...and the look of your page does matter. Your page doesn't need to be the latest on web 2.0 design but it should minimally be pleasant to look at, easy to navigate (clearly marked links/menu) and sensible and informative for the user. For fun, I do freelance design on the side via referrals so I think I am hyper-sensitive to this.

You're selling yourself and that page is essentially your outward 'packaging'. Truth be known, while I have mostly extricated myself from the music biz, I'd been on the non-musician side of the biz for a long time from owning retail, wholesale, CD Manufacturing, design and running a small label.

Essentially what I learned is this; the music does come first. However, bad packaging on CD's and web sites kill more people than you think from even trying your stuff even when it's good.

If your getting a site set up, unless your buddy is a fantastic designer, don't get your buddy to do it cuz he just got Photoshop a month ago and wants to try it out. If you can't do professionally and on the cheap/free, you can go to freelance sites (ie - ifreelance.com) for bids on design and can describe your specs and needs. It is a reasonably priced way to go.

All this assumes that you are serious in your musical career.

I guess I'm saying that be sure that the quality of your visuals meets the quality of you music. Doing so communicates that you are professional about what you do...