Tom Petty tickets on sale Feb. 4

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have announced dates at The Gorge on Aug. 15-16. Tickets will be available at 10 a.m. Feb. 4, (the day after the band's appearance at the Super Bowl XLII halftime show) at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com, livenation.com, or by phone at 206-628-0888. Admission is between $45 and $95.

Since the band's debut album in 1976, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have sold more than 50 million albums. And Petty has received 18 Grammy nominations. Here is the band's site: www.tompetty.com.

Steve Winwood, who has played with the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, will be on a May — August American tour with the band. Winwood has performed for more than 40 years, collaborating with the likes of George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Here is a link to his site: www.stevewinwood.com.

Olympia songwriter shares "Juno's" success

Olympia singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson has made headlines lately, as the principal artist behind the soundtrack to the Oscar nominated film "Juno." The soundtrack peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Here's her MySpace page: www.myspace.com/kimyadawson. Be sure to listen to her song, "I Like Giants," which describes her feelings on fame: "I am grounded. I am humbled. I am one with everything."

There's a mix of childhood wonderment and adult cynicism in her music that brings to mind the Barenaked Ladies. It's as if the 35-year-old mother devised songs for her baby: soft and rhythmic lullabies, but slipped in things only adults would understand. Her description on MySpace sums up this sentiment nicely — "happy and sad and scared and brave all mixed up together."

Dawson is signed onto Olympia indie label, K Records, which shares the same quirkiness. On its Web site, www.krecs.com, the label describe itself as "a conspiracy of gravediggers, spies, swim instructors and international pop stars." It has more than 150 artists based from Olympia to Japan.

And, here's Dawson's Web site: kimyadawson.com. She's a beautiful breath of fresh air compared with the canned pop on the airwaves these days.

Death Cab's Walla goes solo

Much-in-demand indie rock producer and Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla is releasing a solo record. It's called "Field Manual," and its due out Jan. 29 on Barsuk Records. The album is beautifully wistful — a soundtrack for cuddling up indoors on a rainy day.

Here's a link to listen to "Sing Again," off the album: www.barsuk.com/media/freemp3s/recent (the site features all of Barsuk's free Mp3's).

In the past, Walla has produced for the likes of the Decemberists, Nada Surf and Hot Hot Heat. Check back at www.seattletimes.com/entertainment next week for an interview with Walla.

Chris Rock coming to Seattle

Comedian Chris Rock is coming to Seattle's Paramount Theatre.

Rock's tour, called "No Apologies," is the outspoken comedian's first tour in over three years.

Tickets for the shows, at 7:30 p.m. April 10-11, cost $45.50-$75.50, and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, www.livenation.com or by phone at 206-628-0888.

Coachella lineup, plus Coachella East

This summer Coachella, a popular California music and arts festival, will have an East Coast festival in New Jersey. The All Points West Music & Arts Festival is set for Aug. 8-10 at New Jersey's Liberty State Park.

The traditional Coachella Valley Music & Arst Festival, in Indio, Calif., is set, too, for April 25-27. On Monday, Coachella announced the lineup for the California festival; daily lineups for the N.J. version are still to be announced.

Bellingham favorite Death Cab for Cutie will play Coachella on Saturday, April 26; other big names on the lineup, a mix of alternative, hip-hop and dance artists such as, include Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Jack Johnson, Portishead, the Raconteurs, Tegan and Sara, Aesop Rock, Diplo, Fatboy Slim, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Sasha & Digweed, M.I.A., Junkie XL and Little Brother.

Coachella has traditionally been one of the most awaited music festivals of the year, as the place to catch stars in one place, both on stage and in the audience.

For ticket and festival details, go to www.coachella.com.

Jake Shimabukuro returns

The Jimi Hendrix of ukulele, Jake Shimabukuro, will perform in Seattle at Jazz Alley on Feb. 4. Tickets are $24.50 at www.jazzalley.com/reservations.asp.

If you can't catch Shimabukuro then, he's on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" Feb. 19. (You can find a link to the show, where NBC posts full episodes, at www.nbc.com/Shows.)

Also, the last time Shimabukuro was in town, I filmed an impromptu performance in his hotel of a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Going To California," a song off his most-recent album "My Life." Watch his fingers go!

The video pegs off a story I wrote about Hawaiians in Washington. Here's the link: seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003940756_hawaiian11.html (The video link with Shimabukuro is on the bottom right.)

Grants available for Seattle artists

Funding up to $10,000 is available for Seattle artists in the visual and literary arts, film, media arts and screenwriting through CityArtists Projects. The program, funded by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, encourages development of art and the expression of Seattle's diversity. In 2007, 31 artists were awarded $200,000 in grants.

For artists interested in applying, an information session will be from 5:30 to 7: 30 p.m., Feb. 4 at the Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle.

Applications and guidelines are available at www.seattle.gov/arts. Application deadline is March 17.

The Decemberists. 8 p.m. Jan. 30-31. The Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., Seattle. $28. 206-467-5510. www.ticketmaster.com.

Pela, Liam Finn. 8 p.m. March 4. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St. #G, Seattle. $8 advance. $10 at door. 21+. 206-632-0212. www.brownpapertickets.com

Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter), White Rainbow, Valet. 8 p.m. March 6. High Dive. $10 advance. $12 at door. 21+. 206-632-0212. www.brownpapertickets.com

Born Ruffians, Cadence Weapon. 9 p.m. March 22. High Dive. $10 advance. $12 at door. 21+. 206-632-0212. www.brownpapertickets.com

Marian Liu: mliu@seattletimes.com