"This is the story of a bunch of different characters, all set to what we described as a 'street symphony,' " says the subdudes' John Magnie.

"It runs throughout the record, from the people who can't stand the way the government is running the country -- "Thorn in Her Side" -- people who get a second chance at life -- "Half of the Story" -- and people who put their "Work Clothes" on but go fishing instead."

Welcome to Street Symphony. Due out August 28 via Back Porch/ManHattan Records, its' the kind of an album that stirs the consciousness and galvanizes the soul with an array of songs that are underlined by the band's trademark music: a vibrant cauldron of sounds that brings together the meaty grooves and jazzy dynamics, soulful R&B swagger and easy vocal harmonies.