The band released two albums with Newman in the mid-1990s, Look What the Rookie Did and Goin' Through Changes, both of which received favorable reviews.

[4] Newman is a founding member of the successful Vancouver-based power pop supergroup the New Pornographers.

His musical sensibilities as a solo musician have been compared to those of Ray Davies, Harry Nilsson, and Ben Folds.

[8] Newman's second solo album, titled Get Guilty, was released on Matador Records on January 20, 2009.

Recorded in Woodstock, New York, the album features contributions from New Pornographers colleague Neko Case.

In November 2012, Newman appeared in the music video alongside television personality Whip Nicken for "I'm Not Talking".