NYC Scene Report – Cassandra Kubinski, Gabreille Marlena, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features singer-songwriter Cassandra Kubinski tossing a “Shutout,” fellow singer-songwriter Gabrielle Marlena’s ode to an ex, subtly titled “Sorry I Ever Fucked You,” something “Easy For You” from funk-pop outfit Lingua Funqa, and indie pop act Elk City hoping you’ll try on some “Root Beer Shoes.”

* NYC-based singer-songwriter Cassandra Kubinski has some thought about being sloppily hit on by a random old Yankees fan while waiting for the 4 train, and she’s put them all in a song letting him know that no matter how many swings he takes, this is one game that’s going to end in a “Shutout.”

I have a feeling “Shutout” is relatable for just about any woman who lives in NYC, and Kubinski’s writing style, and personality filled performance, puts a fun spin on the situation, turning it into a true laugh out loud moment.

Check out this recent live performance of the song, and please note that it isn’t about a Mets fan (because we’re classy, yo … and because we don’t use the 4 train).


* Keeping with the theme of NYC’s dating scene, up next is singer-songwriter Gabrielle Marlena’s “Sorry I Ever Fucked You.”

The song opens with a quintessentially New York set of lyrics, as Marlena sings, “We both live in Brooklyn / but that’s not much to say / when getting to your apartment / takes all fucking day.”

In a statement, Marlena described the inspiration for the song, and accompanying video, saying, “I wanted to illustrate the conflicting emotions I felt while spending time with the person the song is about – hating the environment that I was in, but also being addicted to those small moments of intimacy. The contrast of the two bedroom shots visually represents the contrast of these emotions. One of my favorite shots is at the end, post-fling, when I’m able to reflect about the type of men I gravitate toward – obviously at the beach, which is the only place suitable for that type of reflection, in my humble opinion.”

“Sorry I Ever Fucked You” is the second single off Marlena’s Easier Love EP, which was released this summer, and you can check out the video for it right here.


* In the mood to get funky? Then you’re in the mood for Lingua Funqa.

The latest project from Brooklyn-based artist Axel Roland, Lingua Funqa is funk pop at its finest, and on the group’s latest single they make it “Easy For You.”

Roland, a German immigrant who is an accomplished jazz pianist, is elated to be diving into another genre of music with Lingua Funqa, saying the project creates a positive rhythm for uncertain times, and adding, “I feel like I’ve finally arrived at what I always knew I should be doing.”

The project name is derived from the expression “lingua franca,” which is defined as “a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.”

After giving “Easy For You” a listen you’ll call Lingua Funqa a funky good time.


* Root beer shoes may seem like an item that would be difficult to wear, but NJ-based indie pop band Elk City’s “Root Beer Shoes” are an extremely comfy fit.

Elk City's lead vocalist Renée LoBue has a bit of a Lisa Loeb vibe on “Root Beer Shoes,” which is off the band’s fifth album, Everybody’s Insecure, released earlier this year via Bar/None Records.

You can try on Elk City’s “Root Beer Shoes” by checking out the downright pleasant pop tune right here.


For more of the best of NYC’s indie music scene, come back next Wednesday, and check out the archives for previous columns.