As far as interfaces go, I highly recommend the following units as they are all inexpensive and do a great job;

http://www.alesis.com/io2
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FireWireSolo.html
http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=4

As for mics, you want to try and get a decent large diaphragm condensor mic. That will give you the ability to record just about anything honestly, with the exception of electric guitar. For that, the tried and true Shure SM57 is the ticket. Brands I would seek out are Audio Technica, Samson, and MXL. Those brands all make great mics that are pretty inexpensive.

Best of luck and keep the questions coming. Let me know that this answers your question.