MUSIC website needs new layout. Sub-pages paid for seperately after

The music website needs a new layout. The contest is just for the homepage.

After the contest, the winner has a option to continue working to help create sub-pages for which he will be compensated $50-$100 per extra page (same header and footer, just slightly different content area).

Metro Lyrics

Accepted File Formats:
PSD

Website: http://www.metrolyrics.com

What I'm looking for is a new layout. I want original and unique ideas based on a few loose guidelines that I will provide. This contest is just for the home page, sub-pages I will hire you separately to do at discussed prices (defiantly fair and if not higher then average compensation)

Guidelines:
- I do like an incorporated leaderboard banner in the header. Similar to http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplac…yid=126640 (NOT a header similar to it but just as an example that the leaderboard is more flushed in then just dropped near the top)
- Navigation should be in simple view and easy, you can use tabs or side menus or a combination of both (however, please think of some unique ideas for this because I would like to do something a bit neater then what we currently have)
- Not image heavy (if you look at the current design, there are very few pictures that need to be loaded but anything that can be done in text css color and gradient wise, go for it)
- Not a big header. I like to get to the content fairly quickly so I don't want to see headers taking up a lot of room (you can see our current one is fairly small)
- 1024x768 please (800x600 is dieing down)
- Please include all the features that are currently on the homepage. (search is repeated twice so just scrap the one in the content area and make sure a good form of search is incorporated into the header)
- feel free to use the logo that's currently up there or design your own
- the links and menus can be up to you, so for example (you don't have to do this!) you can make it all tabs and then under the tabs the sub pages are shown if you wanted to split it up and then there's no side menu needed. (i'm curious about this because I think it could look great or it could be completely bad)
- use small headers in content boxes if you plan on segmenting the content. I don't fancy big titles in content boxes such as the ones commonly seen in templatemonster.com layouts.
- light colours please

Overall goal:
- wider then the current site (currently it's some weird odd size due to previous poor planning)
- simple attractive navigation
- overall more fun site
- easy to expand and add future features such as if we wanted to remove the poll or add a new section somewhere

You guys can be as creative as you want to be. For example a notebook style with sectional addons such as http://www.sitepoint.com/marketplac…ryid=57232 (I'm not saying do this or copy it but just as something that's unique)

Quick example:
- Do not copy this style but just as something that I think works well in some areas (but would need a lot of improvements) is http://albumrankings.com/ . It seems easy to expand to add new features and other pages fit well for stuff such as comments and content which is something you should be considering. (Browse through the site and see what other pages would have to be designed in the future).

Budget:
Total budget for this project is mid $x,xxx for all pages, css coding, etc.. This contest is just for the home page design. The winner will be given a option to continue work.