Fueled by a boozy mix of classic honky-tonk, high-energy garage-punk, and good old-fashioned filthy talk, Uncle Leon and the Alibis seem determined to drag modern “Roots” music, kicking and screaming, back to the gritty backroads it grew up on. Longtime fans know them best for their upbeat, country-fried tunes about beer, big butts, and monster trucks–or for their accidental cult hit, “Roller Derby Saved My Soul”. But on the band’s new full-length studio album, "Wild Ways", Uncle Leon’s world takes a much darker turn: Lovers cheat, mothers pop pills, friends grow “old and lame”, and even the uptempo drinking songs seem tinged with an aftertaste of hangover and regret. Despite the gloomier subject matter, the band’s outlaw energy and infectious twang continue to shine through. And with titles like “Whiskey and W**d and Big-Titted Women”, no one’s going to be mistaking Leon for Leonard Cohen anytime soon. But beneath the singer’s bawdy, booze-swilling exterior lurks some serious songwriting, backed by one of the most vivacious gangs of cowpunks to ever stumble their way onto a New York City stage.