Tiki Party Essentials

Every summer, countless Americans don floral shirts, put umbrellas in their cocktails, and meet their friends at a backyard tiki party. How does a tiki host set the perfect mood? First by decking out the lawn with as much thatch as possible, then by cueing up a few hours of Hawaiian classics, trippy exotica, and surf rock so enthralling that some of the guests may try to catch a wave in the backyard pool. You can’t go wrong with The Beach Boys, and this playlist combines their good vibrations with the guitar heroics of Dick Dale, the psychedelic garage rock of The 13th Floor Elevators, and the unmistakable ukulele of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. And don’t be surprised if the party’s soundtrack also includes some recent country music of the laidback, Jimmy Buffett variety—sounds that are perfect not for surfing the pool but for passing out on a chair beside it.