The Vinyl District:
"Listening to Akron-based band Lo-Watt Radio is both simple and complicated all at once.  It is complicated because you hear the melding of bluegrass, country, folk, and some old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll into something all its own and might have a hard time figuring out what genre to call it. But it’s simple to say that they cut their listeners a big ol’ piece of Americana with the release of their first full-length LP, Thousand Days of Rain, which is an accessible collection of songs that will please a lot of people who like all kinds of music. The opening track from the album, “Alabama Avenue,” comes at you with slick, finger-picking guitars, layered on top of timely drumming and great vocals. From there, the album shifts to classics like “The Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd” and “Lie To You,” which harken back to the days when country music was about telling good stories and having fun instead of trying to tell people how you bought your son a Happy Meal. (I won’t name the song, but it was the premise of a very popular country song a few years back.) Other tracks like “Falling Down” and the title track, “Thousand Days of Rain” will make you want to round up your friends and family for an old-fashioned hoedown. Though there isn’t a great sense of musical ebb-and-flow from track to track, which slightly detracts from the album as a whole, it shouldn’t detract from the fact that every song on this album is very polished and a blast to listen to. So pack everyone you know in one place, bring your dancing boots and get ready to enjoy this barn-burner for all ages." -Mike Foreman

Cleveland Scene Magazine:
"This Akron band mines a mellow folk groove on this promising five-song EP. The opening track, "Empty Seat," is a jam-friendly tune that perfectly mixes mandolin, lap steel and organ. "What You See" has a bit of a Barenaked Ladies vibe (not a criticism), and the more the guys turn up the twang, the better. "The Visit" features ringing mandolins that play up the song's drama, and the stripped-down "Crushing Plant" is a working-class song that could pass for a Billy Bragg ballad." -Jeff Niesel

Buzzbin Magazine:
"Finding roots somewhere between the alt-country pop melodies of Ryan Adams and the beautiful banjo picking of Bella Fleck, Lo-Watt Radio’s Crushing Plant EP is an eclectic mix of true folky pop gems and barn-burning boot stompers. Album opener “Empty Seat” is a perfectly crafted pop song with a fluttering organ hum that echoes, oddly enough, the Counting Crows, and stands out as the strongest song among a superb group of tracks. “Crushing Plant” takes its time unfolding into a simmering, slow burning closer that never underwhelms, serving as the perfect soundtrack to summer nights spent sipping whiskey on the porch swing. It’s tough not to get lost in the unabashed joviality of the album but underneath the fun is a band of talented musicians in synch with one another making music that deserves more ears than it will likely find." -Tim Webb

From a traveling Kentucky Blogger:
http://kentuckytravels.blogspot.com/2009/11/lo-watt-radio.html

Tuesday, November 24, 2009Lo-Watt Radio
I try to check out local and independent acts at coffee shops whenever I can. I have seen some fun acts recently, but I feel compelled to write about these guys out of Ohio. This is by far the best band I have seen at a small venue. They rocked.

Lo-Watt Radio has a great sound from a talented four piece band. They reminded me of the polished recent line-up of Fairport Convention, if you have seen them recently. Fairport is one of my favorite live acts, but pound for pound, Lo-Watt Radio might be able to blow the more senior act off the stage. Lo-Watt radio has been together for less than a year, but they sound like they have been doing this for at least a decade.

I love a solid sounding bass and drum combo. I have seen a lot of acts (stadium acts even) that sound flat in this area. Ron Cerosky's bass and Joel Eric Geiser on drums are flawless. They sound slow and smooth when needed, and they rock it up when appropriate. I could see this duo fitting in well with a mellow retro country act, or in a hard rock band. I can think of many major label acts that would upgrade with either of these guys in their lineup.

Doc Blankenhorn (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, lap steel, and backing vocals, according to their EP) and Michael Harvan (lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, and keyboards) could each lead about any genre of band, and I bet they could do a heck of a solo show each.

Doc switched his instrument often. Watching him play his very unique steel guitar (Ron told me it was custom made for him) was worth the price of admission alone. Michael's joyful and energetic style of singing, playing guitar, and blowing on the harmonica reminded me of John Fogerty or Bob Weir.

These guys play a great set of mostly original tunes. They did throw in an amazing cover of Zevon's "Werewolves of London." I know, some songs have been played to death, and Werewolves might be considered one of those songs. This was no karaoke reading of the song though. It was true to the original but lost some of the bar room sing along feel other readings have. It was done with more passion and more heart. Lo-Watt did to Zevon's Werewolves what Hendrix did to Dylan's Watchtower.

I caught these guys at a small but packed coffee shop in the Akron Ohio area recently. They are developing a following, and if I lived in the area, I would be a part of it. They have a great live sound and obviously enjoy what they are doing.

By D. Beall

Buzzbin reviewed the polished twang of Akron’s own Lo-Watt Radio last year and we liked what we heard. Influenced by Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and others, Lo-Watt Radio brings a roots-rock sincerity to every song they write and every show they play, making them a band to watch for in the coming months. These quintessentially American boys will be headlining the ArtisAlive Festival in Canton on April 10th.

Buzzbin talked to Lo-Watt Radio’s Ron Cerosky recently about the history of the band and their plans for the future.

“Michael Harvan, the main singer and songwriter, started a project 4 years ago with Joel (Geiser) drumming, but that didn’t really last,” Cerosky says. “About one and a half years ago, Lo-Watt Radio started as a sort of side project with Michael, me, and Joel. We had our first show about a year ago on April 10th.”
It became apparent that things weren’t quite right. As Cerosky explains, “We needed something more for the sound, to even out the band. Something was missing.” The answer came from Massillon, in the form of Doc Blankenhorn, a jack-of-all-trades with a startling gift for doing whatever, whenever. “He smoked the try out” Cerosky says, “He pretty much told us ‘I can play anything except brass’.” This is true. Lo-Watt’s myspace page lists Blankenhorn (who, by the way, has the coolest name in showbiz) as playing banjo, mandolin, fiddle, something called a dobro, lap steel, and contributing backing vocals.

The band played out around Ohio and finally decided to do what smart bands do. “We recorded an album just to have something out there- it was done real quick.” That’s definitely not a statement on the inherent quality of the album. The album is called “Crushing Plant”, an EP released last August that stands out as distinctly American music- footstompin’, headnoddin’ and definitely summerbranded goodtime sh*t that’s as country folk Ohio as it gets. Garnering positive reviews from all corners, it’s a strong start for a band that’s only a year and a half old.

http://www.buzzbinmagazine.com/home/2010/04/10/akron-americana-lo-watt-radio/

Local Band In Focus
Lo-Watt Radio

Meet the Band: Michael Harvan (vocals, guitars, keys), Doc Blankenhorn (banjo, fiddle, lap steel, strings), Ron Cerosky (bass), and Joel Eric Geiser (percussion)

What They Do: The Akron-based Americana quartet has been playing together for two years, developing an enduring, multigenerational take on working-man's roots music.

For Spinnin': The five-song Crushing Plant EP was released in 2009. A new album is "almost done and set to drop in June," says Geiser.

TV Show They'd Least Want to Appear On: "Pretty sure that would be American Idol," says Geiser.

Why They Say They Matter: "We really do appeal to all ages," says Geiser. "Mike Harvan is a great songwriter, and we have a flippin' banjo player. Doc is a true rock star."

Why We Say They Matter: Earnest folk music works better when you've got a couple older pros to keep the young guns in check, and Cerosky and the multitalented Blankenhorn certainly serve that role well for the talented young Harvan.

Where You Can Hear Them:

lo-wattradio.com

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/local-band-in-focus/Content?oid=2426116