After some generalities on homogeneous algebras, we give a formula connecting the Poincar�� series of a homogeneous algebra with the homology of the corresponding Koszul complex generalizing thereby a standard result for quadratic algebras. We then investigate two particular types of cubic algebras: The first one called the parafermionic (parabosonic) algebra is the algebra generated by the creation operators of the universal fermionic (bosonic) parastatics with $D$ degrees of freedom while the second is the plactic algebra that is the algebra of the plactic monoid with entries in $\{1,2,..., D\}$. In the case D=2 we describe the relations with the cubic Artin-Schelter algebras. It is pointed out that the natural action of GL(2) on the parafermionic algebra for D=2 extends as an action of the quantum group $GL_{p,q}(2)$ on the generic cubic Artin-Schelter regular algebra of type $S_1$; $p$ and $q$ being related to the Artin-Schelter parameters. It is claimed that this has a counterpart for any integer $D\geq 2$.

14 pages