Conceived in San Francisco in 1998, Iran began as the four-track bedroom-recording project of singer and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Aites. Playing most of the instruments himself and recruiting friends as needed, Aites released Iran's self-titled debut through Andee Connors' (A Minor Forest, J Church, Ticwar) Tumult label in 2000. The album showcased Aites' talent for balancing pop melodies with noise and tape hiss. The result was a sound like a more approachable Dead C, or like a throwback to the lo-fi early-'90s sound of Pavement, Smog, and Sebadoh. Aites relocated to New Y...