Career
Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a guitarist, pianist, harmonicist, and a vocalist. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece. Shortly after the release of the band"s major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band owing to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy.
After the dissolution of in 1994, Farrar formed the rock group, whose original lineup released three albums in the late 1990s, before undergoing a hiatus in 1999.
The album, More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album (Birdman, 1999), was an album of cover versions of the songs on Spence"s only solo album, Oar (Columbia, 1999). In 2005, the band re-formed with a different lineup and has since (as of May 2009) released four additional albums.
In 1995, Farrar collaborated with Kelly Willis on the song "Rex"s Blues", which appeared on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome benefit album Red Hot + Bothered produced by the Red Hot Organization. As a solo artist, Farrar has released two full-length albums, two EPs, one film score, and various live recordings.
His full-length albums are Sebastopol (2001) and Terroir Blues (2003), the first released on the independent record label Artemis Records and the second released on his own label, Transmit Sound.
An European Parliament of songs from the Sebastopol sessions, entitled ThirdShiftGrottoSlack was released in 2002. His score for the independent film The Slaughter Rule (2002, directors Alex and Andrew Smith) was released in 2003 on the independent record label Bloodshot Records. Farrar formed his own independent record label in 2003, Transmit Sound (formerly called "Acting/Resist Records").
In 2004, Farrar released a six song live acoustic European Parliament entitled Live European Parliament. Also 2004 marked the release of the live Civil Defense/Digital Video Disc Stone, Steel & Bright Lights.
Farrar worked closely with keyboardist Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips during the recording of Sebastopol. Eric Heywood, Mark Spencer from the Blood Oranges, and the rock group Canyon have often accompanied Farrar in his solo recordings and performances.
In 2006, Farrar announced the formation of a new band, Gob Iron, with Varnaline"s Anders Parker. The songs which would make up their debut album were recorded in autumn 2004, while Farrar was in the process of recording a new album.
Farrar collaborated with Ben Gibbard (of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie) to create all of the music for the soundtrack for the 2009 documentary film One Fast Move or I"m Gone, about Jack Kerouac"s time spent at Big Sur.
The soundtrack was released on October 20, 2009.