Naturally, we were stoked to wrap up the first month of 2026 with our favourite subversive band, 9 o’clock Nasty and their new single, Lee Iococca (note that this is stylized by the band with an “o”). For some background, to some Lee Iacocca was an iconic American auto executive who helped create the Ford Mustang and led the dramatic turnaround of Chrysler. However, Lee Iacocca’s approach symbolized a business mindset where cost–benefit calculations led Ford to decide it was cheaper to pay victims than to fix the deadly flaw in the Pinto, and of course, 9 o’clock Nasty are here to bring that truth to the mainstream.
The track opens with textured drums and a cerebral laser frequency before 9 o’clock Nasty share conceptual prose bringing to life the situation that occurred in the 1970s. The band share their poetic eloquence and authenticity with their words. As with 9 o’clock Nasty‘s wider discography, the charisma is evident, calling Lee Iacocca “daddy” and inviting the public to “drink the gasoline” as they shine a light on the situation.
We love the spacey details in the melodic elements that punctuate the track and the hand played rolling toms that almost resemble a tabla. It’s very dimensional, production-wise, tapping into notions of nostalgia and futurism at the same time.
The piano interlude sends us astral and a lot of the sonic identity reminds us of a 90s band called Madness, and also the British band Space, particularly their songs Neighbourhood and Female of the Species.
The song comes with a dope music video which sees the band rolling around in a car bringing their story to life in quite a literal way. What is great to see is how much 9 o’clock Nasty‘s confidence has increased over the years. Sure, they have always exuded confidence in their message and art as activism, but as for the video, it is dope to see the trio up close and personal.
Speaking on the release, the philosophical artists share, “Place your bets in the post-capitalist world. Choose a hero. We can suggest one. Our man Lee measured once and cut many times. The Ford Pinto was a deathtrap. But the cost of fixing it was greater than the cost of compensating victims. Profit, Loss, Death and Chaos. Set all that to a killer beat and you’ve got our new single. You don’t need to be a stone-cold-killer to be truly dangerous. It’s all about the shareholder-value baby. Lee Iacocca gives this somewhat troubling parable an acid bath punk-beats lift off. A whole meaning to dance until you drop.”
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Lee Iococca (note that this is stylized by the band with an “o”) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of 9 o’clock Nasty, including Heavy, Too Cool, and Crowland.