I've been hearing about an awesome new show on FX since it aired last year, and finally got around to watching season one of Sons of Anarchy this week for Jane After Dark. Being a motorcycle babe myself, I love any show where bikes or gangs are the central focus.

But even if you've never mounted a bad chopper, there are plenty of reasons to love this badass show about the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Originals (SAMCRO). They run a legal automotive business while dealing arms, battling rival gangs, and working with the cops (sometimes) to keep their town of Charming, California a pleasant place to live. You can see all the irony at work here.

The story revolves around Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam), the club's vice president (and total hottie), his mom Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal), and her husband, Clarence 'Clay' Morrow (Ron Perlman), the club's president who's always puffing on a giant cigar. Here are just a few reasons to check out Sons of Anarchy:

It's funny. Yes, it's dark and gritty, with plenty of blood, guts, gunfire, and sex. But it's also very funny. One character is named Opie, for goodness sake, and the town is named Charming. Some of my favorite scenes are when the bikers talk to Sheriff Unser (Dayton Callie) like he's part of the gang, when Unser sits in on their meetings, or when he starts puffing on a joint ("for my cancer") in his office while talking to Clay. And I'm positively giddy over the fact that Hellboy and Leela are two of the main characters.

The music is groovy. You can check out the Sons of Anarchy site for the full music guide, but there isn't one song I don't love on this show, including the theme song by Primal Scream, "The Dream We Left Behind." Bands featured in the episodes include Dropkick Murphys, Burning Brides, and Tarbox Ramblers. On the flip-side, Andy Williams' "Can't Get Used to Losing You," plays heavily into one episode. I also love the scenes where a tender song is played, like Audra Mae's "Forever Young," in the aftermath of a tragedy in the final episode. The surprising juxtaposition of hard and soft scenes is one of the many reasons I love Sons of Anarchy.

Katey Sagal is a she-wolf in leather pants. I have a major girl-crush on this badass mama who defends her family with a vengeance and takes no shit from anyone. One of my favorite scenes is where she sees the girl who slept with Clay walking down the street, and immediately goes over, picks up a skateboard, and smacks her in the face with it. That's when I knew Gemma was the girl for me. If only I had half the guts she has while staring down a foe, defending her son or husband, or manipulating someone for her own means. When Gemma moves in close and challenges someone - anyone - to get in her face, I get all warm inside. And according to the extras, the impressive scar on her chest is the result of open heart surgery.

Special Features on the Sons of Anarchy season one DVD (released Aug. 18, 2009) include: audio commentary on selected episodes; deleted scenes, and featurettes on The Making of Sons of Anarchy, Casting Sons of Anarchy, The Ink, The Bikes, and Anarchy on the Set.

Season two of Sons of Anarchy premieres Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 10 PM ET on FX. We're in for some major fun this season, as Adam Arkin joins the cast as the head of a white separatist organization, along with his lieutenant, played by Henry Rollins.