Cancer could have killed Jane Fendelman. Instead, it brought her back to life. And her video documentation of her painful treatment and miraculous recovery (which she edited and released as a documentary titled Jane Doe) has brought her accolades — most recently, a nomination at the International Women’s Film and Television Showcase, taking place next month in Hollywood. Jane Doe is one of only ten films worldwide to be nominated for an award at the showcase.

For the past eight years, Alice Cooper has given us yuletide rockings with his annual Christmas Pudding show. Phoenix’s resident shock rocker hosts the annual fete to raise money for his charity, the Solid Rock Foundation, a non-profit Christian corporation that provides a recreation center (The Rock Teen Center) for teenagers. To that end, Cooper’s “Proof is in the Pudding” talent competition — which nets the winning contestant a gig at the Christmas Pudding show — now includes a Teen Competition.

Last night, local bands rocked the SRC Fields at ASU to show their support for solar power. Phoenix rock band Shawn Johnson & The Foundation, Tempe funksters Fred Green, and spoken word artist Jamal a.k.a. i-Dee brought their talents to a stage set up on the athletic field, while students filled out forms advocating for solar power.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 4) is election day, and as a “thank you” to voters for casting their ballots, Starbucks is offering a free small coffee to anyone who comes in and says they voted.

The brainchild of local world music enthusiast DJ Seduce, Afro:Baile Records’ catalog brims with global beats, from sambas and forro to funk and jazz fusion. The overall vibe is one of laid-back goodness, and Maria Maria provided a perfectly chill setting for Seduce’s rich soundscapes.

Saturday Night Live has some funny political parodies, but the revitalized sketch comedy show isn’t the only place to find some election-time chuckles. A Phoenix-based production company called Synthetic Human has gotten in on the action, with a political satire video titled “I’m Voting Republican.”

As we pointed out in a previous blog, “Pop Goes Obama,” Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama can dance. In this clip of him on the Ellen show, Obama gets into the groove.

David Lynch’s films have always garnered cult followings, but in the case of his 1984 screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, there’s more magic than murder in the air. There are psychic “witches,” futuristic water suits, giant sand worms, a coveted, mysterious spice, and Sting in a mankini. Fans of the sci-fi flick showed their spirit by dressing up as their favorite characters from the film at “The Spice Will Flow” Dune costume party at Green Restaurant in Tempe on Saturday, October 25.

Jimi Hendrix died 38 years ago, but his music lives on — and his merchandising does, too. Caffeine fiends can now drink a real “rock star” energy drink — the “Jimi Hendrix Liquid Experience.” The flavorful brew was introduced last year by The Liquid Experience Group, a division of Beverage Concepts, LLC, and seems to be catching on in consumer land. The drink is available in seven states — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, California, and Arizona, and the company looks to expand its distribution over the next two years.

What makes Barack Obama such a pop culture icon? There are numerous things, but here we present The Top 10 Reasons Barack Obama Is Cool.

When will Republican politicians learn that most musicians are Democrats? At the very least, they could make a couple calls before using particular artists’ songs in their campaigns. That would prevent musicians getting bitchy about their songs being used without their permission by politicians they don’t endorse.