This video is brilliant in so many ways. You may recognize Jeff Tweedy from Wilco making a nice little cameo here, singing about topics to which he has no relation. Fred and Carrie, acting as producers, call him out on his feeble attempt at songwriting.
After Tweedy gets personal in his lyrics (by hilariously describing a fire detector), he becomes an instant success. The lesson here is that no matter how mundane the subject, music is always better from the heart. Right, Mark Kozelek?
So many musicians make music just to see how cool they can be without actually having any significant life experience, and you can usually see right through it. I even have problems with poorly executed covers when the singer has absolutely no connection to the source material.
I’m so glad Portlandia exists so I know I’m not the only one who sees through the phoniness.
The Roundtable 
Wow, you just mentioned so many things I love in one blog post. Wilco, Portlandia, and Mark Kozelek. I just listened to Sun Kil Moon’s Benji, and I was very impressed, so I guess I’m a fan of Mark Kozelek now. Can you recommend any more of his work for someone who is just starting to listen to his music?
Ha, glad I could hit on so many relevant topics for you.
Mark Kozelek has a hug collection of music, especially when you throw in Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters. I personally haven’t dabbled into all of it, but I would start with the SKM, move on to RHP and then peruse his solo material. Hope that is somewhat helpful!