In their debut, Montreal-based alt-rock group Chocolat produces a creative and alluring soundscape that integrates hints of folk, pop and blues into psychedelic garage rock. Singer Jimmy Hunt’s Dylan-esque croon sails over feverish guitar riffs, strains of intricate bass lines and a frenzy of walloping drums. Chocolat EP is clearly indebted to many of Chocolat’s influences, such as the Kinks, the Yardbirds, the Pretty Things and Jacques Dutronc. The content of the seven songs are centered around the rock ‘n roll lifestyle – that is to say the songs are generally about sleeping with your best friend’s girlfriend, funding a party with your girlfriend’s paycheck, Johnny Depp, groupies and watching the one you love get fat.

A $1.79 million cut to the UC Davis Intercollegiate Athletics Department could result in the removal of between five and nine teams from the 2010-2011 budget. In a Feb. 5 budget-planning letter to the Council of Deans and Vice Chancellors, Chancellor Linda Katehi wrote that the campus would assign higher reduction targets for intercollegiate athletics (ICA). Rather than tell athletics what cuts to make, Katehi said the department would have the opportunity to find its own solutions. The unfortunate conclusion, said aAthletics dDirector Greg Warzecka, was the department won’t be able to continue funding all 27 of its ICA teams.

A jester on a pig. Aerial views of rivers, grassy fields, countryside. The Davis Amtrak Station, depicted in brushstrokes. Wetlands. Step foot into Davis’s Aioli Bodega tapas restaurant on 2nd Street, and an ambiance of refined dining, wining and scenic art awaits you. Aziz Bellarbi-Salah, waiter at Aioli Bodega and family member of the restaurant owners, said that the owners of Aioli have a good partnership with the John Natsoulas Gallery. As a result, they display many of the paintings from his art gallery collection.

Event: Frank Gifford Memorial Tournament Teams: UC Davis vs. Air Force; vs. Southern Illinois; at Santa Clara; at San Jose State Records: Aggies, 6-6; Falcons, 3-9; Broncos, 5-4; Spartans, 5-5 Where: Municipal Stadium – San Jose, Calif.; Stephen Schott Stadium – Santa Clara, Calif.

Question: Is it legal to pull a fire alarm? And if not, what are the consequences?

MUSIC Student Chamber Ensembles Today, 12:05 p.m. and 4:10 pm, free Room 115, Music Building Head on over to the music building today at noon for a free concert by student chamber ensembles. For more information, visit music.ucdavis.edu. Happy Thursday: Black Cat Bone Today, 4:00 p.m., free Rominger West Winery, 4602 2nd St., Suite 4 If you love the blues and live music, you’ll love the Black Cat Bone. This four-piece combo consists of a harmonica, bass, guitars and drums. All that music might make you hungry, so order a glass of wine and some appetizers while you’re at it. Hefty Thigh: Fem Fest DJs and Bands Friday, 7 p.m., $5 general, all ages TCS Building (formerly the Art Annex) Come party and spread the fem-love with KDVS 90.3 FM and the Davis Feminist Film Festival ’til two in the morning! Enjoy performances from Inca Ore to A Sunny Day in Glasgow, along with some great DJs. Check out the KDVS Events Facebook page for more information about the bands.

This fall, UC Davis will continue its innovation in the field of health as it ushers in the inaugural class of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, the first doctoral nursing program in the inland northern California and Central Valley areas.

Recent hate crimes and actions targeting racial, religious and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities at UC Davis and other UC campuses have left the university community wondering what could have motivated these acts of intolerance.

Obama plans Florida forum for future of NASA

Faced with rising water and sewer rates, the city of Davis is seeking to adopt a more efficient water treatment system.

A new optical device developed at UC Davis may be able to convert pulses of light faster into electronic signals than ever before, with possible applications for a faster Internet connection and better imaging of Earth.

Most teenagers anxiously await the day they turn 18, but not every young adult shares this same excitement. For foster youth, becoming a legal adult carries new responsibilities to lead an independent life.