It's like the 1980s all over again. By the time you read this, another Irish band will have signed to a major label. Just when you thought it was safe to say "we'll never see their likes again", the major labels return to the table armed with bags of money, flashy pens and long contracts adorned with clauses and sub-clauses.

Humanzi are one of a couple of new Irish acts who have put pen to paper with a major label during the most recent signing season. The Dublin four-piece's deal with one of Universal Music's many subsidiaries follows hard on the heels of deals for The Marshal Stars (with Vertigo, another Universal subsidiary), Director (with Atlantic Records) and Red Organ Serpent Sound, the Derry band who said yes to Vertigo last December. Our old mucker at Vertigo, Richard O'Donovan, must be a very busy lad this year.

These deals buck the trend seen in recent years of Irish bands deciding to slog it out on the independent road. They also buck the trend of major label A&R men being quite happy to let those Irish acts remain indie. As far as the A&Rs were concerned, those bands were highly unlikely to make an impact beyond their rehearsal room, website or occasional show in the function room of a local lounge bar. By and large, they have been proven right.

But the major labels have decided that now is the time to invest sizeable sums in a bunch of new bands from the off. Of course, it's a gamble and one which the labels have been making for years, so at least we know why CDs are so expensive.

Naturally, there's been some indignant spluttering about what's happened to these acts. Humanzi in particular have come in for special peer attention, due to the purported size of their deal and their past form as Listo, the band from a cheesy oldVodafone advert. But this always happens, especially on the tiny-minded Dublin scene, where local musicians favour backbiting and begrudgery above writing decent tunes.

But the increased amount of major label activity in Ireland is significant nonetheless. For a start, it seems there may finally be a few acts over here that people apart from their friends and families think have what it takes to do the business elsewhere. Such optimism even extends to genres beyond rock: Dublin r'n'b singer Laura Davis (previously known as Laura Isibor) is currently recording her debut album for Jive Records.

It's also apparent that talent scouts do not see much to recommend in the rash of new singer-songwriters rewriting the Jeff Buckley songbook, which has been the meat and two spuds of the local scene these past few years. With a few exceptions (most of whom were signed well before the current flurry of activity), these singer-songwriters remain local curios with a strictly domestic appeal.

The fact that there's no queue of labels competing for the signatures of the new singer-songwriters really does indicate that the focus has switched, once again, to that tried-and-tested formula of a couple of boys clutching guitars, bass guitars, drums and a microphone.

There are a few caveats in the midst of all these deals. Precedents suggest that this particular major label fishing trip may yet see all concerned go home empty-handed. We can all name Irish bands who have been left with nothing to show for their major label days. After all, it's songs rather than contracts which count in the long run.

All of the acts mentioned above are unproven and untested, so judgement has to be reserved. Give them a year or two, a lot of tours and a couple of releases and then see where they're at. The record industry roulette wheel is about to start spinning again, so make sure your chips are on the table.