Futuristic Primitives by Vintage Guitar Magazine

Their music is surreal and punk, played with a retro-futurist touch. Most likely, however, their new album will simply be shelved under “Jazz”. The band is Les Primitifs du Futur, a suitably surrealistic name that translates crudely as the “Futuristic Primitives.” This French ensemble melds elements of Django Reinhardt’s Gypsy jazz with accordion musette, tango, beguine, North African music, and much more... » Michael Dregni – VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE

« Their music is surreal and punk, played with a retro-futurist touch. Most likely, however, their new album will simply be shelved under “Jazz”. The band is Les Primitifs du Futur, a suitably surrealistic name that translates crudely as the “Futuristic Primitives.” This French ensemble melds elements of Django Reinhardt’s Gypsy jazz with accordion musette, tango, beguine, North African music, and much more. 
The brew is enchanting, finger-snapping music, at once old and new. And they’re bringing the show to the U.S. with a tour and the U.S. release of World Musette. 
Masterminded by Dominique Cravic, composer, singer, and guitarist extraordinaire, the group includes converted accordion fanatic R. Crumb, leader of the near-mythic cult fave band the Cheap Suit Serenaders. 
Like the Serenaders, Les Primitifs du Futur are part hokum, part tent-show music – with a French accent and Gypsy flare – like Mr. Natural went uptown and started dancing to Django. 
Ironically, though, the roots of Cravic’s Parisian ensemble are as American as apple pie – or at least, Paris’ famous apple confection tarte tatin. It began as a blues revival group. (…) 
Trop de Routes, Trop de Trains followed in ’95, with a liner booklet again full of Crumb’s artwork. “My idea was to have a track listing following the scenario of a typical night of dance or music in a bal musette, at the same time realistic and also honouring the music”, said Cravic. “To me, Paris was – and still is – a place where all the musics of the world crossed together and were recorded.” (…) 
Arriving in America, Cravic’s six-piece touring band’s lineup helps explain the music’s boundaries, or lack thereof. Accordion maestro Daniel Colin leads off many of the melodies, backed by scat-singer Daniel Huck, who also plays alto sax. Rounding out the sound is vocalist Claire Elsière with Fay Lovsky on ukulele, musical saw and Theremin. 
For music is surreal, this punk, it’s exactly the lineup you’d dream of. » Michael Dregni – VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE