Check out this live performance we did last year for billboard: http://bit.ly/gk4Xgp
I've found two different kinds of posts on Tumblr.
Not different due to content, but different due to how they spread.
There’s likable content, and mimetic content. Both are great, but both are quite different.
Likable content gets reblogged primarily from one tumblelog. A lot of people reblog it from this one person; the conclusion is that they have a lot of followers, and they post pretty cool stuff. But anyone who would like what they post probably already follows them, so it doesn’t get reblogged. It doesn’t spread. A lot of posts I’ve seen like this are pictures of cute cats, cute dogs, and so forth.
Mimetic content starts out slow. It gets reblogged by one or two followers of the original author. But they find it interesting enough to share as well. This is where most of these posts die - they get reblogged a few times and there they lie. But some of these posts catch the attention of the likable curators. These authors have a lot of followers, and at least a couple people reblog every post they make. These curators are a unique lynchpin in the tumblr (and, I suspect, twitter) reblog ecosystem.
What if you could tell at a glance whether a post’s reblog graph was likable or mimetic? Would it fundamentally change your decision to reblog or not?
If tumblr stored the reblog data in a graph database like Neo4J, it would be trivial to determine - just find the longest path in a (directed) reblog graph, and divide by the number of nodes in the network. That gives you the viral ratio of the original post.
To take it a little further, you could probably find the tastemakers on tumblr in a similar manner. Tastemakers aren’t necessarily those who post a lot, or who get reblogged a lot. Tastemakers are posters who consistently:
- Produce or post content that is consistently mimetic in nature
- Consistently have a high centrality within the graph of posts that they reblog. This means reblogging the post soon and having a lot of people reblog from them.
How cool would it be if Tumblr could tell you who the tastemakers for a given post were?
BEA FEITLER
“A vivacious young woman from Rio de Janeiro moves to New York to study design and is later appointed co-art director of the world-renowned Harper’s Bazaar magazine at age 25. After 10 years at Bazaar, she becomes the first art director of Ms., the magazine of the women’s liberation movement. Other accomplishments include designing award-winning books, working forRolling Stone, and being chosen to art direct the revival of the 1930s classic, Vanity Fair. She is at the zenith of her career and celebrated for her work when cancer takes her life at age 44.”
Images from the fantastic new book: O design de Bea Feitler by our friend Bruno Feitler published by Ipsis/Cosacaify.
Available here at Editora Cosacnaify
Tastemaker of the week
Good morning frestylers,
looks like it’s Tuesday again! Go ahead and meet our #tastemaker of the week: Megan. She’s the newest member of the frestyl team and when she’s not blogging (it’s work, honest!) she’s busy harassing the local cats in whichever country she happens to find herself in.
In a couple of hours you’ll receive Megan’s recommendation for an upcoming event in #Berlin. Curious? Quick, subscribe to our newsletter and check your inbox at lunchtime!
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Hallo #tastemaker, who are you?
I’m Megan, a languages student with a blog and a passion for pop punk. Originally from Manchester, I used to live in France and now I’m frestyl’s newest intern here in Berlin.
First live music show of your life?
Bruce Springsteen at the Arena in Manchester when I was about 5. Eternally grateful to my parents that my first concert was such a cool one - I can still remember the Boss playing my favourite song.
What about the last one?
The Gaslight Anthem in Manchester this March. Fifteen years later and I’m still going to gigs with my dad. I love Gaslight so much I flew home from the south of France for this show. That’s dedication.
Most anticipated music event in Berlin?
I’ve got a ticket for Jimmy Eat World at Astra. This band reminds me of being fourteen and spending my days doing stupid stuff with my best friend. They’ve been my favourite band for the past seven years and I can’t wait to see them live again, it’s been far far too long.
Track of the week? If it’s a live track, we’ll love it more.
Can’t stop listening to Recover by CHVRCHES, so here it is being sung in the middle of a roller rink.
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Hope you enjoyed the chat, and if you want to be the next #tastemaker, just drop us a tweet!
:: the frestyl ladies
Featured Tastemaker - Dominique!
This week’s featured tastemaker is rising entrepreneur Dominique. Get a glimpse into her life here.
We asked, you told. The best mixology bars in SF are...
Its true. We’re pretty fancy here in San Francisco, and we like our drinks with a little extra somethin’ somethin’. So, the question of what bar has the best mixology is a heated one, and one that requires a good amount of sipping, swirling, and stumbling all in the name of research.
1. The Alembic (1725 Haight Street, Upper Haight)
With the mysterious, old-world atmosphere of a hip New York cocktail bar, this spot is a welcome change in the often crowded and boisterous Upper Haight. A favorite of Pinchit staffers Matt Seliga, Joshua Gillespie and Anjelika Paranjpe, the Alembic’s drink menu is pure poetry. Jenna Keys writes: I’m a whiskey/bourbon girl, myself, and I like it stiff - umbrellas belong in Seattle, not in your drink. You might like my faves: the Sazerac and the Vieux Carre. Both will put a little hair on your chest. Wheeee! Also on the whiskey team is Lewis Morales who goes for the Alembic’s tasty Old Fashioned. If you’re looking for something a little more summery, go for the Southern Exposure, a favorite of tastemaker Samantha McCurry.
2. Bourbon & Branch (501 Jones Street, Tenderloin)
Located on the same foundation as an actual speakeasy that operated from 1921 to 1933, Bourbon & Branch is a glimpse back on the era of Prohibition, when the only way to relax with a little bit of libation was quietly. S. Bell writes: Once you get a reservation (you must have one) and the password for that night, you enter into an atmosphere not unlike a 1920s speakeasy. The cocktails are unusual and divine. The drinks are served in many cases with home made ingredients and herbs that you wouldn’t expect in a drink but that makes the cocktails as special and unique as the bar itself. A bar this secretive is the perfect spot for a don’t drink and tell mantra. Almost all of our sweet tastemakers (ahem… Stephanie Curran, Heather Seliga, Margaret Odisho, Thao Le, and Daniel Pickard) have kept their Bourbon & Branch drink favorites a secret!
3. Blackbird (2124 Market Street, Castro)
Defined as a neighborhood bar and local drinkin’ hole, Blackbird offers local wine, artisanal beers, and, naturally, one-of-a-kind craft cocktails. Many of their cocktails are delicious twists on familiar favorites. Samantha Curry and Josh Sprague swear by Blackbird’s Mint Julep while AJ Evert urges fellow mixology enthusiasts to go for the Slushee. One can only hope a drink of that name would bring us all back to middle school days hanging around at 7-11.
4. Burritt Room (417 Stockton Street, Union Square)
Pinchit tastemaker Eric Podolsky writes: The Burritt Room in Union Square has to take the cake for the best, least-known-about mixology bar. This classy joint is tucked away in the recesses of Crescent Hotel, up a flight of stairs and around a bend. The professionals behind the bar here will make you whatever concoction your little heart desires, and whatever you order, it’s guaranteed to satisfy. There’s no drink menu, so you just tell the bartenders what you desire, and they’ll whip something up like the pros that they are. Plus, as it’s a hotel bar, it’s not very often crowded, even on a Saturday night. Bottom line, this place rocks.
5. Bar Agricole
With a space so impressively designed that it truly brings you to another realm, Bar Agricole is the perfect chic spot to drink outside the box. The cocktails are gorgeously and artfully presented, and the garden-studded patio is perfect for September. First mentioned by tastemaker Jay Boren, its popular for both mixology (described by Rita Heidtman as “some of the weirdest, yet interesting drinks I’ve tried thus far”) and unusual food combinations such as the assortment of pickled roots, as recommended by Bri James.
6. Lion Pub (2062 Divisadero Street, Pacific Heights)
Located on the leafy and seemingly residential corner of Divisadero and Sacramento in Pac Heights, Lion Pub (also known as the Lion’s Den) is a dark cozy den that could most certainly lead to some devilish debauchery. TastemakerBri James writes: The back bar at Lion Pub is reminiscent of a farmer’s market, overflowing with grapefruits, blackberries and anything else you could want freshly squeezed or mashed into a cocktail. There’s also a a life-sized lion statue and occasional complimentary cheese and crackers. What’s not to love? Bri goes for the Blackberry Mojito. Chelsea Murdock favors the Mango variety and our editor, Anjelika Paranjpe, can’t get enough of the Sweet Tea Arnold Palmer.
Photo Sources: New York Times, Chronicle, SF Examiner, Trend Central and SF Gate.
