade-long rise from indie dark horse to pop music mainstay has rightly earned Dragonette a place in many hearts, and there is much more to come.

Jessy Lanza's second album 'Oh No' is addressed to her own constant nervousness. The pressure of music making, which used to calm her nerves, has led to a whole new world of contingencies that stoke the anxiety mill. The exclamation 'Oh No', for Jessy, marks yet another incident of randomness interrupting her tranquillity. All of which seems at odds with the confidence and spontaneity of this second album as well as recent collaborations with the likes of Caribou, DJ Spinn and Morgan Geist and his Galleria project.

Charlotte Day Wilson is a 24-year old singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto. Trained as a vocalist and saxophonist, with roots in R&B, soul and folk, she is the latest to emerge from a crop of exciting, Toronto-based jazz influenced artists earning global recognition, including friends and collaborators BADBADNOTGOOD and River Tiber. Charlotte's artistic focus is to create music that is at once intimate and accessible, driven by the honesty of her voice.

Modern Space is a five piece Toronto-based band. The group, consisting of members Sean Watson Graham (vocals), Sam Arion (guitar), Alex Laurie (guitar), Cody Steele (bass) and Tay Ewart (drums) has already shared the stage with an impressive cast of musicians including Lights, The Vaccines and Arkells. In creating their debut EP 'Before Sunrise' the group worked with producer Tawgs Salter (Lights, Walk Off the Earth, Scott Helman, USS). At the start of this year, Modern Space were selected to be part of Spotify's Spotlight 2016 program. The Spotlight campaign features a small group of new Canadian artists to watch, and will see the band heavily featured throughout the streaming service.

Kardinal Offishall's moniker of "Mr. International" is as appropriate as it is catchy. His unique twist of hip-hop is loved internationally due to his high-energy stage performances and charismatic persona, making him both incredibly original and world-renown. The Toronto-bred star has crisscrossed the globe performing in some of the most prestigious stadiums, arenas and festivals, giving his fans the ultimate high energy, mash-up performance.

Past FMH performers include Barenaked Ladies, Keys N Krates, K'NAAN, Half Moon Run, City and Colour, Sloan, A Tribe Called Red, Gord Downie, Kid Koala and Stars. An elite networking opportunity and key event in the TIFF circuit, FMH consistently garners praise from VIPs and media alike, and has been hailed year after year as one of TIFF's most celebrated parties.

The full FMH 2016 lineup is listed below, and can also be found at:
www.festivalmusichouse.com.

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