A.C. Newman

As the primary voice and main songwriter for The New Pornographers, Carl (a.k.a. A.C.) Newman has found his place at the top of a power-pop heap that doesn’t exactly teem with contemporary bands who do so well by classic-rock hooks and layers of sound. In 2004, Newman took some time alone to make a solo album, The Slow Wonder, that added subtle shading to his best work but didn’t veer much from what New Pornographers sling. Ditto Get Guilty, a solo follow-up released in 2009 that makes a virtue of staying sharp and solid.