Beach Music Basics

If you grew up in the southeast and you were raised right, chances are you've encountered Carolina Beach Music.

Need reference materials? Check out the novel by Pat Conroy, the movie starring Bridget Fonda and Phoebe Cates, and these utterly essential tracks:

• 39-21-46 Shape (performed by The Showmen)
• Miss Grace (performed by The Tymes)
• 60-Minute Man (performed by the Dominoes)

It's neither doo-wop nor Motown, and certainly not the Beach Boys (although that's all on my pink iPod, too).

Beach Music is very regional and specific. It's meant to be enjoyed in the sand or on a screened-in porch, preferably with a view of the water.

But even if you're landlocked or halfway around the world, you can still throw a Beach Music party in your back yard.

Here's how:

• Invite a gaggle of friends over
• Make sure you have the requisite tunes
• Learn how to shag
• Serve beer and seafood
• Wear your preppy best

Happy summer, y'all!