Damn Tall Buildings is a celebrated folk-bluegrass band known for their soulful melodies and intricate instrumentals. Based in Brooklyn, this seasoned trio—Max Capistran, Sasha Dubyk, and Avery Ballotta—has spent over a decade honing their craft through dedicated touring and recording. With a distinctive sound that weaves heartfelt lyrics into thoughtful fiddle, guitar, and bass arrangements, they embody a unique blend of Americana roots and contemporary style. From intimate local venues to larger global stages, their captivating performances leave a lasting impression on audiences around the world.
Initially honing their skills through busking, Damn Tall Buildings brings an infectious energy to their music. Their varied influences extend beyond bluegrass, incorporating elements of old-time, blues, and jazz into their songwriting. With seamless vocal harmonies and dynamic instrumental solos, the trio creates a cohesive sound greater than the sum of its parts. As they continue to evolve, Damn Tall Buildings fosters a welcoming spirit, inviting listeners into their vibrant, emotionally resonant performances. Critics have praised their ability to craft a musical blend that defies categorization while offering warmth, enthusiasm, and depth.
On October 24th, the band will release their fourth full-length album, The Universe Is Hungry. Recorded at Capistran and Dubyk’s music school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and mixed and mastered by Dan Cardinal of Dimension Sound Studios, the album emerged from years of touring across the U.S. It explores the quiet chaos of modern life—where technology overwhelms, memories blur, and meaning can feel elusive. Yet amid that uncertainty, the album affirms a powerful truth: that love, laughter, music, and shared experience can anchor us all.
Today, Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of the title track “The Universe Is Hungry” and its accompanying music video. Reminscent of artists like Danny Barnes and John Hartford, the song balances a dark sense of humor with upbeat folk-grass that turns this nihilistic ode into a good times anthem for the end times. With their playful lyrics, bright harmonies, and occasional fiddle bustouts, the band gives us the kind of song that feels like a rip roaring party that is the perfect soundtrack for our troubled moment. The video offers plenty of humorous imagery to complement the tune.
The band describes the inspiration behind the tune:
“As the title track, this song holds the thematic center of the album. It speaks to the endless searching for meaning, for identity, for something real in this ever-changing, more-connected-while-also-more-disconnected world we live in. We’re constantly reshaping ourselves, trying to keep up, trying to feel present while buried under the weight of screens, schedules, and expectations. It’s about the disorientation of not knowing who you are, and the quiet grief of realizing you might be living a life you don’t fully recognize. And all of this is kind of sung about over an upbeat bop of a tune, in combination with a chorus that repeats, ‘I hope that you and I survive” – all deliberating, trying to evoke a feeling of HOPE. And the narrator sees that at the beginning of the song: ‘I can’t see anyone, just the glowing of their beings’. There is more than meets the eye! We can still be connected as humans!! We can all sing this chorus at the end in harmony about ‘the universe eating us alive’, and maybe love can save us all!!!”
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