Various Artists
4th Anniversary Tooth & Nail Box Set
Reviewed by J. Edward Keyes
To coin a much used but nevertheless appropriate phrase, the Christian music subculture breaks down into two kinds of people: those who love Tooth & Nail Records and those who hate them. Those in the former category praise the label for its ability to thrive outside of the Christian market, routinely landing their artists airplay on MTV and college radio. Ironically, those who malign the label usually do so for the same reasons, accusing them of being dodgy when it comes to issues of faith and perplexed by the label's willingness to be accepted in what some perceive as a "godless" arena. The bottom line is this: Those who fall into the first category will adore the comprehensive five-disc Tooth & Nail Box Set, and those who fall into the second would have to be heartless to not, at the very least, admire the label for its tenacity and perseverance. An 80-page full-color booklet details the label's rise from meager beginnings in Brandon Ebel's apartment, to the semi-lucrative conglomerate it is now. Co-founder Bill Power's meticulous and insightful notes read like a sort of Steinbeckian punk rock American dream. The layout and artwork in the booklet is fabulous, including covers from each of Tooth & Nail's 99 releases (the box set is the 100th), as well as band snapshots and early promotional ads and flyers. The music itself is just as comprehensive. One song from each of Tooth & Nail's releases are included, as well as a handful of out-of-print tracks and rarities. The discs are designed to be skipped around, not played from start to finish. The set reflects the label's dedication to hardcore and punk. More than half the 100 tracks fall somewhere within those two categories, with the remainder being rounded out by indie rock (Joe Christmas, Delta Haymax, Pedro the Lion, Sal Paradise, Danielson), dream-pop (Starflyer 59, Morella's Forest), and just plain "rock" (Sometime Sunday, Plankeye, Mike Knott). Listeners can discover what all the bands on the label sound like, perhaps uncovering a new favorite in the process. The downside is that choosier listeners may find only a handful of songs they truly enjoy; having to program each disc to skip certain tracks can be something of a hassle. Those with narrower tastes (who already own many of the records) would do best to steer clear, as they likely have already heard the only songs they'd be interested in. For serious music afficionados, the box gives the opportunity to trace the development of certain bands. By cueing up certain tracks, the listener can hear Starflyer 59 gradually refine their sound over each release, and can listen to the Crucified evolve and mellow into Stavesacre. Some of the choices are a bit atypical (like selecting "Today is My Way" over "Chick Magnet" from MxPx's Life in General, or not including Joy Electric's version of "Drum Machine Joy"), but these choices also shed light on some songs that may not have been recognized otherwise (like Stavesacre's electrifying "Tranewreck" and Pedro the Lion's deeply moving "Whole"). The box also scores high on the "stay up late" scale, as the urge to endlessly jump from band to band is nearly irresistible. It's oddly inspiring when one pauses to consider that this compilation is largely the result of vision and hard work. There is something to be said for the fact that a man with a dream could build a label that would get nods of approval from the same pundits who usually slam music made by Christians. It's difficult to dodge the label's similar effect on the Christian market, a market that, when Tooth & Nail was formed, had few labels supporting alternative Christian music (only Brainstorm, Alarma and Blonde Vinyl come to mind). The label's critics can gripe all they want, but after even the most cursory of listens to The 4th Anniversary Box Set, one thing is clear: Tooth & Nail Records has changed the Christian music industry while making substantial strides in the general market. They have done so by encouraging artists to make respectable music that expresses their feelings honestly, be they words of straightforward praise (The Supertones, Plankeye, Danielson Famile), or words of jaded woe (Joe Christmas, Delta Haymax, Frodus). That's hardly a thing to complain about.